Anyone ever saw a good ATC-movie?

[garp]

Last week-end and yesterday some Belgian tv-stations have shown two rather unbelievable movies. One was called "Pushing Tin" which was a complete joke and the other one was "Blackout effect" which was better than PT but still a joke especially when during a power failure the controllers had to rush out to pay phone boots in order to make the life saving co-ordinations.
The British film on the Zagreb crash from many years ago gave IMO a much better view of how things really happen in a life environment but that is probably the last concern of Holywood producers.

[Arkady]

I thought the first twenty minutes or so of Pushing Tin was a pretty entertaining caricature of the job and (some) of the people who do it. ATC was pretty incidental after that.

Blackout Effect stretched the bounds of credability pretty far but it did make me think, what if everything did go? Having just moved to Swanwick it wasn't a totally idle thought. Making a sprint for the nearest telephone outside the system armed with a number for TC didn't seem so unreasonable on reflection.

[Legal Flyer]

There is a film that is solely about ATC - it is called "Jet" and features Kiefer Sutherland (of 24 fame) as an ATC who "lost a plane" on his shift (not through his fault) (which you see at the start before the credits) and then went to pieces (drink, attacking the station controller none of which you see). He is then asked back (on New Year's Eve) and just about everything that could go wrong (and no doubt many things that could not) go wrong - accepting too many planes due to other closures, subsequent bad weather, power failures, loss of radar and approach systems, plane struck by lightening etc etc.

As a lawyer with experience in aviation law as opposed to knowedge of ATC/pilot issues I have no idea whether much (anything) was realistic, but it raised some interesting issues and I would be interested to hear from anyone with relevant experience, who has seen it.

[126,7]

Didnt see any of the movies mentioned in the previous posts except for "Pushing Tin". It was entertaining enough, but not from an ATC perspective. Probably on an even par with the abortive landing of AirForce 1 when it went all over the Twy and grass etc etc.... if your gullible enough.

[Jerricho]

"Jet" is without a doubt Top Ten Crap Aviation movies ever. Dude coming back to work as an "assistant" after being off (had a nasty, lost the plot and became a computer game consulatant if I remember the movie correctly), and THEN when a fairly newbie controller is having problems, takes the head-set from them and saves the day. Sorry, but this movie, life Pushing Tin, is mildly entertaining after 5 beers.

But, it has provided one of the worst lines ever as well. When ATC manager trying to get Kiefer to come back to work, he comes out with the classic "You're working me like traffic....always 3 steps ahead." My wife loves this one, and reminds me of it constantly when I'm having a spaz moment (which is often).

[AlanM]

They are all crap!


On here Capt Spunkfarter has some :mad: great DVD's........

Otherwise Capt Spunkfarter and P7 were talking about making some the other day in the approach room.

Lets see...... it had xxxxxxx and xxxxxxxxx with xxxxxxxxx doing xxxxxxx

Combined age circa 139 yrs. Allegedly.

[Bright-Ling]

can i guess at the xxxxxxx's for you.....>.>.>

is the first one THAMES RADAR
the second one SVFR
the third one DEPS CONTROLLER ON A BREAK
the fourth one Fxxx ALL!

just a guess.where;s point seven when you need him

[Point Seven]

AlanM

One word mate - MILF.

You should have seen Arsene Wenger's face. ;)

P7

[Captain Spunkfarter]

She was filthy though P7!

MILF!!!

I plan to begin casting soon for a new movie called The Sharp End about life at London's premier airport. Any budding actors are welcome to contact me.
Especially female ones who like to have xxx splashed all over there faces.

[AlanM]

What a great word MILF is. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh:sad: And it means so much to so few.

Looking forward to seeing the finished article. Subject to EG's of course.

P7 - got any more autograph's for sale......??? Bless them there gullible Welsh types.

[Zoom]

'Airplane' had some nice ATC moments in it - like drinking coffee, sorting out the laundry and generally going ape.

