Anyone else see this show? Just watched it last night. I couldn't help but walk away dissapointed with the aviation aspect of the show, which was quite a bit of it.
A friend once said to me. "Why can't they make the scenes accurate to real life? Those in the know would be happy, and those that weren't in the know would be happy."
A couple of examples:
Looking out the front of the cockpit the scenery is whizzing by, indicating and incredibly high rate of turn, with the wings level.
Going full out in an experimental speed record aircraft, less than 300 ft from the ground, the guy jams the stick fully forward, and holds it there, to get a little more speed I suppose.
The 2 scenes with engine failures, both with very high speed aircraft, both occuring at relatively low altitudes, maybe 10,000 ft or so, show about 80 degrees nose down for extended periods, then lovely flares beginning about 50 ft from the ground.
And my favorite, the twin radial float plane, huge engines, rickety looking cockpit windows/doors, props about one foot from either side of the cockpit, and what must have been the worlds greatest cabin noise reduction system, as the lovebirds chatted in the cockpit, with just the whisper of wind in the background.
End of rant.
The Aviator
Moderators: Sulako, lilfssister, North Shore, sky's the limit, sepia, I WAS Birddog
Re: The Aviator
This is standard with us and part of the PPC trainingbezerker wrote: The 2 scenes with engine failures, both with very high speed aircraft, both occuring at relatively low altitudes, maybe 10,000 ft or so, show about 80 degrees nose down for extended periods, then lovely flares beginning about 50 ft from the ground.
Other than the above...in 3 words
HOL
LI
WOOD
Trying to make them conform is like asking Air Canada & WestJet and Airtransat and SkyService and Canjet And Kelowna and Cargo Jet to consider hireing JetsGo pilots when that company goes under
A little background on the man..
I had posted a note on here the other day about Howard Hughes. Our newest member, 'Moose Green', wrote me an e-mail with a very interesting story and since he couldn't post it, and has departed for a couple of months holiday, he has given me permission to add it to this thread. I think you will find it interesting.
Thanks 'Moose Green".
Hi Jarge
You asked about Howard Hughes in UL in '57.
On Monday Dec 13 '04, Victoria Times-Colonist printed a letter by E.F. Jacobsen stating that Cdn Pratt & Whitney had received a call to arrange servicing of his A/C, and he references propellers. Further states that, "During part of the operation Hughes paraded back and forth on the aircraft wing - in his bare feet."
As I had met Hughes at that time I replied to Jacobsen's letter, which the T-C printed, but they cut it considerably.
You are probably right in that it was a Starliner. I only called it a Super Connie because I was not sure of that.
If a floor of the Ritz Carleton was reserved, probably it was for his support staff, or his wife's. (Only a guess.)
The flight that I was on was daylight only, although a dusk final landing is possible.
In any case, here is the letter in full that I wrote to the T-C.
There would possibly be some other crew (ramp/mtce/pilot) still around who might add to my recollections.
Cheers (I'll be away a couple of months.)
-------------------------------------
I am responding to the letter by E.F.Jacobsen of Victoria in Monday's T-C regarding Howard Hughes' visit to Montreal.
The year was 1957, in June, and the aircraft was a Trans World Airlines Super Constellation. The aircraft was parked on the north side of the ramp between the domestic terminal and the old overseas terminal at Montreal's Dorval airport and Mr. Hughes lived aboard for the duration of his stay.
It was said that the reason for his visit was to bring his new wife, actress Jean Peters, to the Montreal Neurological Institute for treatment.
Rumor had it that Mr. Hughes wished to purchase Vickers Viscount equipment for TWA and would like to fly one of the then Trans Canada Air Lines' Viscounts. Other rumor had it that he was simply bored and wanted to fly a different aircraft type. In any event, a Viscount was made available to him on several occasions.
At that time I was an insignificant TCA First Officer and was assigned to Mr. Hughes' checkout flight simply because company requirements stipulated that two company pilots must be on board during flight.
So it was that in the early evening of June 4th Captain A.W. (Al) Ross taxied Viscount CF-TGT over to the Super Constellation and shut down and we were introduced to Howard Hughes.
Mr. Hughes was dressed in brown slacks, white dress shirt open at the neck and brown oxford shoes without laces, and no socks. However, my first impression of him was that he was gentlemanly, reserved and contemplative.
