Famous people in soaring

[Ramy]

While Neil Armstrong was one of the most famous glider pilots, he wasn't the only one.
Other famous people who where also glider pilots which I recall:
John Denver
Christopher Reeve (Superman)
Sully (Hudson landing pilot)

Others?

Ramy (just signing my name, not claiming to be famous ;-)

[John Clear]

In article <6f1326e1-1ea2-40f5...@googlegroups.com>,

Ramy <rya...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>While Neil Armstrong was one of the most famous glider pilots, he wasn't
>the only one.
>Other famous people who where also glider pilots which I recall:
>John Denver
>Christopher Reeve (Superman)
>Sully (Hudson landing pilot)
>
>Others?

Bob Pearson (Gimli Glider)

John, not famous
--
John Clear - j...@panix.com http://www.clear-prop.org/

[ppp1]

Steve Morse from Deep Purple. He owns Pik-20e and has a private
airstrip in his house.

[patrick.seb...@gmail.com]

Steve Morse's airfield is Flying Dutchman Ranch airport in Ocala FL,

Also I think he is cousin of King of Spain, ALvaro De Orleans Bourbon, he flies his new ASH-31 and has been seen contests around the world.

[steph...@lycos.com]

You'll find a long list here:

http://www.volavoile.net/index.php?showtopic=6404

(commentary in French)

[Walt Connelly]

Cliff Robertson

Walt (Legendary Citrus County Fair, Pie Eating Champion)




--
Walt Connelly

[Chris Nicholas]

Steve McQueen.

And one who is likely to be infamous when AF447 legal cases go to court – Bonin, the FO who allegedly held the airliner into a stall all the way from FL375 to hitting the sea, 228 souls all lost.

Chris N

[nov...@gmail.com]

The Pik was 2 gliders ago. Steve Morse now has a Pipistrel Sinus.

[Ramy]

Steve McQueen is shown flying a glider in the original Thomas Crown movie, didnt realize he may have actually flying it himself.

I didnt see any reference before to 447 FO Bonin as a glider pilot. This is very disappointing. You would expect a glider pilot to be even more aware of how not to stall a plane...

Ramy

[Mike C]

"Steve McQueen is shown flying a glider in the original Thomas Crown movie, didnt realize he may have actually flying it himself."

He wasn't.

[Uncle Fuzzy]

On Friday, August 31, 2012 12:09:50 PM UTC-7, Mike C wrote:
> "Steve McQueen is shown flying a glider in the original Thomas Crown movie, didnt realize he may have actually flying it himself."
>
>
>
> He wasn't.
>

Nor did he make the jump in the movie "The Great Escape". That was done by Bud Eakins, stunt man, motorcycle racer, and the guy who got Steve McQueen hooked on dirt bikes.

[Unknown]

The french list is interesting, Linda Ronstant!! Who'd a thunk it.
.... sorry to be associated with "homme politique américain".

[Dave Nadler]

On Friday, August 31, 2012 2:34:00 PM UTC-4, Ramy wrote:
> Steve McQueen is shown flying a glider in the original Thomas Crown movie,
> didnt realize he may have actually flying it himself.

IIRC that was Roy McMaster flying.

[son_of_flubber]

Recognizable to the USA soaring demographic...

Skitch Henderson http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skitch_Henderson
(conductor of the Johnny Carson era Tonight Show band and trumpet player)

flew at Sugarbush Soaring in Vermont.

[Frank Whiteley]

Hugh Downs

[Richard Kennedy]

Richard Bach (author)
Jimmy Webb (songwriter)

[Mike C]

Paul Bikle, Director of the NASA Flight Research Center among other
notable achievements.

[JohnDeRosa]

However, Tom Knauff did fly in the re-make of the "Thomas Crown Affair" (but wasn't on camera). Does that make Tom a famous glider pilot? ;-)

And who did fly the glider in the original "Thomas Crown Affair"? He would be famous for the same reason as Tom! ;;--))

[JohnDeRosa]

How about...the Wright Brothers?

[JohnDeRosa]

Looks like someone got you beat on the definitive (and editable) list of "Notable Glider Pilots".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_notable_glider_pilots

[Jim Logajan]

Ramy <rya...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> While Neil Armstrong was one of the most famous glider pilots, he
> wasn't the only one. Other famous people who where also glider pilots
> which I recall: John Denver
> Christopher Reeve (Superman)
> Sully (Hudson landing pilot)
>
> Others?

