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Dayton Airshow

July 15th, 2002

We wrapped the B-17 shoot yesterday. Now, time to hit the road to Dayton. My back hurts. We drop the dolly off to the rental house and jump on the highway. Neither Kevin or Heather can join this shoot, so it's just Hallie and I traveling. We're on our way to Dayton to shoot at the Dayton USAF Museum and with Nick Engler, Wright Flyer reconstructor. I wanted to shoot all of this the following weekend during the Dayton Airshow. Engler is way too busy for us then. So, we're going to go twice. I've hired some folks from my Wright State days to work on the crew, Tom Mayor and Johnny Raymos. I also snagged some lights and equipment from WSU's film department.

Hallie and I hold up in a Knight's Inn. She passes out in her room almost immediately. No such luxury for me. I start loading mags and charging batteries. I do pass out fairly early. No looking for a Mariachi band on this trip either.

July 16th

We arrive at Nick's place in Dayton. His shop is squeezed into the corner of Wilkie's Bookstore in downtown Dayton. Tom gets a parking ticket almost immediately. Production petty cash.

While the crew moves in, I calm the bookstore manager down. I forgot to inform him we were coming. More producer mistakes. The sun is coming in the front windows nicely, which makes our lighting job easier. Just some fill light. We set up the jib and go to work.

Our subject Nick is a ball of kinetic and potential energy. He knew we were coming, but barley pays us much attention. It's understandable, given his timetable. He's building 8 different Wright aircraft. The one he's working on he plans on showing at the Dayton Air Show, three days away. Good Morning America interviews him tomorrow. We make as small a footprint as we can and I try to ask questions that aren't dumb. We're out of there in under 3 hours. Onward...

Breezing into Nick's workshop spoiled us for the rest of the day. When we get to the Air Force Museum, we have to jump through about 10 hoops to get into the restoration hanger. Upon seeing the B-2, even half disassembled, sitting there in the hanger, I have one thought...I would never want that coming at me.

The staff is kind and open to us once we get set up and filming. I sense a trend forming with the attitude of our interview subjects. Almost without exception it falls into the same pattern: Hesitation, fear, acceptance, interest, and in some cases, exuberant enthusiasm. Our subject at the B-2 hanger, Myrl Morris, seemed to go through this a little. He finally opened up to us and showed us a great time even though the outside temperature felt around 4000 degrees F. As we wrap, I thank everyone at the Museum, including Deborah Csutoras, who really spearheaded this for us. I say "bye" to Johnny and Tom, feed Hallie and I at Waffle House, change in the parking lot, and then drive home to Cleveland. Upon getting home, I begin to prep for my return to Dayton four days later.

July 21st

I once again return to Dayton. I have Hallie with me as well as Heather. Again, Kevin can't join us. I think it's even hotter. We only have one location today. I was going to squeeze in a shoot at the Air Force Museum, but time was killing me. I'll go there some other time.

Molly and the staff at the Dayton Air show are wonderful. We get passes, parking that isn't too terrible, and golf cart transportation to our different locations. For help, I've enlisted super-grip Joe Cassano. His talents way exceed the requirements of the day. I try to make it fun for him, though. Molly and the airshow staff set up our interview with General Urschler for us at his plane, The Gunfighter. We jet over thee and begin setting up. Unlike the Amigo Airsho, this place is really noisy. The Show is being held at the Dayton International Airport, which doesn't shut down for the show. Hallie is doing sound again for me. After a god long while, Gen. Urschler finally shows up. He's warm and open, eager to talk about the plane and the guys who work on it. You can tell an off-color joke could fly from him at any time. When we start the interview, though, he "formals-up". While we are there, we get to meet Col. Borman again. He's the Grand Marshal of the show. I'll flattered when he remembers us. I mean, how many people does this guy meet through the course of the year? After the interview we get a group picture with him and the plane. He took a shine to the ladies on my staff. When it's all said and done, these guys are still pilots.

He let's all of us take turns sitting in the cockpit of his P-51. Great guy.

After the interview, we head to the reviewing stand at show center. Col. Borman, we find out, is going to receive an award. Great! We position for filming the award, which he knows nothing about. Hallie jacks the DAT recorder into the house system and Heather is front and center for stills. Cassano and I are positioned on stage with all the news guys with their video cameras. Again, we are the only one's shooting film. Right before the presentation, I hear a bad noise coming from the camera. Command decision. I open up the take-up side to find the film had slipped off the core and was just bunching up tighter and tighter in there. Cassano sees this and steps close to the camera as I nonchalantly pull out all the ruined film. If these video guys saw this I'd never hear the end of it. No one sees what we're doing except Heather, who's eyes are as big as saucers when she sees me holding a big rat's nest of 16mm film in my hand. I chuck it to her, reset the camera and successfully shoot Borman getting the award.

We scurry over to the media pit where we camp out for most of the day. I squeeze off only a couple of shots of the F-15 demo before I'm told it's Maj Blue, our pilot from El Paso! If I knew he was there in Dayton I would have tried to film more of him. Oh well.

I get some good stuff of Gen. Urschler's two performances, as well as some good stuff of a B-17 and Nighthawk F-117. Hallie almost melts again. Again, notice the picture, no shorts. We almost cut her pants off that day.