After a short briefing by Captain Ross, Mr. Hughes occupied the left seat and Captain Ross the right seat for the flight. Since I was totally superfluous to the operation of the aircraft I occupied the passenger cabin. After takeoff we proceeded south of Montreal for a time so that Mr. Hughes could get the feel of the Viscount, after which we returned to Dorval to do some 'circuits and bumps'. His approaches and landings were good, but the take-off portion a bit erratic at first with excessive rudder control due to his unfamiliarity with the Viscount which was a very responsive aircraft.
At the conclusion of the flight Mr. Hughes came back and personally thanked me for being along. Although the traditional myth about Howard Hughes continues very strongly, I have a somewhat different opinion. At that time Howard Hughes was 52 years of age and probably mellowed somewhat from his earlier and more flamboyant image. I felt that he was quietly contemptuous of life's boring details. With his financial resources he could well afford to be. Eccentric and reclusive, yes, but not a "wing nut". Rather an 'airplane nut' which he had been all his life.
As for wing walking in bare feet, you don't walk on an aircraft wing in leather-soled oxfords without laces for fear of falling off or of scratching the surface. Mr. Jacobsen mentions a problem with the servicing of propellers, so I imagine that Hughes went out on the wing to inspect the work in progress in bare feet. A bit unconventional, but at least you don't fall off on your head, and you keep out of the way of the mechanics who are occupying the scaffolding around the engine.
As to why Hughes had called Pratt & Whitney I can't imagine. The Super Connie had Wright engines, not Pratts and if it was a 1049H model it had Curtiss electric propellers, not Hamilton Standards. And to boot TCA then operated Super Connies, so would be completely conversant with the model.
--
I had posted a note on here the other day about Howard Hughes. Our newest member, 'Moose Green', wrote me an e-mail with a very interesting story and since he couldn't post it, and has departed for a couple of months holiday, he has given me permission to add it to this thread. I think you will find it interesting.
Thanks 'Moose Green".
Hi Jarge
You asked about Howard Hughes in UL in '57.
On Monday Dec 13 '04, Victoria Times-Colonist printed a letter by E.F. Jacobsen stating that Cdn Pratt & Whitney had received a call to arrange servicing of his A/C, and he references propellers. Further states that, "During part of the operation Hughes paraded back and forth on the aircraft wing - in his bare feet."
As I had met Hughes at that time I replied to Jacobsen's letter, which the T-C printed, but they cut it considerably.
You are probably right in that it was a Starliner. I only called it a Super Connie because I was not sure of that.
If a floor of the Ritz Carleton was reserved, probably it was for his support staff, or his wife's. (Only a guess.)
The flight that I was on was daylight only, although a dusk final landing is possible.
In any case, here is the letter in full that I wrote to the T-C.
There would possibly be some other crew (ramp/mtce/pilot) still around who might add to my recollections.
Cheers (I'll be away a couple of months.)
-------------------------------------
I am responding to the letter by E.F.Jacobsen of Victoria in Monday's T-C regarding Howard Hughes' visit to Montreal.
The year was 1957, in June, and the aircraft was a Trans World Airlines Super Constellation. The aircraft was parked on the north side of the ramp between the domestic terminal and the old overseas terminal at Montreal's Dorval airport and Mr. Hughes lived aboard for the duration of his stay.
It was said that the reason for his visit was to bring his new wife, actress Jean Peters, to the Montreal Neurological Institute for treatment.
Rumor had it that Mr. Hughes wished to purchase Vickers Viscount equipment for TWA and would like to fly one of the then Trans Canada Air Lines' Viscounts. Other rumor had it that he was simply bored and wanted to fly a different aircraft type. In any event, a Viscount was made available to him on several occasions.
At that time I was an insignificant TCA First Officer and was assigned to Mr. Hughes' checkout flight simply because company requirements stipulated that two company pilots must be on board during flight.
So it was that in the early evening of June 4th Captain A.W. (Al) Ross taxied Viscount CF-TGT over to the Super Constellation and shut down and we were introduced to Howard Hughes.
Mr. Hughes was dressed in brown slacks, white dress shirt open at the neck and brown oxford shoes without laces, and no socks. However, my first impression of him was that he was gentlemanly, reserved and contemplative.
After a short briefing by Captain Ross, Mr. Hughes occupied the left seat and Captain Ross the right seat for the flight. Since I was totally superfluous to the operation of the aircraft I occupied the passenger cabin. After takeoff we proceeded south of Montreal for a time so that Mr. Hughes could get the feel of the Viscount, after which we returned to Dorval to do some 'circuits and bumps'. His approaches and landings were good, but the take-off portion a bit erratic at first with excessive rudder control due to his unfamiliarity with the Viscount which was a very responsive aircraft.
At the conclusion of the flight Mr. Hughes came back and personally thanked me for being along. Although the traditional myth about Howard Hughes continues very strongly, I have a somewhat different opinion. At that time Howard Hughes was 52 years of age and probably mellowed somewhat from his earlier and more flamboyant image. I felt that he was quietly contemptuous of life's boring details. With his financial resources he could well afford to be. Eccentric and reclusive, yes, but not a "wing nut". Rather an 'airplane nut' which he had been all his life.
As for wing walking in bare feet, you don't walk on an aircraft wing in leather-soled oxfords without laces for fear of falling off or of scratching the surface. Mr. Jacobsen mentions a problem with the servicing of propellers, so I imagine that Hughes went out on the wing to inspect the work in progress in bare feet. A bit unconventional, but at least you don't fall off on your head, and you keep out of the way of the mechanics who are occupying the scaffolding around the engine.
As to why Hughes had called Pratt & Whitney I can't imagine. The Super Connie had Wright engines, not Pratts and if it was a 1049H model it had Curtiss electric propellers, not Hamilton Standards. And to boot TCA then operated Super Connies, so would be completely conversant with the model.
--
-
Swamp Donkey
- Rank 3
- Posts: 139
- Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2004 8:56 pm
- Location: West
I heard a story once (I can't substantiate it) that Howard Hughes actually used the prototype Avro Jetliner as one of his personal aircraft for awhile, before the program was cancelled. Anyone else heard this, and if so does anyone have any further details?
Understanding begets harmony; in seeking the first you will find the last.
What happened was AVRO flew the Jetliner down to California to demo to Howard Hughes. The Cdn AVRO pilot and Hughes went flying for awhile so that Mr Hughes could get a feel for the airplane while contemplating whether to buy what would've become the world's first mass produced passenger jetliner for his airline, TWA.
After the flight was through, the Cdn pilot was quite surprised when Hughes taxied left when he was supposed to go right to meet a press group anxiously waiting to see the new jetplane. When he inquired why they were taxiing away from the media, Hughes replied that he didn't want anyone to see the plane until he had decided whether or not to order them for TWA.
Hughes then kept the crew and their engineer in California for the next couple of months while flying the Jetliner repeatedly. These lucky Canucks got to go to parties with some serious Hollywood star types as the guests of Howard Hughes (who also owned RKO Pictures at that time).
Some weeks into the whole affair, Hughes said to the Cdn pilot that he felt bad that he was keeping these boys away from their families back home in Canada and offered to fly the wives down first class on TDubbya and rent them a nice house in Beverly Hills and provide them with a car. The AVRO pilot responded that he would call his wife to see if she was interested. Hughes then said to him....
Sure, but don't call until after 6pm - it's cheaper then.
True story....
Disco
After the flight was through, the Cdn pilot was quite surprised when Hughes taxied left when he was supposed to go right to meet a press group anxiously waiting to see the new jetplane. When he inquired why they were taxiing away from the media, Hughes replied that he didn't want anyone to see the plane until he had decided whether or not to order them for TWA.
Hughes then kept the crew and their engineer in California for the next couple of months while flying the Jetliner repeatedly. These lucky Canucks got to go to parties with some serious Hollywood star types as the guests of Howard Hughes (who also owned RKO Pictures at that time).
Some weeks into the whole affair, Hughes said to the Cdn pilot that he felt bad that he was keeping these boys away from their families back home in Canada and offered to fly the wives down first class on TDubbya and rent them a nice house in Beverly Hills and provide them with a car. The AVRO pilot responded that he would call his wife to see if she was interested. Hughes then said to him....
Sure, but don't call until after 6pm - it's cheaper then.
True story....
Disco
