Aviation movies that we should all see...?

[mirrodie]

Flight of the Intruder blows Top Gun away, you can't even compare the two movies. IMO Top Gun is one of the worst movies ever made. To this date I still don't know what the plot was about.

You mean you missed the entire plot of Top Gun?! It was summed up in a few words. "We were inverted."

In fact, the moment you throw a love story into any one of these films, its crap. Flight of the INtruder was just good stuff, and thanks for hooking my up om the A4 Skyraider knowledge, Moose!

Take Deep Impact and Armageddeon, for instance. I felt Deep Impact was as realistic as it could get whereas Armagedeon was a bunch of muppets with special fx. ;)

[RDU-JFK]

Stewardess School! Hard-to-find 80s movie similar to Police Academy. Ultimate campiness, but great!

[uplander]

There's also Cabin Pressure, a documentary about the design of the plane (the Aalto E-474) for the film Flightplan.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0828371/

Haven't seen the documentary, but the Bonus Feature on the movie DVD shows a bit of this. I remember first watching the movie and wondering how they got those hovering camera shots inside the cabin. This tells it all.

[mirrodie]

Stewardess School ...was that the one with Gwyneth Paltrow? If so, I liked it. OR was it the one where toward the end of the movie, she's some gal, up in the church rafters, singing "I've got no panties one!"

[FlyingColors]

The Crash of flight 401 and the Ghost of flight 401 were good flicks also.

This man has gooood taste!

[nwafan20]

What about One Six Right (the documentary) Great GA film! Very good!

[FlyingColors]

Island in the sky, with John Wayne.

Harry and Tonto, with Art Carney. OK, its not an airplane based movie, BUT it has a few moments of some killer 1973 footage of the then new Terminal A at EWR. You see the "Braniff" ticket counter sign, then take a walk through the terminal and see a TWA 707, CV-880 and an Allegheny CV-580!

The French Connection, another non airliner movie, but features a few precious seconds of an Eastern DC-8 footage in flight. (plus one of the best movies of all time too)

Commando: Governor Arnold having fun at LAX in the 80's. Western DC-10, TWA L-1011, Hawaiian DC-10 and 2 Eastern A300's are the reason to see it.

Delta Force: some good 720B footage.

[Nick]

Uh what about Behind enemy lines? I've seen Top Gun more times than I can count, and even after I learned how acft work I still like it.. Hell I was 3 when it came out. Final Countdown and Flight of the Intruder were also good. Iron Eagle.. hmph.. it does include my favorite acft of all, but when you have a jet change midair from a A model to a B model then back again, it's hard to believe. But with all Hollywood flicks, gotta seperate the movie from real life, cos it's not! Stealth wasn't bad either.

[Nonstop2AUH]

Don't think it was mentioned before, but how about "The Bridges at Toko-Ri?" This is in some ways the original Top Gun, early days of carrier jet operations in the Korean War (remember when the Chinese were not our friends? Hello!).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046806/

Moose said it already but another good military aviation flick from 1955 is "Strategic Air Command." Part of what makes it cool is that Jimmy Stewart was really a pilot, so when you see him, it's not just acting.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048667/

[moose135]

Another good '50s-era military aviation flick is "Strategic Air Command" but I think someone mentioned it already. Part of what makes that one cool is that Jimmy Stewart was really a pilot.

Actually flew B-17s and later B-24s in WW2 (had 20 combat missions in the B-24) and ultimately retired from the AF Reserve as a Brigadier General. An old Air Force buddy ended up working in the public affairs office at Nellis (maybe 20 years ago?) and got to escort him around one day when he visited the base.

[Nonstop2AUH]

Moose-thanks for the Jimmy Stewart info, didn't realize he had such combat experience. Wow, the guy was hardcore and most people just remember him as good old George Bailey.

Toko-Ri is a favorite because if those Grumman Panthers don't get you excited, a young pre-princess Grace Kelly certainly will.

[FlyingColors]

And on a Jimmy Stewart note....

How about The Spirit of St Louis!

He plays Lindy, another must see.

[SCOTYDEMCO]

Memphis Belle. And yes Moose, Stratigic Air Command was a cool flick.

[mirrodie]

Memphis Belle! YEs, that was a great movie!

Remember the scene when I think of the radar guys wants to give the rear gun a shot? Ahd when he does, he downs an enemy plane that later slices through an Ameircan Bomber? Just wicked stuff. I was a book regarding similar inflight experiences in London. WIll see if I can fine a title.



And Yes, Behind Enemy Lines was great... Till they blow her out of the sky. Good missle shot scene though.

[Mateo]

Dr. Strangelove has lots of footage of a B-52 model for the exterior shots as well as a cockpit mockup for the interiors. I love seeing the 8 engine gauges lined up in front of Slim Pickens.

To be all artsy, one of the iconic pieces of French New Wave filmmaking was a short called "La Jetee" which revolves around a picture of a woman at Orly Airport. Another movie from the same time period (1961 +/- 2 years) also has a couple of scenes at Orly - I'm pretty sure it was Breathless (A bout de souffle), but I haven't revisted that genre in a few years now.