Well, Evan and I went up on Saturday, after his soccer season opening game (they won 4-0!), to the Livermore airport to meet the film crew.  The crew was great and a lot of fun.  The sound guys were from Skywalker Sound and particularly fun. 

Evan and I were asked to shoot all the "behind the scene stuff" like the film and sound guys doing their thing, the pilot breifings, etc.  It was very interesting and I learned a ton of stuff.  Unfortunately the air to air for us never happened as the space was limited and we didn't have parachutes.  (We needed parachutes because the door was removed from the Beechcraft photo plane)

The movie they're shooting is called "A Pilot Story"  http://www.apilotsstory.com  by the way. 

Sunday I went back up, with a parachute borrowed from a friend, hoping to help out and especially to go for an air to air.  In the morning a good friend would be flying his P-51 Mustang but the director claimed the back seat for that flight and a friend of the camera guy took my spot in the photo plane.

I think the director really regretted it........ that's him in the back seat!

iFrame Removed

P-51 Mustang Puke from Nigel Ellis on Vimeo.

In the afternoon the crew was going to fly up to the Reno Air Races and film a Focke Wolfe 190 and a Corsair in air to air.  I was told there was a space for me and I could film in the air to air for that flight!  Woo Hoo!!

So we headed up there to catch these amazing planes flying over the high desert during the golden hour of sunset.

On the way, I shot this

Unfortunately, when we got there, the FW-190 was having "issues" and .... worst of all ... the producer decided he wanted to go up on the photo flight with the Corsair and he bumped me!

I was not happy about this turn of fortune but I did get to visit with some friends at the races while they were out filming.

So all in all it was a very worthwhile weekend considering I learned a ton, had fun, got to see friends and at least got some air to air!

Tim