James Kightley
Thanks to well-known warbird expert Taigh Ramey, we take you behind the scenes of the latest Apple TV+. master of the air series. Taigh provides insight into how Dave Littleton's Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress replica cockpit section, along with his and Taigh's expertise, was instrumental in highly accurate cockpit training. This is an aspect of the series that is receiving considerable expert praise. To Taigh:
Dave is a lifelong World War II aviation enthusiast who has worked on many other films in the past. He has had a passion for B-17s since childhood. For over 20 years, he has been building ultra-precision cockpits from scratch using many original parts and equipment. The rest he made by hand. He brought his own cockpit to his studio and it was really cool.
“Dave teamed up with BGI, the company that made many, if not all, of the B-17 propellers and the two larger aircraft to do some pre-production work. He gave them drawings and photos and answered their questions. I believe he was instrumental in the success of many aspects of Masters of the Air.
“I was asked to teach the crew how to pilot, sail, drop bombs, shoot guns, radio, etc. But it ended up being so much more than that. Dave had the cockpit used for flight training and top turret gunner/engineer duties.
“Pilots and engineers received initial training in Dave's cockpit and then rehearsed specific scenes.
“We thought some of the actors would have prior knowledge of flying in games or flight simulators, but that wasn't the case. None of them had any concept of flying, which was perfectly fine. I had to put them in a chair and teach them the basics of flight controls and how to use them. I held the virtual control wheel and stepped on the virtual rudder pedals. As with heavy tailwheel aircraft, make sure you use the rudder first and then the ailerons.
“Then we went into Dave’s cockpit and taught them a ton of engine controls and basic functions. Later, when a specific scene appeared, we would go through procedures such as takeoff, landing, and engine stop. Just telling me where to look on the panel for power changes, checklists, formation flying, etc. worked well. . ‘The Children’ did a fantastic job and it shows in the episode.
“The biggest item we tried to convey to the actors was a cohesive flight crew. Remember, the original guys had been flying together for a while and that was an important aspect of training for filming. There's nothing sweeter than flying with someone for a while, getting to know each other, and anticipating what they need before they ask. We trained the pilot, co-pilot and engineer together for takeoff. So the pilot pushes the throttle and makes fine adjustments, with the co-pilot assisting him, and the engineer also does his part in between. This is because each flight crew will vary in how far the co-pilot or flight engineer reaches for prop control during a power change. Engineers and backseat crew members also join in via the intercom, so it's the equivalent of running a checklist. And these details made the final cut and it looked really cool. Okay, I In May Be prejudiced…
“Dave’s cockpit was very helpful in training because it was on the floor and easily accessible. The main cockpit used for filming was on a gimbal 20 feet in the air! Dave's cockpit allowed him to lean out of the side window and direct his three crew members while all remained in place. Different directors could come on both sides and see and direct how they wanted the scene to play out. This will give you an idea of what camera angle to set.
“Another aspect of Dave’s stunning cockpit was its authenticity and detail. He used as many original parts as possible to make them as accurate as possible. Dave wanted to use it as much as possible, but he was honestly a little shy about it. He has never been known to be very shy, so he wanted to use it for as many close-ups as possible and pushed for it.
“As a result, you can see Dave's wonderfully detailed work in Masters of the Air, especially in the close-up shots showing the magneto switches, electricity, primer use, and more.
All close cockpit footage seen in this scene uses Dave Littleton's B-17 Cockpit Project.
“Dave and I were basically the only two people on set with extensive knowledge of World War II aviation and B-17 information. We were constantly fielding questions and helping various departments. Since several units were filming at the same time, he and I shared advice.
“We both went out into the field and flew from Abingdon, which had mainly full-size BGI aircraft. When the volume or studio started to increase, I would stay there and train and rehearse while Dave continued his field work. We did our best to keep things real and realistic, but things were really thin.
“Dave, like me, took a lot of time away from his day job to work on this project. However, due to production overruns, COVID-19, etc., he had to go back to work and sadly missed the last few months of filming. We especially wanted to see Dave on site. Although he was always available by phone and still helped as much as he could.
“It was great working with Dave and learning from you! Your cockpit has been really helpful in so many ways and your individual contributions have been invaluable. In my eyes, you were and still are a master of air masters!
Vintage Aviation News would like to thank Taigh Ramey (and Dave Littleton) for giving us a 'behind the scenes' look at Masters of the Air. There's a lot more to share with Taigh, but you can also experience his expertise 'first-hand' at this year's Bomber Camp™. Here are the details:
Want to get even closer to experiencing a mission flight in the legendary B-17 Flying Fortress? Anyone of any age can make their dreams come true at Bomber Camp™! Bomber Camp™ was conceived by Taigh Ramey, the author of this article, founder of the Stockton Field Aviation Museum, and avid World War II collector and history enthusiast. Bomber Camp™ is more than a “fantasy camp.” This immersive World War II living history experience allows you to travel back in time, train for a bombing mission, and then actually fly it. You can shoot guns, climb on spherical turrets, and drop bombs with the famous Norden bomb sight. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity could be yours. Enlist now! www.bombercamp.org.