What's Your Favourite Aviation Film/Book/Video?

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 01 Nov 2003, 18:50

What is your favourite aviation-related film, book, video/DVD?

For film I say "Dambusters", "Battle of Britain", "The Sound Barrier".

For video - "Wooden Wonders to Whisper Jets" (or also known as "De Havilland at Hatfield") which is the story of the aircraft developed by De Havilland at Hatfield - including the Mosquito (wooden wonder), Comet, Trident and BAe 146 (whisper jet) which was the last type developed at Hatfield. Also "British Air Travel" which is about the growth of civil aviation in the UK and has some great old footage of Heathrow (including old Sabena aircraft). Then my fifties and sixties Farnborough classic moments. Also "Wings Over The World" volume 9 is a favourite of mine. I first saw this programme dubbed into Icelandic, and that's what got me seriously interested in the Comet airliner story.

For book my favourite is "Chronicle of Aviation" because there is so much in there, you can spend hours reading it. I also enjoy the biography of John Derry, who was the first British pilot to fly faster than sound (he did this in the DH108 in 1948) and was killed at the 1952 Farnborough Air Show. Then any books relating to the Comet airliner. And also my "Brussels Airport" book.

MD-11 · Post by **MD-11** » 02 Nov 2003, 09:40

Movie: Critical ( or executive ) Dicision with Kurt Russell where a 747 is hijacked and an anti terrorists group enters the 747 from in a stealth plane in full flight 8O
Air Force one with Harrisson Ford as the US president
Video or DVD: Sabena B747-300 flight in the cockpit
VG Airlines A330 Worldairroutes, both by "justplanes videos"
Book: Pandoras Box about a deadly virus on board a 747

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 02 Nov 2003, 12:24

I've always liked the sound of those videos which featured the flight from the flightdeck, and I saw the VG Airlines DVD in Dublin but I wasn't sure as to the compatibility, so I didn't buy it.

Also good is "Wings Over the World" volume 13, which is about aircraft which never made it, there are some funny old ones on there, as well as good footage of better known types.

Post by **sn26567** » 02 Nov 2003, 17:01

I remember having seen a very old movie with many scenes taken at Paris (Le Bourget?) with Sabena aircraft in the background. Can't remember the name though...

Aviator-o- · Post by **Aviator-o-** » 31 Dec 2004, 10:10

Films:

-Superman
-2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick)
-Top Gun
-Alive
-Airplane
-The Aviator .. I just recently seen it and it is very well done! Leonardo DiCaprio did a good job as "Howard Hughes"

Books:

-3001: The Final Odyssey (Arthur C. Clarke)
-Fate Is The Hunter (Ernest K. Gann)

Advisor · Post by **Advisor** » 31 Dec 2004, 10:22

The Book: The Air Up There.
The Author: David William English.

And yes any movies with planes rocks me.

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 31 Dec 2004, 12:04

I had forgotten about Airplane - one of the funniest films! I also liked Airplane 2. I don't go to the cinema because the one in Scarborough is not ideal (it is in the middle of a doss-house area and often has problems with low lifes and dross) so I have to see things on TV, video or DVD. Of the Superman films, I liked the second one best of all.