Oops, I'm off.........

[karrank]

For the release of "Pushing Tin" a local cinema let ATC in free who flashed a licence, a bunch of support people went along too. Granted that the ATC stuff was only a charactiture, and all the ATC didn't see anything they recognised, there was one interesting observation - the support staff said they recognised every ATC on the screen from those they worked with. Some even said there were wacko characters in the center that would have spiced up the film a bit more...

As for "Blackout Effect", this happened in Sydney a couple of years ago. The power supply failed and the no-break broke. In the all-electric environment the controllers lost:
:} All main lighting,
:} All radar/situation display (no paper backup)
:} All radio,
:} All phones

The controllers were left with trying to find the center phone number to dial on their mobiles to let them know there were a bunch of planes around Sydney, but we don't know who and we don't know where. Oh, and call the newspapers... Your Belgian crock sounds like a documentary to me.

"Flying High/Airplane" is a training film for In-Flight Emergency Response.

I would also vote for the first 10 minutes of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". The screen shots and dialogue of the aircraft and controllers dealing with the green guys is played absolutely straight, and makes you think how you would deal with these situations. I used to work with Steve Robey (Strobes, the FSO who conversed with Fred Valentich in the Cape Otway UFO thingie) and have heard "the tape". CE3K has the same feel.

[canyonblue]

Saw "Pushing Tin" and outside of the Pilot replies it wasn't too far off. I don't know if it's because alot of the responses on this message are from outside the US, but if you ever flew into La Guardia or Newark at peak, you could relate. I was based at O' Hare for a year and a half and although those guys were great, the controllers at LGA did so much with sooo little!

[Canoehead]

I also thought the first 15 minutes of Pushing Tin were actually very well done. They seemed to capture the endless cycle of pushing tin, beers, cameraderie and home life which we're all caught up in. As was mentioned earlier, we all work in real life with most of the characters reflected in the movie. My favourite was Mr. Freeze. Also, the shot of J.Clusak's eyes watching the screen, with everything going 3-D was good. As for the last hour thirty, it was a piece of crap. BTW, they used the operating room in Toronto. Notice all the Canadian airplanes supposedly flying around the NY airspace.

[monkfish]

I can't comment on the other movies but I thought Pushing Tin was quite entertaining. (Particularly if you take your ATC hat off for a couple of hours!).

Billy Bob Thornton's character was actually quite an accurate reflection of the arrogance displayed by some of the ATCO's at LTCC!

Oh, and you get to see Angelina Jolie's bristols too.

[Topofthestack]

Showing my age here, MANY years ago there was a TV movie about a robbery from an Overseas National B747 which had some VERY good ATC bits in it. The actors had really done their homework, the film was accurate from the ATC point of view, and had a good plot.

For OUTSTANDING talent and services to the aviation industry surely BRUCE WILLIS in DIE HARD must rank above all others as the best ATC/Aviation picture EVER produced!!!:rolleyes:

[Warped Factor]

Anyone here seen "Top Gut", shown just the once I believe at a party held near Maidenhead some years ago? An ATC classic :D

WF.

[Point Seven]

Captain S

I know of a lady controler who likes it all ends up.

How's about AlanM for the male lead?

Footballers Wives? Football Managers Wives more like!!

Autograph anyone?

P7

[Andrew M]

Talking 'bout aviation movies/tv shows, did anybody watch Mile High on Sky TV ?

Totally unrealistic - but remember that these things convey the aviation image to the general public. Builders have a stereotype, as do computer programmers and so on - but most people I think cannot put a "personality" or stereotype to aviation as, frankly, they don't really know anything about it.

Same goes for rubbish printed in tabloid newspapers too - the unsuspecting public that has no knowledge whatsoever is quite gullible to things they don't know anything about.