Susan Oliver, who played the character "Vina" in the "Star Trek" pilot
episode, had acquired a glider rating (as well as a number of other pilot
ratings.) See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Oliver

Some scenes of her from the Star Trek pilot episode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F5pAFhByU8

Here's a video that appears to show her in her Aero Commander 200 that she
used to fly the Atlantic in an attempt to become the first woman to fly
solo from New York to Moscow:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM77SEPJQFA

Her book, if you can get a hold of a copy, is an interesting read with
plenty of material that most pilots can relate to. No glider content in it,
though.

[Mike C]

On Aug 31, 1:09 pm, Mike C <rs15z...@gmail.com> wrote:
> "Steve McQueen is shown flying a glider in the original Thomas Crown movie, didnt realize he may have actually flying it himself."
>
> He wasn't.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Also, Wernher von Braun.

[uline...@yahoo.com]

Correct - found this reference at http://www.german-way.com/famous-wernher-von-braun.html

> In 1931, von Braun began learning to fly gliders, taking private lessons in Grunau, Silesia. He later became a skilled pilot, eventually flying everything from fighters to helicopters, but his goal of one day flying in space eluded him. <

Would be interesting to know if von Braun did fly gliders in the US.

GM

[BobW]

He very definitely did, as a (guest? I don't know) member of the Cumberland
Soaring Group in (at least) the early 1970s.

As a recent college grad, during my student instruction one morning (the '73
season), there was a flurry of activity among some of the more senior club
members around an older - unfamiliar to me - man (who appeared to be anywhere
from 45-65 years of age from my distance). Fuzzy memory says he eventually was
packed into another member's Libelle for a launch. Further instruction
activities on my part precluded my maintaining further daily awareness of his
day's soaring success.

Prior to my day's instruction, I was told by the chief instructor the man was
Wernher von Braun who liked to come out "as anonymously as possible"
(presumably to enjoy both soaring and the anonymity). I was also informed he
had a daughter who also participated at some level in soaring, but I don't
recall her being there that day.

That was the only time I saw him at the field.

Bob W.

[Burt Compton - Marfa]

Mel Torme'.
Jazz singer, arranger, author of the only biography of Buddy Rich.
As a booking agent in Florida, I would meet him backstage after concerts in Miami to talk gliders, much to the frustration of the silver haired ladies who wanted to talk about the old days. His manager would have to practically drag him onto the bus before we were finished talking about soaring. Amazing musician and singer.

[Mike C]

I know he did. In the summer of, I think, 1970 he was at Schweizer Soaring School where he was checked out by my father.

[Brad]

would this be the same Steve Morse of the Dixie Dregs?

[Villinski]

Paul MacCready. I believe he is widely known for Gossamer Condor and Albatross, and the general public doesn't know that he was a leading glider pilot. That was true for me, before I started flying gliders.

[markm...@gmail.com]

I seem to remember an interview with Larry Linville (Maj. Frank Burns on TV's M*A*S*H)that mentioned his glider flying. There was also a photo of him sitting in the cockpit of a wood sailplane that he was either restoring or building.

[markm...@gmail.com]

Larry Linville (Maj. Frank Burns on TV's M*A*S*H)was an aeronautical engineering student before turning to acting. I remember seeing an interview long ago in TV Guide that had a photo of him sitting in the cockpit of a wood glider he was building (and apparently flew).

[BobW]

A search of his name in the online "Soaring" archives will find (at least) one
letter from him talking about his homebuilt project...A modified Pioneer II as
I recall. I seem to also recall (in another issue?) a picture of him/it.

Geez...the things stuck away in memory recesses!

Bob W.

[Luke Szczepaniak]

link to a photo on IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2305857536/nm0513271

[marc....@gmail.com]

On Monday, September 17, 2012 12:16:16 PM UTC-7, BobW wrote:
> A search of his name in the online "Soaring" archives will find (at least) one
> letter from him talking about his homebuilt project...A modified Pioneer II as
> I recall. I seem to also recall (in another issue?) a picture of him/it.
>
> Geez...the things stuck away in memory recesses!

Actually, it was a BJ-1B Duster, I remember seeing periodic updates in the Duster newsletter back in the day...

