Aviation Movies
Here are a bunch of movie clips shot from an airplane, of airplanes or somehow related to airplanes. Please be warned, these are for the real enthusiasts.
Most of these movies are shot by my wife Duilia riding as copilot. She uses a small point-and-shot digital camera with movie capability. The camera is handheld and I use this as an excuse when the landing seems less than smooth (nice try at least). Please enjoy.
In fact, I use these movies to critique my landing style. It's obvious that I have an affinity for the left hand side of runways, while it is really desirable to land on the center line. My only excuse is that I'm very consistent.
The movies, as most of the slide shows, use the Flash format. It works well with Flash 9, but should be compatible with slightly older versions.
Take-off from runway 23 at KVNC – Venice, Florida March 31, 2013
Another non-flash movie. This clip shows a take-off from runway 23 at Venice airport in Florida. The video was shot with a GoPro camera mounted in N97975 (Cessna C182).
Landing Fond du Lac July 24 2010
This movie (not Flash btw) shows our arrival at Fond du Lac airport – KFLD – on July 24 2010. It is the weekend before the start of Airventure in Oshkosh. Due to heavy rain in the preceeding week, most arriving aircrafts were diverted to the surrounding airports, including KFLD. We, that is Duilia de Mello, Martin Pigg and I, arrived in a Cessna 172R, N2475L. Three people, luggage and very little fuel meant several stop on the way.
ILS practice in a TB10, November 29 2008
This clip shows my first ILS in N771TR, a TB10. Together with the instructor Terry Russell of 1 World Aero I flew to Easton (KESN) and did a practice ILS Rwy 04 approach. As is evident from the clip, I was a bit rusty and there was a fair amount of hunting for both the localizer and the glide slope. When getting close to the decision altitude I was really getting behind the airplane. The approach ended in a go-around followed by a number of touch-and-go's on RWY 22 before returning to KFME. This clip downloads slower than some of the others (it also has slightly better quality).
Landing practice in a TB10, October 31 2008
On October 31 2008 was my second flight in a Socata TB10 (aka Tobago). The instructor was once again Terence Russell at 1 World Aero, Tipton airport. The video is shot with his camera mounted on a tripod in the backseat of N771TR. This clip shows a series of landing practices at Carroll County Regional airport (KDMW). The movies is almost 5 minutes long.
First flight with a TB10, October 23 2008
On October 23 2008 I took my first instructional flight in Socata TB10 (aka Tobago). I've flown Trinidads before, but the TB10 is different enough to require getting used to. The instructor is Terence Russell at 1 World Aero at Tipton airport and the video is shot with his camera mounted on a tripod in the backseat of N771TR (which allows a review of the instruction/lesson afterward). This movie is 7 minutes long, rendered through iMovie and I put some 80's music to go with it – appropriate for the age of the airplane.
Landing St. Mary's airport, October 2007
Here is a landing movie. This shows the final approach into St. Mary's in southern Maryland. A little bumpy (as always...) with a right cross-wind. The ultimate goal with the trip was to spend a day at Solomon's Island, close to Patuxent Air Force Base. This was one of the last days of summer for 2007 in Maryland.
Landing Tangier Island, September 23, 2007
Here is another movie of a landing. This shows the final approach into Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay. This trip was made in N5339P, a C182 of newer model. It was Duilia, me and our friends Lucimara and Paula from Brazil. Here is another movie from the same trip. This time showing the landing back at Tipton.
Landing Millville New Jersey, October 2, 2007
This shows the final approach into RWY 10 at Millville airport in New Jersey. At the left, waiting for take-off, is a B25 Liberator - the real stuff. It was hard to concentrate on the landing with such a rarity just sitting there waiting for us to finish the landing. The flight was made in N317ME, a C172SP.
Landing Bay Bridge airport, October 2, 2007
This movie clip shows the approach and landing at one of Maryland's nicest airports: Bay Bridge Airport. It is located on the Eastern Shore, close to the Bay Bridge (no surprise there). The approach Duilia and I made here took us over the bridge itself and then coming in from the Chesapeake Bay. I had to extend the downwind a bit (traffic in the pattern) so we got a good look at the Bay. The flight was made in N317ME, a C172SP.
Landing Norfolk Int'l, October 7, 2007
Here is yet another movie of a landing. This shows the left base and final approach into Norfolk International airport in Virginia. Air Traffic Control had us come in from quite a distance due to landing traffic. This trip was made in N5339P, a Cessna 182 of newer model. On the flight was Duilia and me, staying for a day at Virginia Beach. The landing is a bit of a 'thump', which happens sometimes - despite a long and wide runway.
Take-off from Dare County airport, August, 2007
Here is a movie clip of a take-off, for a change. This was a trip Duilia and I made to the Outer Banks in early August 2007. We flew in 7340Y, a Cessna 182RG. The weather was very hazy (as you can see in the movie) and there was a stationary front between us and the destination, which was Carroll County airport in Maryland. We flew through some haze and some clouds. On the northern side the weather was nice. Since every take-off requires a landing, here's a clip of the landing back at Carrol County airport: KDMW.
Landing Charlottesville, Virginia, June, 2007
In June 2007, following a meeting celebrating NRAO's 50th anniversary, Duilia and I flew down to Charlottesville, Virginia to pick up Gustaf Rydbeck.The flight was done in N5339P, a C182 from the now gone Capitol Air at Tipton airport. The flight was done as an IFR flight, being rerouted around Dulles airport and then straight down to Charlottesville. The approach was a 20nm affair, as is evident from the movie clip. These are actually more difficult than a traffic pattern entry as you slowly descend over an extended amount of real estate. We picked up Gustaf and flew to Cambridge, MD. This short clip shows the landing at KCGE.
Landing Martin State airport, December 24, 2006
Here is yet another movie of a landing. This one was after the traditional flying trip to have Christmas lunch. This year we went to Cambridge, MD. The landing there was a bit of an 'arrival'. Fortunately, Duilia did not record that one (I should say that it was quite a bit of a gusty cross-wind). Returning to Martin State airport, the landing was a bit better, at least considering the circumstances. You can hear the surprised voices after touch-down.
Landing at Venice, Florida, March 2006
This shows a landing at Venice Municipal airport in Florida. Duilia and I rented a C172SP at St Petersburg Clearwater for 5 days in March 2006. In this clip we're arriving back at Venice after an excursion to Naples. The sun is setting as we were landing on runway 31. It doesn't get much better than this. To top it off, the evening finished with dinner at Sharky's Pier.
Landing BWI airport, April 2006
Here we are returning to BWI in a 2003 Piper Archer. Landing is on runway 15L. Duilia, who's filming as usual, got a bit interested in the airliners during the landing...
Landing at Manteo, November 27, 2004
Here is an oldie. On November 27 2004 we flew down to the Outer Banks in North Carolina to celebrate Duilia's birthday with lunch at Manteo. It was a nice November day, but quite windy and bumpy (as you'll see in the movie clip). I put some 'dramatic' music in this clip, to go with the turbulence. On a day like this you don't finesse the landing, you just plant the airplane on the ground and stop flying.