Brave Lady

In Italy they have a TV game show that dares you to do something unusual. This lady was given the challenge to "wing walk" on the top wing of a Boeing Stearman. As this was not possible in Italy, RAI came to Flight Logistics to co-ordinate the shoot in the UK.

That's OK until you find out that she is over 80 years old and has never flown before!. Being England in Winter on an airfield, it was bitterly cold. A very brave lady!

The picture above left, shows her departing, waving as requested to show just how much she was enjoying the flight. The session included air to air from another Stearman and flybys shot from the ground.

However when she landed she was totally motionless, with her head thrown fully back. Murmurings amongst the ground unit - "We think that she might be ever so slightly dead". Fortunately she wasn't; just exhausted and very cold.

There was a technical problem. Pictured left is the aircraft rigged with 2 lipstick cameras. One camera is on the pole angled at 45 degrees to get shots of her face. The other under the top wing nearest camera to look across the wing. Unfortunately, for all of the flight she had her head so far back that all the camera could see was what appeared to be a headless torso. The wing camera due to taxiing over the grass had vibrated and tilted down producing 20mins footage of her knees and feet.

The dilema was that they had very little usable footage. The Italian Producer had the unenviable task to ask her "Would you do it again?" Which being a marvelous brave lady she did, with great success.