Old Movie With Seaplane Landing on River Thames
 

Hi,
Just wondering does anyone have a lead to a copy, or any info on the movie that features C180K G-BKMM landing on the River Thames? Think it was called "The Smugglers" or something like that... Know the airplane was put on floats and painted blue, over its original Cessna red/white scheme for the film. I was only a young lad when it was out, but if someone has a lead to it - love to watch it sometime.

Best

irish

I saw a programme on tv about Sir Allen Cobham recently and he was filmed landing on the Thames. I`m sure it was on BBC.
Wife just confirmed it for me, Wed- BBC1- Scotland on Film....
Check out bbc i-player online and you will still be able to download it......

It was a movie about some sort of City trader - he supposedly commuted to work from his estate in the Home Counties, where he had a pond with underwater lights for landing at home in the dark. :hmm:

It'll come to me in a minute - I think Rebecca de Mornay was in it.

Later: It was called "Dealers" and starred Paul McGann and, yes, Rebecca deM. 1989, and you call it an "old movie". How ancient am I? :ooh:

Thanks - Thats great to find it. Just ordered a copy there on Amazon. Love to see how these underwater lights work. Expect a take on the ones in the Bond movie.... IF there any good I'll get a set on the lake at home here!

Appreciate the link

Irish

I think G-BKMM was the 180 floatplane that was landed on the grass (on the floats, it wasn't amphibious!) at Popham around 1990 so the floats could be swapped for wheels. I remember driving past on the A303 and seeing it sitting there a few days afterwards.

I see it was once owned by George Cormack; probably explains the floats!

Tuscan: The programme was a BBC2 'Timewatch' I think (or something like that) and was narrated by David Jason, still got it on VHS, an excellent programme.

The Timewatch programme was shown again on BBC 4 last week. Very interesting - I had it on the HD but erased it after watching, otherwise I'd send you a DVD.

Cobham achieved an amazing level of publicity for GA in the 20's and 30's - he says in interview that aeroplanes will "soon be as common as cars are today" which turned out to be a little over-optimistic, and worked tirelessly to promote aviation, and, it has to be said, his own career.

Interesting fact - when WW2 RAF entrants were asked about previous flying experience, 75% had their first flight with Cobham!

Just finished watching The Dealers - really is a great movie and the flying scene's very well done. Anyone into float flying would get a kick out of it, especially the scene of the night landing on that narrow lake. Class.

Thanks for the leads!

Irish