An interesting A-2 from movie Twelve O'Clock High

[thor]

Only if it was a Willis and "Geiger" counter

Dude. :rofl:

+1

 

[archbury918]

OSHA didn't come into existence until the '70s. It likely would've been the Atomic Energy Commission back then.

Yes, these Forts were slated for scrapping. In fact thats why the Air Force had no objections to the spectacular belly landing in the beginning of the film.

It's a shame so many of these aircraft met an ignominious ending such as target practice.

 

[archbury918]

OSHA didn't come into existence until the '70s. It likely would've been the Atomic Energy Commission back then.

Yes, these Forts were slated for scrapping. In fact thats why the Air Force had no objections to the spectacular belly landing in the beginning of the film.

It's a shame so many of these aircraft met an ignominious ending such as target practice.

 

[rocketeer]

Yes, these Forts were slated for scrapping. In fact thats why the Air Force had no objections to the spectacular belly landing in the beginning of the film.


It's a shame so many of these aircraft met an ignominious ending such as target practice.

Was this the same crash landing used in 'The War Lover'?

That is probably why we like to see them so much, the same with Steam locomotives in the UK. If we saw them everyday would they be so interesting? Preservation 'preserves' the interest in all these old things that once were so common.
Personally I have a love of overgrown airfields from WWII and dilapidated railways closed during the Beeching era.
J

 

[archbury918]

Yes, it's the very same scene in the War Lover. 20th Century Fox did both films.
They had different camera angles to capture the shot, but seem to use the same angle.

Every time I return to England I try to set aside time to roam those old airfields in Cambridge, et al Most have little left, but I enjoy it just the same.

 

[B-24J]

The Real 12 O'Clock High

I don't know if this was posted before, but it is interresting: http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2011/January%202011/0111high.aspx

John

 

[Stearmen]

A friend of the family flew with Flight Officer John Red Morgan, the real Lt. Jesse Bishop, Medal Of Honer winner. He was a Sergeant pilot before the war, then promoted during the war, and retiring as a Sergeant after the war. My friend said he was a real character, playing practical jokes with the other pilots, he could fly rings around all of them! When Paul Mantz was negotiating his price for belly landing, a camera man said, "Hell, I belly landed two B-17 during the war, I'll do it for free!" Mantz shut him up and got his money. The night before the big sean, wind blew down the tent the B-17 was going to crash into, so one of the set men decided to substitute a steal pole for the balsa wood, it went right through the radio operators station, luckily, no one was sitting there during the crash!

 

[nick123]

Saw this film today for the first time. Great one. It seems like most of the cast wore what we'd consider "roomier" fits.

That two piece back was hard on the eyes though.

There's another one you guys are probably aware of, with Ronald Reagan, I caught a glimpse of. The crew in the film looked to all be wearing some kind of B-2s! You don't see that everyday!

 

[Dumpster Diver]

Has anyone here read the paperback of this story...I started it and so far its Wayyy more intense than the Movie.

 

[Monsoon]

I believe 12 O'clock High was(maybe still is) used as an example of leadership and shown to modern US Airforce cadets.

Not just cadets. I think everyone in the USAF has seen this at least once during a leadership class. I know I saw it a few years ago in my section during an exercise.

 

[nick123]

Some of these movies find a way to remind me that war holds so much misery. Easy to lose sight of this when my mind is often so occupied by their clothing rather than the actual war. I don't know if my A-2 would be a good token after living through all of that.

 

[thor]

I read "Masters of the air" by Donald L. Miller. The book is a masterpiece of writing; a balanced, thought-provoking and thorough account of strategic "precision" bombing in Europe and it really brings the reality of war to life.