Flight of the Intruder

[Super18Ordie]

Ok I was watching Flight of the Intruder the other night and noticed something. The movie was filmed on the USS Independence in 1990-1991. Well if you look at some of the flight deck and hanger deck scenes you can see F-4s and A-3s. Well the F-4 was out of service by then and so was the A-3 so my question is were the jets brought onto the carrier or was it just a studio set?

 

[Pcola04/30]

Stock footage?? I would think studios have some 'standard footage' they use when possible. just a guess.

 

[theblakeness]

my guess as well

 

[SteveG75]

Fire fighting training birds and museum birds.

Basically, all the carrier bases have old jets that they crane on board to practice firefighting on. Nowadays, they are using A-6's. So, you round up some of those, crane them on, instant air wing.

BTW: The squadron that did all the flying was VA-165 and the movie company paid for them to go TAD to Hawaii for the flying and to repaint the birds as Vietnam era VA-196 birds. One of the guys was an old RAG instructor of mine, now in the reserves and I ran into him (he was doing 2 weeks AT) at C3F in January. Small world.

 

[Tripp]

BTW, am I the only one who noticed that on the main menu of the DVD...there is an F-14 pictured? WTF is up with that? Talk about a slap in the face to the attack drivers (A4s, feel free to comment).

 

[Super18Ordie]

Steve what A-6 squadron were you in?

 

[Blutonski816]

Actually, I heard that VA-128 was the squadron sent out for the filming of FOTI. They just painted their birds in Gull grey & white markings for VA-196 (the sqadron depicted in the film). The guys from 196 might have been out on a det or workups (anyone know?). I think they wanted 196 because Coonts flew with them when he was ain A-6 driver in Vietnam.

Then again, considering how the flying scenes were the only good parts of the movie (c'mon, who's really gonna believe David Schwimmer as an A-6 guy?), Coonts probably should have just said "Fvck it. The book is still better," and not let them make the movie...
The only enjoyable character anyway ws Willem Dafoe, but that's because he's always been a Badass.


As for the Vintage bird in the hangar deck... definitely musem Pieces, no active duty bird looks as clean as those did...

 

[zab1001]

total threadjack, Dafoe defintely is a f-ing badass

 

[SteveG75]

Actually, I heard that VA-128 was the squadron sent out for the filming of FOTI. They just painted their birds in Gull grey & white markings for VA-196 (the sqadron depicted in the film). The guys from 196 might have been out on a det or workups (anyone know?). I think they wanted 196 because Coonts flew with them when he was an A-6 driver in Vietnam.

Nope. Sorry. Have to come form the top rope on this one.

It was the Bommers of VA-165 who did the flying.

I just looked at the credits. I know 4 guys on the list. One LCDR ended up being my first skipper in VA-95 (Green Lizards). Two LT's were RAG instructors of mine (one of whom came to VA-95 later) and another one went one to command a Prowler squadron.

The reason they used VA-196 in the movie is that the squadron in the book. Stephen Coonts was in VA-196 (not "with" but "in"). Just referenced my copy of the book.
Page 3:
"Devil Five Oh Five is strangling parrot. Coast-in in three minute."

"Devil" was the tactical callsign of the Main Battery, Attack Squadron One Nine Six.


As an aside, there is an A-6 tail in the O'Club at Whidbey with the name of every graduate of VA-128 on it. I am down at the bottom, but highter up in the 1970 list is a LT S.P. Coonts.

 

[Blutonski816]

Oh, ok...Thanks for clearing that up. Kinda makes you wonder what th REAL VA-196 guys thought about that when they saw everything but themselves in the movie.

However, there is an A-6 from VA-128 launched during the "Daylight raid" at the end of the movie. It's the only A-6 in the Tactical Grey paint that you see in the whole movie.


As to the callsign...The funny thing is that Coonts never made it apparent in the book that it ws VA-196. Sure the callsign was a dead giveaway for anyone in the community, but aside from that he makes no reference to the fact that it was "The Main Battery." However when he details about the RAG, he has no problem stating that it was VA-128.

I just thought that was really wierd...

 

[Ryoukai]

total threadjack, Dafoe defintely is a f-ing badass

Well, what about Danny Glover? I mean, hell, he's always sweating and yelling so he's gotta be a badass, right?

Edit: Also, did anybody else notice the irony in his, "fighter pilots make movies..." statement?

 

[Blutonski816]

LMAO...
Well it was freaking hilarious to see him yell his ass off to JOs...
"HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN THIS STUPID!? HOW DID A PERSON LIKE YOU AS STUPID AS YOU ARE BECOME AN AVIATOR? CAN YOU READ?? ARE YOU NOT LITERATE??"

funniest line in the whole damned movie

 

[Fly Navy]

Well, what about Danny Glover? I mean, hell, he's always sweating and yelling so he's gotta be a badass, right?

Danny Glover is a left-wing military-hating lunatic. Any badassness of his role in that film is cancelled out and then some by his lunacy.

 

[Ryoukai]

^ I'm not sure where you're getting that (there seems to be something I'm not privy to regarding Mr.Glover) but I think it should be noted that he was also in Angels in the Outfield and, my personal favorite, Operation Dumbo Drop. Now, if you can be in Operation Dumbo Drop and still hold yourself as a human being with shred of dignity, you're either completely insane or a complete badass...and only Dennis Leary can be both.

 

[Tripp]

I'm pretty sure Glover endorsed Dennis Kucinich for President...that should tell you enough.