Not Trivia, Just Curious

[Mike Jendrzey]

Recent TRIVIA postings resurrected two old questions rattling around
in the back of my mind.

1) Years ago, before I got into soaring, I saw or read a story on
actor Christopher Reeves showing him standing next to "his" glider --
just one of his many hobbies. Shortly after his most unfortunate
accident I noticed a LS-4 for sale by someone named Reeves (family
member?). Was that his glider? Isn't he something like 6'4/5" tall?
Didn't know the LS-4 had that much leg room.

2) Anyone know if actor/pilot John Travolta has ever tried soaring? A
high-profile guy like that could give the sport some visibility.

B7

[F.L. Whiteley]

"Mike Jendrzey" > wrote in message
. ..
> Recent TRIVIA postings resurrected two old questions rattling around
> in the back of my mind.
>
> 1) Years ago, before I got into soaring, I saw or read a story on
> actor Christopher Reeves showing him standing next to "his" glider --
> just one of his many hobbies. Shortly after his most unfortunate
> accident I noticed a LS-4 for sale by someone named Reeves (family
> member?). Was that his glider? Isn't he something like 6'4/5" tall?
> Didn't know the LS-4 had that much leg room.
>
> 2) Anyone know if actor/pilot John Travolta has ever tried soaring? A
> high-profile guy like that could give the sport some visibility.
>
> B7
There was a spot on Christopher Reeves on one of the evening feature
programs maybe 15-20 years ago with him flying an ASW-20.

Frank Whiteley

[John Galloway]

I have a recollection that Christopher Reeve flew an
ASW 19 at Lasham when he lived in England some time
after the first Superman film. I think I also saw
his name on a Regionals score sheet.

John Galloway



At 16:00 15 January 2004, Todd Pattist wrote:
(Mike Jendrzey) wrote:
>
>>1) Years ago, before I got into soaring, I saw or read
>>a story on
>>actor Christopher Reeves showing him standing next
>>to 'his' glider --
>>just one of his many hobbies.
>
>I was told he flew at Wurtsboro, NY for a while.
>
>> Shortly after his most unfortunate
>>accident I noticed a LS-4 for sale by someone named
>>Reeves (family
>>member?). Was that his glider?
>
>No info.
>Todd Pattist - 'WH' Ventus C
>(Remove DONTSPAMME from address to email reply.)
>

[Bill Wallace]

I remember Christopher Reeves flew (and maybe trained) at High Country
Soaring in Minden.

Tom?




(Mike Jendrzey) wrote in message >...
> Recent TRIVIA postings resurrected two old questions rattling around
> in the back of my mind.
>
> 1) Years ago, before I got into soaring, I saw or read a story on
> actor Christopher Reeves showing him standing next to "his" glider --
> just one of his many hobbies. Shortly after his most unfortunate
> accident I noticed a LS-4 for sale by someone named Reeves (family
> member?). Was that his glider? Isn't he something like 6'4/5" tall?
> Didn't know the LS-4 had that much leg room.
>
> 2) Anyone know if actor/pilot John Travolta has ever tried soaring? A
> high-profile guy like that could give the sport some visibility.
>
> B7

[Tim Hanke]

> There was a spot on Christopher Reeves on one of the evening feature
> programs maybe 15-20 years ago with him flying an ASW-20.
>
> Frank Whiteley

Ed Crawley owns the ASW-20 that Superman owned and flys it out of
Sugarbush, Vermont. Reeves insurance company made him give up soaring
beacuse it was "too dangerous" So, he took up horseback riding (where
the animal is in control)?

[DGRTEK]

>2) Anyone know if actor/pilot John Travolta has ever tried soaring?

The heck with Travolta, how bout Paris Hilton? She didn't follow her Dad.
It's a shame she doesn't fly, talk about ...exposure!

Douglas

[Chris Rollings]

Chris owned an ASW 19 based at Booker UK(not Lasham)
and an ASW 20 in the USA. He started gliding at Booker
in about 1977 (around the time of the making of the
first Superman Movie), at that time he was an experienced
power pilot, but with little or no previous gliding
experience.

I think the first contact came because there was an
idea put forward by someone to film the 'Superman Flying'
sequences by cutting the front seat off of a two seat
glider and replacing it with a plank on which 'Superman'
would lie and be filmed from behind. We were going
to sell them a Ka13 for this purpose, and I was to
fly it. Somewhat to my surprise, i was told that the
Star (Chris Reeve) proposed to lie on the plank himself,
not use a stunt double.

It all came to nothing because, even 25 years before
the 9/11 attacks, the FAA were not prepared to allow
us to fly that unlikely aircraft amongst New York's
Skyscapers (which was where they wanted to film).

By the time he actually started flying with us, the
idea had been dropped, but I think it was what gave
him the idea of going gliding whilst he was in the
UK. As the instructor who did most of Chris's glider
conversion, I got to know him fairly well, and I have
to record that his private persona was every bit the
courteous and modest gentleman that he presented to
the public.

I'm pretty sure he never owned an LS4, which was the
question that started this reminisence.

At 22:00 15 January 2004, Tim Hanke wrote:
>> There was a spot on Christopher Reeves on one of the
>>evening feature
>> programs maybe 15-20 years ago with him flying an
>>ASW-20.
>>
>> Frank Whiteley
>
>Ed Crawley owns the ASW-20 that Superman owned and
>flys it out of
>Sugarbush, Vermont. Reeves insurance company made him
>give up soaring
>beacuse it was 'too dangerous' So, he took up horseback
>riding (where
>the animal is in control)?
>

[Mike Jendrzey]

Thanks gentlemen. All very interesting!

B7

[Tom Stowers]

(Mike Jendrzey) wrote in message >...
> Thanks gentlemen. All very interesting!
>
> B7

Yes! Chris would like to fly at Minden in the spring time (Wave
soaring) He would call and ask how the wave was working, if good he
would jump into has Turbine Malibu and was here an about 1hr fly all
day or till he got cold land and then fly back to L.A. When his frind
Robbie Robertson was killed in a glider he sold his ASW 20. He got his
ASW 20 from the Woods's for doing some film work. The highest Chris
got here at Minden was on 3-21-88 to 27,500ft.

Tom Stowers
High Country Soaring