Great stunt fliers

[cyclone]

I noticed several recent comments how we often prefer practical stunts and effects over today's CGI.
I give you 2 of the greatest stunt fliers ever: Paul Mantz and Frank Tallman. They performed many of the greatest aerial effects for motion pictures.

Frank Tallman flew the plane through the Coca Cola billboard in "It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World" with almost no clearance on either side (the support poles were steel beams deeply secured in concrete). Today, of course, no one would every do that as a practical effect; it would be CGI.

His partner, Paul Mantz, died for a stunt in "Flight Of The Phoenix".

 

[David G. Smith]

I recently did a web search on these guys after watching "The Great Waldo Pepper", again, on Netflix. Tallman was the aerial supervisor on that movie. Those guys were great. I ran across a website that talked about Tallmantz Aviation. Those guys were great. Yeah, there is nothing like that done these days. That is probably for the better, but you have to give it up for the testicular fortitude these dudes had.

 

[cyclone]

Yes, in his later years, Frank Tallman did a little less flying and became an "Aerial Coordinator/Supervisor". This is because, he was supposed to be the one flying the stunts for "Flight of the Phoenix," but he had been playing with his little son the week before and injured his knee, so his partner, Mantz, took over the remaining stunts on the film for him. Tallman was so guilt ridden that he immediately flew to the crash site and helped search the crash site. His leg became infected, became gangrene and was ultimately amputated at the knee. He had to retest for all of his flying permits (forgive me but I don't know the name of these tests), which he passed with only one good leg. He never forgave himself for his partner's death.

By the way, that's a great link to their company. I wasn't aware of it. Thanks!

 

[David G. Smith]

I always wondered how they stabilized their cameras on the airplanes in the pre-Tyler mount days. Do you have any info on that?

 

[cyclone]

That's a good question. I am not sure how they did it. My guess is that, before the Tyler Mount, most of the air-to-air aerial stuff was shot straight forward (i.e. straight ahead) so there was less noticeable jerkiness, and it was shot from a plane. I always felt that shots from helicopters or scenes that were shot laterally from a plane (like out of an open side door) was jerkier, but that's just a guess.