The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) is included with Amazon Prime

[son_of_flubber]

I recently watched this movie for the first time. It's pretty good.

I'd be curious to hear people's views and recollections about the film, especially if you were flying in that era (or in the movie).

[[email protected]]

I want to give credit to the real pilot.
It was not easy to find out who was the real stunt pilot in that movie. The Schweizer SGS 1-23H-15, N9860E was piloted by Roy McMaster.

Glider flying 'Windmills Of Your Mind' film 'The Thomas Crown Affair' 1968
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osl6EJGwFyM

THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR – GLIDER SEQUENCE DETAILS
The real stunt pilot is Roy McMaster, actors are Steve McQueen and German actress Astrid Heeren. Noel Harrison sings 'Windmills Of Your Mind'.
The glider sequence in the original Director Norman Jewison Thomas Crown Affair (Steve McQueen and Fay Dunaway) was filmed at the Northeastern Gliderport in Salem, NH (west of Rockingham Park race track) on July 6-7, 1967. The location is now a golf course (42⁰45.468’N, 071⁰14.385’W) and the runway turned into a golf driving range. Between shots the runway became a motorcycle course for Steve to let off steam.
The aerial sequences were from a helicopter and the close ups of Steve were done on the ground. The flying sequence Noel Harrison background music,” Windmills of Your Mind”, was the only part of the movie to receive an Oscar. Eight flights were needed for the “in-the-air” sequences. The loops were needed for the script and the music.
There were, coincidently, two Schweizer SGS 1-23H-15’s on the field, both painted in Ag Cat yellow. One was placed on a pilon on the hill top and Steve was the “pilot”. Helpers on the tail and wing tip provided the pitch and roll for the facial expressions. The other, N9860E, was piloted by Roy McMaster who was the chief flight instructor for Northeastern Gliderport at the time. The landing closeup used a car tow spliced into the actual landing.
Both Astrid Herren and Steve McQueen enjoyed their first glider flights while there. Steve received about 18 instructional flights in a Schweizer SGS 2-33 and might have been solo except the filming schedule required moving to the next site. He was inspired to later pursue his own pilot’s license.
Glider type is Schweizer SGS 1-23H-15
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schweizer_SGS_1-23
The second Thomas Crown Affair with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo wove in the music with a cameo by Faye Dunaway as the shrink. That Duo Discus flying sequence take-off starts at Harris Hill in Elmira, NY then shifts to Eagle Field in Port Matilda, PA and back and forth with sequences on the Harris Hill ridge.
By the way, I have my SGS 1-23G for sale, based in San Francisco Bay Area, it has 16.5 meter wing span, the glide ratio is about 31.
http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/000171788.html
Andre

[Michael Opitz]

At 12:02 09 April 2019, wrote:
>I want to give credit to the real pilot.
>It was not easy to find out who was the real stunt pilot in that
movie.
>The=
> Schweizer SGS 1-23H-15, N9860E was piloted by Roy McMaster.
>
>Glider flying 'Windmills Of Your Mind' film 'The Thomas Crown
Affair' 1968
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DOsl6EJGwFyM
>
>THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR =E2=80=93 GLIDER SEQUENCE
DETAILS
>The real stunt pilot is Roy McMaster, actors are Steve McQueen and
German
>a=
>ctress Astrid Heeren. Noel Harrison sings 'Windmills Of Your Mind'.
> The glider sequence in the original Director Norman Jewison
Thomas Crown
>A=
>ffair (Steve McQueen and Fay Dunaway) was filmed at the
Northeastern
>Glider=
>port in Salem, NH (west of Rockingham Park race track) on July 6-
7, 1967.
>=
>The location is now a golf course
(42=E2=81=B045.468=E2=80=99N, 071=E2=81=
>=B014.385=E2=80=99W) and the runway turned into a golf
driving range.
>Betw=
>een shots the runway became a motorcycle course for Steve to let
off steam.
>The aerial sequences were from a helicopter and the close ups of
Steve
>were=
> done on the ground. The flying sequence Noel Harrison
background music,=
>=E2=80=9D Windmills of Your Mind=E2=80=9D, was the only part
of the movie
>t=
>o receive an Oscar. Eight flights were needed for the
>=E2=80=9Cin-the-air=
>=E2=80=9D sequences. The loops were needed for the script and
the music.
>There were, coincidently, two Schweizer SGS 1-23H-
15=E2=80=99s on the
>field=
>, both painted in Ag Cat yellow. One was placed on a pilon on the
hill
>top=
> and Steve was the =E2=80=9Cpilot=E2=80=9D. Helpers on the
tail and wing
>=
>tip provided the pitch and roll for the facial expressions. The other,
>N98=
>60E, was piloted by Roy McMaster who was the chief flight
instructor for
>No=
>rtheastern Gliderport at the time. The landing closeup used a car
tow
>spli=
>ced into the actual landing.
>Both Astrid Herren and Steve McQueen enjoyed their first glider
flights
>whi=
>le there. Steve received about 18 instructional flights in a
Schweizer
>SGS=
> 2-33 and might have been solo except the filming schedule
required moving
>=
>to the next site. He was inspired to later pursue his own
pilot=E2=80=99s
>=
>license.
>Glider type is Schweizer SGS 1-23H-15=20
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schweizer_SGS_1-23
>The second Thomas Crown Affair with Pierce Brosnan and Rene
Russo wove in
>t=
>he music with a cameo by Faye Dunaway as the shrink. That Duo
Discus
>flyin=
>g sequence take-off starts at Harris Hill in Elmira, NY then shifts to
>Eagl=
>e Field in Port Matilda, PA and back and forth with sequences on
the
>Harris=
> Hill ridge.
>By the way, I have my SGS 1-23G for sale, based in San Francisco
Bay
>Area,=
> it has 16.5 meter wing span, the glide ratio is about 31.=20
>http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/000171788.html
>Andre
>
Roy was also McQueen's instructor for all of those 18 flights.

