Waldo Pepper

[68volksy]

Anyone else had a chance to watch this movie? I caught half of it a few years ago and couldn't remember its name and then it was on again the other night. Very young Robert Redford plays barnstorming ex WW1 pilot.

 

Some of the best flying (and crashing!) footage i think is out there. Stunt pilots actually appear to be flying the planes straight into dams and through fairgrounds. It's beautiful to watch the control they have. Some other scenes of the stuntwork with on-board shots is also amazing. There's one scene where the pilot is trying to perform an outside loop in an open cockpit monoplane where you can clearly see him rising out of the seat and the bottom of the loop at only 50 feet by the look of things.

 

One scene where they crash into a dam I swear you can see the stunt pilot starting to scramble out of the aircraft before it starts sinking.

 

 

[David Isaac]

Volksy, where did you see the movie? On DVD or Fox or elsewhere?

 

 

[68volksy]

On ABC2 i believe. It was a latish movie on last week.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

'The Great Waldo Pepper' 1975.

 

Classic movie. They just don't make 'em like this anymore. Possibly because they destroyed all those great old aircraft.

 

And for a bit of trivia just who did complete the first successfull outside loop? and no cheaty googling

 

 

[68volksy]

It wasn't Waldo Pepper?

 

 

[David Isaac]

I remember a famous German aviator attempting it and killing himself. I don't know who was the first to complete one ... was it David Pilkington (our very own DJPacro)... hes almost almost old enough ...

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

He became quite famous for another event.

 

 

[winsor68]

It was on Saturday night at 10.20pm... lucky me recorded it on the t box to watch at my leisure... brilliant movie!

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

The DVD was released a couple of years back but have not been able to find it locally. Shame i missed it on TV it really is a great movie and well researched for the period. Another great one is the Blue Max. Starred George Peppard and James Mason.

 

A bought an excellent book in the 80's I think it was titled, the Great Hollywood Stunt Pilots. I lent it out and it was never returned. They killed themselves off at an alarming rate in the early years especially during the depression when work was hard to find and they had to do those really dangerous stunts to get the job.

 

Hint #2 he flew a really nice Stinson for some time.

 

 

[Teckair]

I bought 5 DVDs for $5 from Big W and The Great Waldo Pepper was one of them.

 

 

[RKW]

'The Great Waldo Pepper' 1975.Classic movie. They just don't make 'em like this anymore. Possibly because they destroyed all those great old aircraft.

And for a bit of trivia just who did complete the first successfull outside loop? and no cheaty googling

Was it Roscoe Turner and Gilmore?

 

 

[facthunter]

Think it was , Pushover Holdon and Hope. ... Nev

 

 

[rgmwa]

Think it was , Pushover Holdon and Hope. ... Nev

Yeah, I'm sure it was them Nev. I remember reading about it somewhere. Pushover thought it was going to be easy, I think Hope fell out at the bottom of the loop and Holdon survived the experience but was badly shaken.

rgmwa

 

 

[fly_tornado]

my mum took me to see waldo pepper when I was 10ish, it was pretty cool movie for a kid..

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

'The Great Waldo Pepper' 1975.Classic movie. They just don't make 'em like this anymore. Possibly because they destroyed all those great old aircraft.

And for a bit of trivia just who did complete the first successfull outside loop? and no cheaty googling

Chuck? Can I go and check on google now?

<returns after quick google check>

 

I would never have guessed that one!

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

OK enough. It was Jimmy Doolittle. He also became famous for the raid on Japan in B25s that took off from an aircraft carrier before the war he worked for Shell and had his own personal Stinson that is still around today.

 

Who starred in the movie about this raid?

 

 

[Neil_S]

Anyone else had a chance to watch this movie? I caught half of it a few years ago and couldn't remember its name and then it was on again the other night. Very young Robert Redford plays barnstorming ex WW1 pilot.Some of the best flying (and crashing!) footage i think is out there. Stunt pilots actually appear to be flying the planes straight into dams and through fairgrounds. It's beautiful to watch the control they have. Some other scenes of the stuntwork with on-board shots is also amazing. There's one scene where the pilot is trying to perform an outside loop in an open cockpit monoplane where you can clearly see him rising out of the seat and the bottom of the loop at only 50 feet by the look of things.

 

One scene where they crash into a dam I swear you can see the stunt pilot starting to scramble out of the aircraft before it starts sinking.

Have the DVD - great movie!

 

Cheers

 

Neil

 

 

[djpacro]

I wish I had been around to meet Lincoln Beachey. http://www.frankmarrero.com/Beachey/The_Forgotten_Father_of_Aerobatics.html It seems that he is acknowledged as the inventor of stall recovery.

 

I claim to have done the first knife edge spin in Australia.

 

Waldo Pepper is indeed one of the best aviation movies.

 

 

[eastmeg2]

Out of Africa was on the other night and Robert Redford plays a pilot in that. Is that the movie you're referring to? Just trying to remember to name of the lead actress as her looks remind me of my mother.

 

 

[facthunter]

There's an Airfield named after Lincoln Beachey in the US. Pretty accomplished pilot. Nev

 

 

[rgmwa]

Out of Africa was on the other night and Robert Redford plays a pilot in that. Is that the movie you're referring to? Just trying to remember to name of the lead actress as her looks remind me of my mother.

Meryl Streep?

 

rgmwa