Marc

[Mike C]

On Monday, September 17, 2012 8:34:09 AM UTC-6, (unknown) wrote:
> Larry Linville (Maj. Frank Burns on TV's M*A*S*H)was an aeronautical engineering student before turning to acting. I remember seeing an interview long ago in TV Guide that had a photo of him sitting in the cockpit of a wood glider he was building (and apparently flew).

I remembered a photo of him and his wife sitting in a composite flying wing that he designed and they built. Looking for it in the archives I found it in the Aug '79 issue page 11. I wonder if he ever flew it and how it did fly.

[alc...@gmail.com]

On Saturday, September 15, 2012 5:04:38 PM UTC-7, Jim Logajan wrote:

Nice you should mention her. She made an episode of "The American Sportsman", a popular ABC TV show about soaring at El Mirage, California in 1972. She spent a week there flying and filming the show. I got to fly with her for a total of 4.2 hrs in the 2-33 and a 2-32. She was very lovely and gracious. She was the real deal as far as flying goes. On her solo Atlantic crossing, she had to take off from a one-way strip at the head of a fjord in Greenland, and made a dead reckoning circling instrument departure to get out of the fjord, and could see some wrecks on the cliffs of some others who had didn't make it doing the same thing. I heard that later, she also flew sailplanes at Black Forest in Colorado.

[alc...@gmail.com]

>
> > Susan Oliver, who played the character "Vina" in the "Star Trek" pilot
>
> >
>
> > episode, had acquired a glider rating (as well as a number of other pilot
>
> >
>
> > ratings.) See:
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Oliver
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Some scenes of her from the Star Trek pilot episode:
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F5pAFhByU8
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Here's a video that appears to show her in her Aero Commander 200 that she
>
> >
>
> > used to fly the Atlantic in an attempt to become the first woman to fly
>
> >
>
> > solo from New York to Moscow:
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM77SEPJQFA
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Her book, if you can get a hold of a copy, is an interesting read with
>
> >
>
> > plenty of material that most pilots can relate to. No glider content in it,
>
> >
>
> > though.
>
>
>
> Nice you should mention her. She made an episode of "The American Sportsman", a popular ABC TV show about soaring at El Mirage, California in 1972. She spent a week there flying and filming the show. I got to fly with her for a total of 4.2 hrs in the 2-33 and a 2-32. She was very lovely and gracious. She was the real deal as far as flying goes. On her solo Atlantic crossing, she had to take off from a one-way strip at the head of a fjord in Greenland, and made a dead reckoning circling instrument departure to get out of the fjord, and could see some wrecks on the cliffs of some others who had didn't make it doing the same thing. I heard that later, she also flew sailplanes at Black Forest in Colorado.

Filmmaker George Pappy of Los Angeles is making a documentary called "The Green Girl" about the life of actress and aviatrix (and glider pilot) Susan Oliver. It will feature her extensive career in television and films, and more of her personal life as well. Flying was a big part of her life. He is going to feature some clips from "The American Sportsman" television episode flimed over a week's time at El Mirage, California, where she got her glider rating in 1972, and flew a cross country flight to Giant Rock. Here are some links to some brief informational videos about his project. He is hoping to have it out some time in the Fall.

This one has a short clip from when she was flying gliders at El Mirage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w46hg0rhQgU

This is more about how George Pappy got the idea for the project and his plans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egu7DhOtFB4

This is a longer radio interview where he discusses the project in more depth and reveals some more interesting details about Susan Oliver's life:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT7ZBJNYH5o

Facebook Page (Facebook Login required):
https://www.facebook.com/GreenGirlMovie

He also has a "Kickstarter" page about the project, and another dedicated website for it:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/806849424/the-green-girl/

http://thegreengirlmovie.com/

[gerhar...@gmail.com]

> Other famous people who where also glider pilots which I recall:

+ Steve Fossett

--Gerhard

[alc...@gmail.com]

The film called the "Green Girl" is almost finished, and should be released in February. It has some scenes shot at El Mirage, California during the filming of an episode of "The American Sportsman" TV show with actress and aviator Susan Oliver. The have a new 14 sec teaser clip in which you can make out some scenes shot at El Mirage field. http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-green-girl-a-documentary-about-the-enigmatic-susan-oliver . There is also a newer 20 min. interview with the Producer/Director George Pappy here: http://geekfallout.podbean.com/2013/10/22/the-captains-table-interview-with-george-pappy-the-green-girl/

[dbra...@gmail.com]

I believe Nobel Prize winner for Medicine, Oliver Smithies is a glider pilot.
Maybe someone there in North Carolina can confirm?