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I saw the original with my father just after it was released. We had all heard about the glider sequence but I didn't learn about Roy being the pilot until much later. I had soloed three years earlier. My father had sold his 1-23B a few years before this and replaced it with a 15M Diamant, so we kind of wished they had used a more modern glider. But we still thought the glider scenes were pretty cool at the time. I still have Windmills of Your Mind on my playlists today. I was 17 so I thought just about everything in the movie was pretty cool, including Steve, the dune buggy sequences, and--of course--Faye Dunaway. :)

Chip Bearden

[[email protected]]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osl6EJGwFyM
"the best part of the movie"

[[email protected]]

On Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 12:32:06 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osl6EJGwFyM
> "the best part of the movie"


And a later video from 2011 of 9860E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvVJO6dFF14

Bob 7U

[Tom BravoMike]

On Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at 6:32:42 AM UTC-5, wrote:
> On Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 12:32:06 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osl6EJGwFyM
> > "the best part of the movie"
>
>
> And a later video from 2011 of 9860E
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvVJO6dFF14
>
> Bob 7U

So which way does the canopy actually open on the 9860E: to the left or to the right? It's different in the movie and in the new video from 2011. Has it been changed (from Schweizer's conventional way) just for the 1968 movie for some reason?

[[email protected]]

On Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at 1:24:30 PM UTC-4, Tom BravoMike wrote:
> On Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at 6:32:42 AM UTC-5, wrote:
> > On Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 12:32:06 PM UTC-4, wrote:
> > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osl6EJGwFyM
> > > "the best part of the movie"
> >
> >
> > And a later video from 2011 of 9860E
> >
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvVJO6dFF14
> >
> > Bob 7U
>
> So which way does the canopy actually open on the 9860E: to the left or to the right? It's different in the movie and in the new video from 2011. Has it been changed (from Schweizer's conventional way) just for the 1968 movie for some reason?

All the ones I've seen open from the right. Same as all(as far as I know) Schweizers. Some of them had the double spring canopy closure on both sides so opening it from the left at least from the inside should work(not sure if there would be fuselage/canopy frame interference.)
When they filmed the remake they rigged the Duo to open the wrong way on the ground as well. Hollywood must think we get on our horses wrong.

[Steve Leonard[_2_]]

On Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at 12:47:03 PM UTC-5, wrote:
>
> All the ones I've seen open from the right. Same as all(as far as I know) Schweizers. Some of them had the double spring canopy closure on both sides so opening it from the left at least from the inside should work(not sure if there would be fuselage/canopy frame interference.)
> When they filmed the remake they rigged the Duo to open the wrong way on the ground as well. Hollywood must think we get on our horses wrong.

I think it has more to do with what the actor/actress feels is their "good" side.

Steve Leonard

[[email protected]]

I asked Chris (the guy in the 2011 clip) and he told me that the canopy could be opened from either side... something I didn't know either!

Bob 7U



On Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at 1:56:26 PM UTC-4, Steve Leonard wrote:
> On Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at 12:47:03 PM UTC-5, wrote:
> >
> > All the ones I've seen open from the right. Same as all(as far as I know) Schweizers. Some of them had the double spring canopy closure on both sides so opening it from the left at least from the inside should work(not sure if there would be fuselage/canopy frame interference.)
> > When they filmed the remake they rigged the Duo to open the wrong way on the ground as well. Hollywood must think we get on our horses wrong.
>
> I think it has more to do with what the actor/actress feels is their "good" side.
>
> Steve Leonard