Although, we all could take these movies and so on a little less seriously :D I do love pointing out imperfections though :)

[GT3]

I know of a lady controler who likes it all ends up.

we thinkin of the same one???

;)

GT3 - Lighter and faster than the rest

[Point Seven]

GT3 - lighter and faster than the rest, doesn't perform to well on lager. ;)

Yes is the answer.

P7

[Evil J]

Anyone who says Pushing Tin is a crap ATC film needs to get out more. Its a film not a documentary and as such is entertainment, it is to the best of my understanding a sequel (kind of) to Grosse Point Blank which like Pushing Tin is a really funny and tremendously entertaining film-yes its not realistic (compared at least to UK ATC) in terms of Air Traffikers but then like we all know good ATC is extremely dull television.

[AlanM]

Evil J

I know it isn't a documentary but it is still crap though fella!!!
:ok:
A lady who takes it up both ends...? How novel.

Will Capt Spunky be "audtioning" her soon??

[Serco Air Tragic]

Pushing tin/ is an excellent movie. It puts across a great view of Air Traffic = We all get to do women like angelina jolie whilst spending our time alternately drinking beer/coffee andhaving nervous breakdowns........WooHooo

[GT3]

GT3 - lighter and faster than the rest, doesn't perform to well on lager.

Yeah i run much better on optimax, send me an email to see if we mean the same one!

[Scott Voigt]

Pushing Tin----

Yup the last part of the movie was WAY OVER the top... But the first part, the controller interactioin was very close <G>. You have to remember that it was based on the New York Common IFR room. Them boys even by US standards are a bit over the top <G>... There is indeed a vector doll that is in use and we do taunt one another in many facilities. We have sock monkey here as well as a rubber chicken which gets to make noise when a trainee is using too much separation <G>....

It was indeed entertaining and other than some of the real over the top stuff, was at least one that used some real phraseology for the most part and real interaction... They tried <G>.

As to Die Hard II... You got to love the imortal words of the guy who played the tower sup.... Ok boys, lets rackem, packem and stackem <G>....

Close encouters of a third kind. Should have been a name for an ATC movie <G>... That was filmed at Los Angles Center and used real folks and real equipment...

regards

Scott

[BEXIL160]

I seem to recall in the VERY distant past an ATC related movie with George Peppard in it (possibly with Mr. Arnaz jnr. as well).... can't remember much except some FAA suit didn't like ATCO Mr. Peppard.

There was also a brief reference at the begining of a John Candy (sadly missed) movie where he plays a controller in NEED of a break after one too many "deals" (losses of sepn in UK terms). Anyway he takes his family off to the carribean and ends up racing an old boat.. lots of brain in neutral fun.

Rgds BEX

[Point Seven]

EvilJ

Pushing Tin has nothing to do with Grosse Pointe Blank other than that John Cusack is in both.

Pushing Tin is about Nick Falzone an ATCO, in the other he is a hit man called Martin Blank. How can it be a sequel?!

And Pushing Tin IS bloody awful.

P7

[tobzalp]

I too have seen Jet (it was called ground control in Australia if I remember correctly) Having started life as an assistant myself, the part where the dude yells across the room to the guy (sutherland).."Where are my F(_)ckn Strips!!!!" had me nodding with sympathy.

[WestWind1950]

The film your calling "Jet" was just shown here in June on German television under the titel "Flug 177 - Panik im Tower", roughly translated it would be "Flight 177 - Panic in the Tower" , the original title being listed as: "Ground Control", USA 1998. I wondered why it was called ground control since most of the action pertained to planes in the air and not the ground.
As a non-atc'er I, too, thought it funny that a guy being out of the system so long should be asked back.. he would have been having to keep up his qualification some how the whole time or that wouldn't have been possible, right? But the movies need a hero... so what the heck with "official" regulations :hmm:

If you get the chance to read the book "Tracon" then do so... I found it very interesting (eh, I loaned it to an ATC friend and haven't got it back yet so I can't check who the author is). It was especially interesting to read how "old fashioned" some supposed top modern centers are... there's also a web-site about it... if I find it, I'll add it here...

keep up the good work!!