[Soartech]

Two very famous people who have taken hang gliding lessons are Steve Tyler of Aerosmith and Bill Gates.

[Ramy]

On Friday, October 25, 2013 9:56:42 AM UTC-7, Soartech wrote:
> Two very famous people who have taken hang gliding lessons are Steve Tyler of Aerosmith and Bill Gates.

I wonder if it was before or after they could afford taking sailplane lessons ;-)

Ramy

[mattm...@gmail.com]

On Thursday, October 24, 2013 4:58:01 PM UTC-4, dbra...@gmail.com wrote:
> I believe Nobel Prize winner for Medicine, Oliver Smithies is a glider pilot.
>
> Maybe someone there in North Carolina can confirm?

Yes, he has a G109 he keeps at KTTA. He's come down to our glider club
from time to time for flight reviews.

Matt
NCSA Instructor

[6PK]

On Thursday, August 30, 2012 11:07:59 PM UTC-7, Ramy wrote:
> While Neil Armstrong was one of the most famous glider pilots, he wasn't the only one.
>

> Other famous people who where also glider pilots which I recall:
>

> John Denver
>
> Christopher Reeve (Superman)
>
> Sully (Hudson landing pilot)
>
>
>
> Others?
>
>
>

> Ramy (just signing my name, not claiming to be famous ;-)

Dick Rutan

[JS]

But of course!
First worked with him on The Dregs. On the 1985/86 Rush tour the Steve Morse Band was the support. We'd talk planes a lot. He was at that time amazed to find out he could not fly a motorglider with his ratings.
Steve and the band were flying between shows in his twin Cezzna. As he described a nasty IFR approach into Richmond, he was practicing some scales that most people can only dream of playing. The mind boggles.
Jim

[ke...@snapservices.ca]

Hanna Reitsch has not been mentioned.

Kerry

[unknown]

PLEASE do not forget the first women in the USA to get a glider pilot license...Ann Morrow Lindbergh...and and her husband Charles Lindbergh took glider lessons at Torrey Pines.

[unknown]

Didn't Jim Lovell (astronaut and author of "Lost Moon" fly gliders out of the Houston glider port?

[ACE]

On Friday, August 31, 2012 1:12:50 PM UTC-7, Unknown wrote:
> The french list is interesting, Linda Ronstant!! Who'd a thunk it.
>
>

From a history of Rosamond Airport --

Some noteworthy names that trained or learned to fly at Rosamond are: Governor Pat Brown, Barron Hilton, Billy Jack, Christopher Reeves, Linda Ronstadt, and Burt Rutan. Werner von Braun flew here often.

[Frank Whiteley]

On Tuesday, October 29, 2013 8:59:45 PM UTC-6, unknown wrote:
> Didn't Jim Lovell (astronaut and author of "Lost Moon" fly gliders out of the Houston glider port?

He was certainly an SSA member in the mid-1990's. Story Musgrave is an SSA life member and holds a CFI-G. No idea if he remains active as a soaring pilot.

[Dan Marotta]

Who's Billy Jack? Are you referring to the actor, Tom Laughlin?


"ACE" <gil...@q.com> wrote in message
news:5fb8bdea-a1eb-4db6...@googlegroups.com...

[David Salmon]

At 15:14 05 September 2012, JohnDeRosa wrote:
>On Friday, August 31, 2012 2:09:50 PM UTC-5, Mike C wrote:
>> "Steve McQueen is shown flying a glider in the original Thomas Crown
>movi=
>e, didnt realize he may have actually flying it himself."
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>> He wasn't.=20
>>=20
>>=20
>> On Friday, August 31, 2012 12:34:00 PM UTC-6, Ramy wrote:
>>=20
>> > On Friday, August 31, 2012 6:45:05 AM UTC-7, Chris Nicholas wrote:
>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> > > Steve McQueen.
>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> > >=20
>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> > >=20
>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> > >=20
>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> > > And one who is likely to be infamous when AF447 legal cases go to
>cou=
>rt =96 Bonin, the FO who allegedly held the airliner into a stall all the
>w=
>ay from FL375 to hitting the sea, 228 souls all lost.
>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> > >=20
>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> > >=20
>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> > >=20
>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> > > Chris N
>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> > Steve McQueen is shown flying a glider in the original Thomas Crown
>mov=
>ie, didnt realize he may have actually flying it himself.
>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> > I didnt see any reference before to 447 FO Bonin as a glider pilot.
>Thi=
>s is very disappointing. You would expect a glider pilot to be even more
>aw=
>are of how not to stall a plane...


