Page 25 - Aerospace Valley Hybrid Air Show Program - October 5-10, 2020.....

MOJAVE, from 24
several scenes of Waterworld at the
airport. The hulk of the Exxon Valdez
oil tanker mockup used to sit on the
north side of runways 12-30. Prior
to Titanic produced in 1997, Water-
world was the most expensive movie
ever produced, at $200 million.
The movie was an action-adventure
drama set far in the future. The po-
lar icecaps had melted and the Earth
was covered in water. There was lots
of shooting and posturing by Cost-
ner, who also starred in the film. The
scenes of the ship catching fire and
sinking were filmed here at Mojave
Airport.
The movie crew hired a backhoe
and other heavy equipment, dug a
huge hole, filled it with water, then Photograph by Cathy Hansen
came in the next morning to shoot Al Hansen’s Lockheed F-104 was hired for a Toyota commercial and they
the scene and all the water was gone! wanted the car to be able to drive fast under the wing. Special ramps were
Photograph by Cathy Hansen Guess they didn’t realize they were in devised for the Lockheed jet fighter to raise it up high enough for the car to
In 2003, there was a production shoot for the TV show Alias using a Fairchild the desert and the water just soaked speed under the wing. We saw the commercial on TV a couple of times.
C-123K for several scenes. into the dirt. Next time, they lined the
hole with plastic. in the thriller action movies during onto runway 30, made famous by
truck actually pulling the C-46, but with the speeding bus — is always Stunt Coordinator/Pilot Craig those days. Everyone recognizes the all of the SpaceShipOne and Space-
did get a photo of the aircraft com- remembered. The scene where the Hosking, one of the foremost aerial Huey by sight and sound, but the C- ShipTwo landings. The movie was
ing in for landing. Al Hansen’s C-123 bus smashes into an empty Boeing stunt coordinators in Hollywood, 123K is more unusual. The Spartan based on the 2000 book of the same
and F-86 Sabre are parked alongside 707 being towed across the runway flew the Pilatus Porter that crashed movie crew filmed at the airport two name, written by James Bradley and
the runway. was actually filmed at Mojave Air- into the Exxon Valdez. Al and I separate times, once at our hangar Ron Powers, about the 1945 Battle
In 1991, 20th Century Fox filmed port. It was supposed to be LAX, but watched Craig zoom the aircraft up in April 2003 and later during the of Iwo Jima and the five Marines
scenes for the movie Hot Shots at when my son saw the movie in North a ramp, become airborne, and then summer in a hangar owned by BAE and one Navy corpsman who were
Mojave Airport and there was a tragic Carolina, he embarrassed his wife by crash into a structure that was sup- Systems. During the latter shoot, involved in raising the American Flag
fatal aircraft accident on runway 30 shouting out, “That’s Mojave!” posed to be on the ship. One of the they pulled our C-123 and two UH- on Iwo Jima and the aftereffects of
with one of the Folland Gnat T1 air- Also, in 1991 Neil Armstrong wheels on the amphibious floats 1H Huey’s into the huge hangar and that event on their lives.
craft. These aircraft were built for the came to Mojave Airport to film some knocked out a camera that was filmed scenes for a couple of days. Today the aircraft boneyard and
Royal Air Force in 1963 as a trainer. segments for his First Flights TV se- mounted by the ramp, and it was In 2006, Clint Eastwood came to other locations at Mojave Air and
In the movie they were supposed to ries. They wanted to use the Gloster pretty tense for a few minutes. Mojave Airport to film scenes for the Space Port are still used for Hol-
In 2003, there was a production
be U.S. Navy aircraft and Charlie Meteor and MiG-15 that Al Hansen shoot for the television series Alias movie Flags of our Fathers. Crews lywood movies and TV shows,
brought palm trees in to make the air-
Sheen was the ‘hot shot’ pilot. owned at the time. While they were at Mojave Airport. They needed a port appear to be located in the South which helps to bring in revenue
Fairchild C-123K for several scenes Pacific. A Douglas DC-3 was flown for the airport.
Al Hansen’s with Jennifer Garner. It was a par-
C-123 and ticularly gruesome scene where a In 2006, Clint
F-86 Sabre guy gets kicked into a running en- Eastwood
are parked gine. Of course, it was really running came to Mojave
alongside the Airport to film
runway, while when they were filming, but again, Flags of Our
the C-46 comes the magic of Hollywood can make Fathers. Crews
in for a landing. anything look real. brought palm
In the early People always enjoy meeting the trees in to make
2000s, there stars, and my son was no exception. the airport
was a Ford Jennifer Garner is a lovely person appear to be
commercial and didn’t seem to mind posing for located in the
showing a Ford photos. South Pacific. A
truck towing a In 2003, the Val Kilmer film, Spar- Douglas DC-3
Curtiss C-46 was flown onto
Commando. tan, a political thriller with Daavid Runway 30.
Mamet as director, was filmed at
Mojave Airport. UH-1H helicop-
Photograph by Cathy Hansen
ters and the Fairchild C-123K Pro-
vider seem to be the aircraft wanted Photograph by Cathy Hansen
I remember they gave Airport there someone noticed that the P-51
Manager Dan Sabovich a credit line race plane “Stiletto” was parked in
at the end of the movie. our back hangar and since Skip Holm
The highly successful feature film, had raced that aircraft, they did a seg-
Speed starring Keanu Reeves, Den- ment on the P-51 also.
nis Hopper and Sandra Bullock — In 1995, Kevin Costner directed

Dan Sabovitch
with a
photograph
of himself
and Gregory
Peck. Peck
was in Mojave
filming scenes
for the movie
MacArthur.
Photographs by Cathy Hansen
Above: In 1991 Neil Armstrong and Skip Holm came to Mojave Airport
to film some segments for his First Flights TV series, including the
P-51 race plane “Stiletto.” Left: In 1995, Kevin Costner came to Mojave
to film scenes for the movie Waterworld. Prior to Titanic, produced
in 1997, Waterworld was the most expensive movie ever produced
Photograph by Cathy Hansen at $200 million.

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