WestWind1950

here's the link:

http://www.paulmcelroy.com/Pages/index2.htm

[Scott Voigt]

Westwind;

The author of TRACON if Paul McElroy.... He interviewed a LOT of controllers for the book... It is a pretty good read. You can get the book at the NATCA shop, as well as the book that he wrote for NATCA, which is the history of NATCA called "Against the Wind."

regards

Scott

[normally left blank]

"Die Hard 2" must be the absolutely worst ATC-movie :yuk:

Check www.movie-mistakes.com for the whole line-up of stupid mistakes.

"Always" about fire-bombers, has got another holiday extra, Holly Hunter, standing in at L.A.?, John Goodman, "meet" her on the frequency, when he is collecting a plane. Her temporary home is at (in?) the localizer antenna :D
The opening shot is hilarious, when the PBY/Catalina scoops up water and give two fishermen a wake up call.

[WestWind1950]

@svoigt11
thanks for the info... found the authors name after finding the link

@normally
I think Holly was supposed to be in San Diego, not L.A.... but obviously, without the proper "qualification" even that woudn't be possible... but who really cares.. most of those in the audience sure don't! I did like that movie, though. Saw it at least 5 times and have it on video...

[normally left blank]

Westwind

You're right. "Always" is in fact one of my favourite movies. Steven Spielberg "touch" and lots of lovely radial engines.

best regards

[Bombay Bad Boy]

Saw a film called "Airport 2000 - The Return Journey", it starred Spunkfarter and was nominated for 6 Oscars including a nomination for "Best Cheesey Music" !

I believe its now a classic and can only be purchased direct from the makers at about £25 per film. Well worth it !!

Best bits of ATC I ever saw, in fact "titty's in a jar" should be incorporated into MATS pt1 appendix E Phraselogy without delay.

BBB

[normally left blank]

"Mid Air Crash"

Found the video (at least 15 years old) with George Peppard. A "B-movie" but not too bad. With cooperation of FAA and L.A. Airports Administration. Early 70'ties judged by the haircuts and a/c.

"I may be the oldest controller, but I'm the best!"

Flight surgeon: "You guys smoke like it is a CURE for cancer"

Peppard is one mean instructor as well!

Many of the scenes are found in "Airplane"

[Jumbo56]

Hmmm...let me guess, those of you who even waste your breath saying anything good about such NAFF films as 'Pushing Tin' and 'Jet' have got to be guys! (I think the MILF references by some are a bit of a giveaway too! - having had the misfortune to find out what that stands for only recently! Tasteful/mature!!!?)
I thought this was a serious site, but it seems (certainly on the ATC side) to have more than its fair share of characters who are overly fond of slapping themselves on the back for being such superstars whilst slagging off the rest of the world.
I do not mean to tar all with the same brush but Pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaase ... get a life...

[TrafficTraffic]

characters who are overly fond of slapping themselves on the back for being such superstars whilst slagging off the rest of the world.

Sounds like something Clint would say whilst holding a 44 to your head...

nonetheless - very accurate :(

[Jerricho]

Tobzalp, the only reason you used to get yelled at was cause you and the Big J.R. used to sit there and plan scripts for various porn adventures that you were going to "Star-star-st-st-star" in!!!!

[Playpen]

The thing is 'Pushing Tin' was never meant to be a totally serious film - It has many elements of humour .
I am glad to see that some of you realise this - however , on the other hand , it doesn't suprise me that others of you are just too serious about the whole thing!

maybe you now realise that hollywood films don't, in general ,portray real life.

How about the Battle of Britain ?...." come in Sappa control - this is B Bertie...."

[Jerricho]

Hollywood films don't portray the real world???????

What, like Braveheart, U571 and The Patriot?