Posts from William T Brooks in thread „Island In The Sky (1953)“

  • Island In The Sky (1953)

    I think some people forget that Films or Movies are for the Enjoyment of the people that are watching the Film. Most of the time, in the type of Film, if you Do Not Know anything about the Aircraft that they are useing and what it takes to Get Out alive you may Not Care for a Film Like This.
    :glare:
    In the Air Force we were Training for this Type of thing, every year back in the Early 1950s.
    :wink_smile:
    The Film "Island in the Sky" for a Pilot is Fun to Watch because it was Mostly Technicaly Correct when they were Flying the DC-3 or as we called them at that time in the U.S.A.F. C-46 and C-47, and I had Flown them Many Times.
    :teeth_smile:
    After W.W. 2 there were Hundreds of C-46 and C-47 Stored at Kingman and Litchfield Arizona and You Could Buy them for $750.00 Apiece, if You Had the $750.00.
    :hyper:
    This was Why this Aircraft was used in this Film and Many other Films in the Late 1940s and the 1950s.
    :shades_smile:
    You must Remember that at this time in Films Many New Actors would over Act trying to get More Parts. And as far as James Arness, He Must Have Done Somthing Right, as His T.V. Show "Gun Smoke" was Number One On T.V. for Many Years !!!
    :laugh:
    Chilibill
    :cowboy:

  • Island In The Sky (1953)

    Vera;


    You get as far as Arizona and I will Fly You to the 26 Bar Ranch. :D


    I meant that the Jet Aircraft can go over most of the Bad Weather and most of the time you must be in the Clouds or Freezing Rain to Ice up the Wings and the Tail of the Aircraft. :(


    Bill :cowboy:

  • Island In The Sky (1953)

    Tbone;


    I know that I did not have to change my pants, :D But I do not know about the Young Instructor that was with me, ;) and he Quit Flying after that Flight and went to work for the Local Police Department and stayed on the Ground!!! :fear2:


    Bill :cowboy:

  • Island In The Sky (1953)

    Vera;


    You ask about Ice and the Aircraft in the Film? In the days before Jet Aircraft most Aircraft of that time could not go much above 20,000 Feet unless they were Turbo Super Charged. The B-29s that I flew in the early 1950s were Turbo Super Charged and we could go up to about 35,000 Feet but the Aircraft that was in the Film could Not go High enough to get above the bad Icing Weather. :stunned:


    In The Film "Island in the Sky" they did a good job on making the Film and showing how Ice on the Wings Effects the Wing of the Aircraft . :) If you watch the Film again You will see when the Plane is Icing Up you can see Duke breaking up the Ice on the front of the Wing with what are called Deicing Boots that are Black in color. They are made of Rubber and expand with Compressed Air and Break some of the Ice off of the Front part of the Wing. :fear:


    If the Ice builds up to much on the Wing you loose the Lift on the Wing, and there is no other place to Go But Down! :fear2:


    After the Jet Age Began, they had all the Heat from the Jet Engines that they needed to Heat the Front of the Wing with Hot Air and this is called a "Hot Wing." :jump:


    And in Very Bad Weather sometime they Spray Anti-Icing Liquid on the Wings and the Tail of the Aircraft.


    In 1978 I got myself into a Bad Icing Condition coming back from Oregon up by where Chester is Going when He retires. :wacko:


    If you would like to Read the Story that was in the "Flying Magazine" you can go to


    WING ICE AND A TRIP I WILL NOT FORGET!!! :fear2:


    Bill :cowboy: