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What's your favorite movie about aviation?
one man's opinion...

Posted on 03/14/2014 6:13:28 AM PDT by ken5050

Aviation and movies pretty much got their start about the same time, and ever since, they've been making movies about the drama of flight. With the mystery of the lost Malaysia Airlines 777 dominating the news, (and no doubt there are already plans being made for a movie) I was wondering what movies about airplanes and flight are FReepers' favorites?


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; TV/Movies
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Note: I'd like to exclude any wartime movies from this discussion. That's a whole different film genre. OK?

There are several obvious choices: All the "Airport" films come to mind, and of course, "Airplane!" which is one of the funniest movies ever made.

There's one hysterical scene after the other...nonstop..but the classic moment for me is June Cleaver's (a.k.a Barbara Billingsly) "I speak jive"

And there's that one line that somehow escaped the censors, when Julie Hagerty reflects on her relationship with Robert Hays, especially the romantic evening they spent on the beach, "when she sat on his face and watched the sun come up." (I looked for the clip..couldn't find it...darn..)

One of the first, and maybe still the best, is "The High and the Mighty." Tremendous cast,( John Wayne, Robert Stack) and a haunting theme.

Here's the original trailer for the film and if you don't recall, the theme is whistled, beautifully...a first. Listen here

"United 93" is superbly done, and IMHO, far and away the best film about the events of 9/11. You can watch the entire movie here

I'm partial to the older films, the classics, if you will. Two of my favorites:

"The Spirit of St. Louis," with Jimmy Stewart's low-key portrayal of Charles Lindbergh. Here's the original trailer

"No Highway in the Sky" is a loosely fictionalized version of the story of the DeHavilland Comet, the British built first commercial jet, which had the unfortunate problem of coming apart in mid-air. The movie stars Jimmy Stewart ( given his service with the UAAAF in WW II, he made a slew of really good aviation movies..both civilian and military themed) and Marlene Dietrich. Here's the trailer

Note: If you're curious, in the film, the tail of the plane falls off because of metal fatigue. The actual Comet also came apart due to metal fatigue, but it was due to the windows being too large. They couldn't survive the stresses of multiple pressurization cycles.

One of the best TV movies about aviation is "Falling From the Sky", about the "Gimli Glider," the Air Canda 767 that ran out of fuel at 41,000. Somehow the crew managed to glide it to a safe landing.

The movie is especially interesting as we wonder today just how could an airplane completely vanish? Well, could anyone think that it was possible for an airliner to take off, and despite multiple systems and built in redundancies, nobody noticed that it was running out of fuel, until the engines cut out. Here's a look back at the story, 30 years later.

Think about it....as we await news about the Malaysia Air flight.

One more, which also shows how the unexpected can happen without warning, sneak up, and bite you on the ass. Speedbird 9 was a British Air 747, which lost power in all FOUR engines while flying through a cloud of volcanic ash from a recent eruption...( again, over Indonesia. Hmmm?)Really good docudrama tells the story here .

Hope you all enjoy this. Please post your favorites, and don't forget the links to the video clips.

1 posted on 03/14/2014 6:13:28 AM PDT by ken5050
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To: ken5050

We did this last week, lol! Or maybe the week before.


2 posted on 03/14/2014 6:14:24 AM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard Lives Yet!)
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To: ken5050

12 O’clock High


3 posted on 03/14/2014 6:15:38 AM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
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To: ken5050

“Airplane!”


4 posted on 03/14/2014 6:17:12 AM PDT by ConservativeStatement ("World Peace 1.20.09.")
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To: ConservativeStatement

Do you like gladiator movies?


5 posted on 03/14/2014 6:17:37 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: ConservativeStatement
“Airplane!”

Ditto.

6 posted on 03/14/2014 6:17:49 AM PDT by kevkrom (I'm not an unreasonable man... well, actually, I am. But hear me out anyway.)
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To: ken5050

Island in the Sky and The High and the Mighty.


7 posted on 03/14/2014 6:19:25 AM PDT by saminfl
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To: ken5050

“Always”


8 posted on 03/14/2014 6:20:34 AM PDT by high info voter
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To: ken5050

Surely you can’t be serious! It’s “Airplane!”


9 posted on 03/14/2014 6:21:28 AM PDT by GreenHornet
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To: ken5050

didn’t we just have this discussion?


10 posted on 03/14/2014 6:22:39 AM PDT by latina4dubya (when i have money i buy books... if i have anything left, i buy 6-inch heels and a bottle of wine...)
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To: kevkrom

The scene where passengers are watching a video... of airline disasters.


11 posted on 03/14/2014 6:23:09 AM PDT by ConservativeStatement ("World Peace 1.20.09.")
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To: GreenHornet
Surely you can’t be serious! It’s “Airplane!”

my name's not Shirley... quit calling me Shirley...

12 posted on 03/14/2014 6:23:51 AM PDT by latina4dubya (when i have money i buy books... if i have anything left, i buy 6-inch heels and a bottle of wine...)
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To: ken5050

My favorite would be the movie Strategic Air Command starring Jimmy Stewart.The movie was made during the 1950’s but it showed the establishment of SAC and the reasons it was developed.


13 posted on 03/14/2014 6:24:51 AM PDT by puppypusher ( The World is going to the dogs.)
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To: latina4dubya

Randy Quaid in Independence Day.


14 posted on 03/14/2014 6:25:01 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Insurgent Conservative)
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To: ken5050
Flight of The Phoenix with Jimmy Stewart. Love that Boxcar.
15 posted on 03/14/2014 6:25:32 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (Do I really need ot use the sarcasm tag?)
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To: ken5050

okay, the other day i said Spirit of St. Louis and Flight Angels... today i will say Soul Plane—just to change it up...


16 posted on 03/14/2014 6:26:35 AM PDT by latina4dubya (when i have money i buy books... if i have anything left, i buy 6-inch heels and a bottle of wine...)
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To: high info voter
"Always"

I was going to post that before "Flight of The Phoenix".

But...I have seen that movie 10 times. I can no longer watch "Always". I simply cannot handle the flood of tears any longer. It borders on self abuse.

17 posted on 03/14/2014 6:27:34 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (Do I really need ot use the sarcasm tag?)
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To: ken5050

12 O’clock High
Empire of the Sun
The Great Waldo Pepper
The Aviator
Jules Verne’s “Around the World in 80 Days”
Memphis Belle
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
Flying Leathernecks
Flying Tigers
Midway

There’s more good ones I haven’t even mentioned


18 posted on 03/14/2014 6:30:29 AM PDT by bopdowah ("Unlike King Midas, whatever the Gubmint touches sure don't turn to Gold!')
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To: ken5050

The Rocketeer and Flightplan

Mrs.Esopman


19 posted on 03/14/2014 6:32:37 AM PDT by esopman (Blessings on Freepers Everywhere and Their Most Intelligent Designer)
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To: MrB

“Oh, stewardess, I speak jive.”


20 posted on 03/14/2014 6:33:05 AM PDT by ConservativeStatement ("World Peace 1.20.09.")
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