Path: mythinc!moon!pixar!uupsi!psinntp!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!rutgers!orstcs!jacobs.CS.ORST.EDU!mpucket
From: mpucket@jacobs.CS.ORST.EDU (Margaret Puckette)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation
Subject: NBC Flies Over Oregon
Summary: filming a rainforest "adventure" from the air
Keywords: NBC, Earth woman, lipstick camera, chase plane
Message-ID: <1992Jun17.064519.26631@CS.ORST.EDU>
Date: 17 Jun 92 06:45:19 GMT
Sender: Margaret Puckette
Followup-To: rec.aviation
Distribution: na
Organization: CS Dept. Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon.
Lines: 118
Nntp-Posting-Host: jacobs.cs.orst.edu


It was the day of the shoot, the weather did not look promising.

Dodging clouds and ridgetops, I flew towards the coast, steering from
sunny patch to sunny patch, hoping the Pacific coastline would be the
sunniest of all, but it was blanketed by heavy rain.  Landing at Newport
in minimal VFR, I awaited the TV crew from NBC.  They arrived at the FBO
in summery California clothing, undaunted by the chill and rain, and
suggested we all go to town for breakfast...it was time for a hot cup
of coffee.

I was introduced to the director, NBC camera crew, the host of "Name Your
Adventure", and the "Earth woman" Elise--she really *was* an earth woman
in appearance, but her personality was an ebullient Valley Girl, like,
ya' know...TOTALLY :-).  Her essay about wanting to visit a rainforest
sparked this whole adventure; I passed around some of my aerial photos
of the land we'd be overflying (and filming) that day (hopefully), and
fielded a lot of questions about aviation and the forest controversy.
We emerged from breakfast to brilliantly sunny skies...yeeeeHAH!

Back at the airport, the crew got to business on the ramp.  They pulled
their rigs up around my plane and began wiring it for sound.  This scene
would be a conversation between Jordan-the-host and Elise in back of my
Archer, discussing what they see below:  Jordan teases Elise about her
love of trees by suggesting they put up a big hotel for eco-tourists, she
snaps back that the wild creatures need a space for themselves...it's
meant to be humorous and light.  They do 4 takes; the cameraman crouches
in the front seat with the lens pointed up and aft so that only sky shows
through the windows.  I watch this seemingly bogus shot in the monitor
and it looks surprisingly good!  They plan on overdubbing airplane noise
for the broadcast version.

I was glad they planned the interior cockpit shots on the ground in a
parked airplane.  It was easy and *safe*; the real flying would come 
later without the pressures of worrying about a "good take" on top of
FLYING THE AIRPLANE.  The director used me to make most of the major
decisions in the subsequent shots and flights; I never felt hurried
or pressured into anything unsafe or illegal, those folks were a  
pleasure to work with.

Next scene:  4 takes of me, Elise, Jordan, and my forest activist
compatriot, Paul, climbing into the airplane.  I tell everyone to fasten
their seat belts and begin going through the engine start-up checklist.
PRIME - 3 times, MASTER SWITCH - on, MIXTURE - full rich, THROTTLE -
open 1/2"...I say these out loud, stopping just short of actually
starting the engine, and the director is confused?!  A cameraman is 
sitting on the wing, filming me in front of the open door, the director
is forward of the door and looking in, his back to the prop, the sound
guy is next to the cameraman on the wing walk.

What?  He REALLY wants me to start the engine?  I warn them about the
blast, I insist the director not move back even one inch!  And I visually 
check that no one is near the front of the airplane...CLEAR PROP!!!!!
Whoosh!  The intensity of the wind surprises them, pushing the director
into the door, the door into the cameraman, and him into the sound guy...
it's like a media sandwich!  Inside, we're all laughing :-).  I shut
down and the director decides to shoot the prop starting from a safe
distance in front of the airplane :-).

Scene three:  they pull out their favorite toy, the lipstick camera, 
looks about like a mini flashlight attached to a fat cable; the crew
starts waddling around like ducks under the right wing, looking for
a spot to attach the camera.  I suggest the tie-down loop, and a crew
guy gets out the 200mph duct tape and begins taping down the camera
and cable underneath.  The cable runs into the cockpit through the
rear baggage door and is neatly clamped in when the door is shut.  I
inspect the installation and have them rearrange it somewhat JUST IN
CASE that camera pulls loose in the airstream and the cable entangles
a control surface.  They listen and obey.

Now the real fun starts, *flying*.  Jordan and Elise in the back have the
camera film pack and monitor, and get to watch the takeoff and landing
from underneath the wing!  The camera crew stations themselves ahead next 
to the runway, midfield, and we begin the takeoff roll towards them.  Up
and away, I realize the teeny little camera out there makes quite an
effect on handling...and it roars in the wind.  We circle the pattern
for the first of two landings, filming a convenient clearcut on downwind,
and I aim for the preplanned landing spot.  Jordan is confused when I
reduce power for descent, and he observes the prop in his monitor slow
down, stop, and go in reverse!

It was a great landing, too, a greaser, and on the centerline...hey, video
doesn't lie!  You'd be proud too!  And what a thrill to watch it played back
on the monitor...they had the coolest equipment.  Of course, the crew got
a kick out of my instrument panel...you might say we formed a little high 
tech mutual admiration society :-).

Last scene: my chase plane pilot shows up in a C-182 (Jane couldn't make
it, this was Lee).  He and I and the director go over the charts and topo
maps carefully, planning our formation flight over the Tenmile Creek rain-
forest area.  The sun is perfect for flying down the coast, filming us in
the Archer with a spectacular coastline as a backdrop, forest covered cliffs
all green with fresh rain.   Lee forms up on me flying at 800' over the water,
and we quickly decide *not* to fly inland over Tenmile due to low ridge-
sitting clouds.  The cameraman aboard Lee's plane films us flying past the
mouth of Tenmile instead, passing over a whale cow and calf, seal festooned
rocks, and bright aqua surf.

Next is the Giant Clearcut:  we turn inland from the smooth offshore air 
and battle up and downdrafts over the Mega Desert created by Georgia-Pacific.
I worry there may not be enough smooth shots to convey the awesomeness of
this place, but I was proud that Lee and I could maintain a decently tight
formation through the hour flight and the turbulence.  It was a trip to
look out my window at this planeload of cameras looking at *me*...but only
briefly, I had altitude and heading to hold fastidiously.

We return to Newport and call it day.  The crew and Elise and her dad are
sold on Oregon, and there's talk about moving up here and starting an
Eco-Camp for kids.  Great, mission accomplished.  The series starts on
Saturday, September 12th, and runs 12 weeks in the 10:30am - 11:00am slot
on NBC, but I'll try and get a specific air date (and a video!) later.

Chalk this up as one more neat thing to do with an airplane.


*************************************************************************
Margaret "live from Oregon" Puckette
AOPA Archer N1939G