I seem to recollect, from reading the report some time ago, that one, if
not two of the crew had trained in gliders.

>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>> > Ramy
>
>However, Tom Knauff did fly in the re-make of the "Thomas Crown Affair"
>(bu=
>t wasn't on camera). Does that make Tom a famous glider pilot? ;-)


Why did the canopy open on the correct side of the Duo when they got in,
and the other side when they got out?
BTW Peter Scott the naturalist, flew in many competitions in the UK.

Dave


>
>And who did fly the glider in the original "Thomas Crown Affair"? He
>would=
> be famous for the same reason as Tom! ;;--

>

[Richard Brisbourne]

And if memory serves once won League One at the UK Nationals,
flying an Olympia 419.

[CJ]

Actually, he was. If you look closely, he and his lovely wife Doris
(Russo'd up in a red wig) are visible in a head on shot, flying straight to
camera.

The canopy conundrum was because they built a mockup that reversed the
canopy hinge so that, wait for it, they could shoot Rene Russo's better
side.

Casey Jay
B3

[alc...@gmail.com]

Filmmaker George Pappy has released his documentary on DVD about the life of beautiful 1950s - 1980s actress/aviatrix and sailplane pilot Susan Oliver. It's called "The Green Girl" in deference to her role as Vina, the green Orion Dancing Girl in "Star Trek, The Cage", a two hour episode made out of the original Star Trek pilot show. The "Green Girl" documentary is mostly about her acting career, and personal life, but a very significant part of her personal life involved flying, including soaring. She earned her glider rating in July 1972 while filming an episode of "The American Sportsman" at El Mirage Gliderport in California, where she learns to soar, and makes a cross country flight. There are a number of clips from that "American Sportsman" show included in the documentary, as well as other rare news clips and interviews with people who flew with her during the different parts of her flying career. She had flown the Atlantic solo in her own single engine Aero Commander 200, as well as being a co-winner of the 99s Powder Puff Cross Country race. She placed second in the 1966 celebrity division of the Reno Air Races. She held some FAI records for the power plane class of her Aero Commander 200. You can get a copy of the DVD here for $19.99 :

http://shop.thegreengirlmovie.com/

He also has a Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/GreenGirlMovie

[son_of_flubber]

On Friday, August 15, 2014 10:59:14 PM UTC-4, alc...@gmail.com wrote:

> Filmmaker George Pappy has released his documentary on DVD about the life of beautiful 1950s - 1980s actress/aviatrix and sailplane pilot Susan Oliver. It's called "The Green Girl" in deference to her role as Vina, the green Orion Dancing Girl in "Star Trek, The Cage", a two hour episode made out of the original Star Trek pilot show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dNGU772_cI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Feb1wioCA_8

[Rob Brown]

> On Thursday, August 30, 2012 11:07:59 PM UTC-7, Ramy wrote:
>> While Neil Armstrong was one of the most famous glider pilots, he
>> wasn't the only one.
>>
>> Other famous people who where also glider pilots which I recall:
>>
>> John Denver
>>
>> Christopher Reeve (Superman)
>>
>> Sully (Hudson landing pilot)
>>
>>
>>
>> Others?

Bob Pearson (Gimli Glider)

[Martin Gregorie]

Eric 'Winkle' Brown (test pilot)

I'm not sure how much gliding he did, but, judging by his comments on
'Desert Island Disks' he certainly did enough to understand the joys of
soaring. For those who haven't heard of him, here's a hint:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Brown_%28pilot%29


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

[son_of_flubber]

On Tuesday, December 16, 2014 6:04:37 PM UTC-5, Martin Gregorie wrote:

> Eric 'Winkle' Brown (test pilot)
>
> I'm not sure how much gliding he did, but, judging by his comments on
> 'Desert Island Disks' he certainly did enough to understand the joys of
> soaring.

Audio file

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04nvgq1

[Don Johnstone]

Sir Peter Scott was National Champion in 1963, and was Chairman of the
BGA.

>

[John Firth]

At 17:57 25 January 2014, Richard Brisbourne wrote:

>and I helped him rig for a relight on a day he won; does that make me
famous?

John F

[Don Johnstone]

>famous?
>
>John F
>
Ah, the heady days of trailer racing, what memories :-)

[Bob Pasker]

gives a whole new meaning to his epithet " the velvet fog "


On Sunday, September 16, 2012 12:25:30 PM UTC-4, Mike C wrote:
> I know he did. In the summer of, I think, 1970 he was at Schweizer Soaring School where he was checked out by my father.
>
> On Sunday, September 16, 2012 6:06:24 AM UTC-6, (unknown) wrote:
> > Correct - found this reference at http://www.german-way.com/famous-wernher-von-braun.html
> >
> >
> >
> > > In 1931, von Braun began learning to fly gliders, taking private lessons in Grunau, Silesia. He later became a skilled pilot, eventually flying everything from fighters to helicopters, but his goal of one day flying in space eluded him. <
> >
> >
> >
> > Would be interesting to know if von Braun did fly gliders in the US.
> >
> >
> >
> > GM

[ijsk...@gmail.com]

che guevara flew gliders

[p2pgl...@gmail.com]

On Thursday, August 30, 2012 at 11:07:59 PM UTC-7, Ramy wrote:
> While Neil Armstrong was one of the most famous glider pilots, he wasn't the only one.
> Other famous people who where also glider pilots which I recall:
> John Denver
> Christopher Reeve (Superman)
> Sully (Hudson landing pilot)
>
> Others?
>

> Ramy (just signing my name, not claiming to be famous ;-)

Brian Dennehy took lessons back in the late 80s at Sailplane enterprises in Hemet, CA. Ray Stits, designer of the Stits Playboy homebuilt and developer of the "Stits" aircraft covering fabric system, also flew at Hemet.

[Dan Marotta]

Susan Oliver, actress and pilot.

--
Dan, 5J

[Waveguru]

Dick Van Grunsven of RV- fame flys an electric motorglider

[Ron Gleason]

On Sunday, 25 June 2017 20:31:21 UTC-6, Waveguru wrote:
> Dick Van Grunsven of RV- fame flys an electric motorglider

Dick Van Grunsven is flying at motorized Arcus at Nephi this week

[Michael Opitz]

I went through previous posts and found the Steve McQueen
references where nobody could figure out who actually did the flying
for the first "Thomas Crown Affair" movie. It was Roy McMaster
flying his own yellow 1-23 who did the flying. Roy told me that he
made a total of twenty-something flights with Steve McQueen, and
that it was the start of McQueen's association with aviation. It
would be better for Roy to further elaborate on the subject himself.
RO

[Wade G]

Richard Wolters

Author of soaring books but more known for his famous hunting dog training books (ie "Gun Dog"). He's the chap who looks like Mark Twain in the Sun Ship Game. Flew a Libelle.

[Graham Stanford]

At 17:57 25 January 2014, Richard Brisbourne wrote:

And that Olympia 419 is still flying at Staffordshire Gliding Club
Seighford by pilot Nigel Frost and his syndicate partners. It is in Fine
fettle....

[Ed Byars]

[edb...@bellsouth.net]

[edb...@bellsouth.net]

I once heard that Roy McMaster flew the 1-23H15 in the original movie for Steve McQueen. I've never thought to ask Roy about it.

[Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)]

My understanding is you are correct.
For the second movie, I have to believe the production company was contacting us to shoot film, there was lag in replies (I was the club contact person) and we never hooked up.
Thus, I believe the 2nd movie was also shot at HHSC, you have to know the site and watch quickly.

[Michael Opitz]

I stayed at Roy's home (The Round House) as a guest for the 2015 USA
Standard and 15m Nationals. It was then that I asked him about it.
It was back in the ~1965- 1966 time frame, and Roy owned and flew
that yellow 1-23H-15 from Rockingham Park in southern NH (about an
hour north of Boston). He was a local school principal at the time. He
and I landed out in his own schoolyard on one contest day back in
1965. I assumed that the movie was shot there, and that's where Roy
gave Steve McQueen his glider lessons, but I could be wrong.
RO