Famous people in soaring

Susan Oliver, who played the character "Vina" in the "Star Trek" pilot



episode, had acquired a glider rating (as well as a number of other pilot



ratings.) See:







http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Oliver







Some scenes of her from the Star Trek pilot episode:







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F5pAFhByU8







Here's a video that appears to show her in her Aero Commander 200 that she



used to fly the Atlantic in an attempt to become the first woman to fly



solo from New York to Moscow:







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM77SEPJQFA







Her book, if you can get a hold of a copy, is an interesting read with



plenty of material that most pilots can relate to. No glider content in it,



though.



Nice you should mention her. She made an episode of "The American Sportsman", a popular ABC TV show about soaring at El Mirage, California in 1972. She spent a week there flying and filming the show. I got to fly with her for a total of 4.2 hrs in the 2-33 and a 2-32. She was very lovely and gracious. She was the real deal as far as flying goes. On her solo Atlantic crossing, she had to take off from a one-way strip at the head of a fjord in Greenland, and made a dead reckoning circling instrument departure to get out of the fjord, and could see some wrecks on the cliffs of some others who had didn't make it doing the same thing. I heard that later, she also flew sailplanes at Black Forest in Colorado.

Filmmaker George Pappy of Los Angeles is making a documentary called "The Green Girl" about the life of actress and aviatrix (and glider pilot) Susan Oliver. It will feature her extensive career in television and films, and more of her personal life as well. Flying was a big part of her life. He is going to feature some clips from "The American Sportsman" television episode flimed over a week's time at El Mirage, California, where she got her glider rating in 1972, and flew a cross country flight to Giant Rock. Here are some links to some brief informational videos about his project. He is hoping to have it out some time in the Fall.

This one has a short clip from when she was flying gliders at El Mirage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w46hg0rhQgU

This is more about how George Pappy got the idea for the project and his plans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egu7DhOtFB4

This is a longer radio interview where he discusses the project in more depth and reveals some more interesting details about Susan Oliver's life:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT7ZBJNYH5o

Facebook Page (Facebook Login required):
https://www.facebook.com/GreenGirlMovie

He also has a "Kickstarter" page about the project, and another dedicated website for it:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...he-green-girl/

http://thegreengirlmovie.com/

Other famous people who where also glider pilots which I recall:

+ Steve Fossett

--Gerhard

On Thursday, May 16, 2013 6:10:27 PM UTC-7, wrote:


Susan Oliver, who played the character "Vina" in the "Star Trek" pilot







episode, had acquired a glider rating (as well as a number of other pilot







ratings.) See:















http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Oliver















Some scenes of her from the Star Trek pilot episode:















http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F5pAFhByU8















Here's a video that appears to show her in her Aero Commander 200 that she







used to fly the Atlantic in an attempt to become the first woman to fly







solo from New York to Moscow:















http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM77SEPJQFA















Her book, if you can get a hold of a copy, is an interesting read with







plenty of material that most pilots can relate to. No glider content in it,







though.







Nice you should mention her. She made an episode of "The American Sportsman", a popular ABC TV show about soaring at El Mirage, California in 1972.. She spent a week there flying and filming the show. I got to fly with her for a total of 4.2 hrs in the 2-33 and a 2-32. She was very lovely and gracious. She was the real deal as far as flying goes. On her solo Atlantic crossing, she had to take off from a one-way strip at the head of a fjord in Greenland, and made a dead reckoning circling instrument departure to get out of the fjord, and could see some wrecks on the cliffs of some others who had didn't make it doing the same thing. I heard that later, she also flew sailplanes at Black Forest in Colorado.



Filmmaker George Pappy of Los Angeles is making a documentary called "The Green Girl" about the life of actress and aviatrix (and glider pilot) Susan Oliver. It will feature her extensive career in television and films, and more of her personal life as well. Flying was a big part of her life. He is going to feature some clips from "The American Sportsman" television episode flimed over a week's time at El Mirage, California, where she got her glider rating in 1972, and flew a cross country flight to Giant Rock. Here are some links to some brief informational videos about his project. He is hoping to have it out some time in the Fall.



This one has a short clip from when she was flying gliders at El Mirage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w46hg0rhQgU



This is more about how George Pappy got the idea for the project and his plans:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egu7DhOtFB4



This is a longer radio interview where he discusses the project in more depth and reveals some more interesting details about Susan Oliver's life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT7ZBJNYH5o



Facebook Page (Facebook Login required):

https://www.facebook.com/GreenGirlMovie



He also has a "Kickstarter" page about the project, and another dedicated website for it:



http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...he-green-girl/



http://thegreengirlmovie.com/

The film called the "Green Girl" is almost finished, and should be released in February. It has some scenes shot at El Mirage, California during the filming of an episode of "The American Sportsman" TV show with actress and aviator Susan Oliver. The have a new 14 sec teaser clip in which you can make out some scenes shot at El Mirage field. http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/th...c-susan-oliver . There is also a newer 20 min. interview with the Producer/Director George Pappy he http://geekfallout.podbean.com/2013/...he-green-girl/

I believe Nobel Prize winner for Medicine, Oliver Smithies is a glider pilot.
Maybe someone there in North Carolina can confirm?

Two very famous people who have taken hang gliding lessons are Steve Tyler of Aerosmith and Bill Gates.

On Friday, October 25, 2013 9:56:42 AM UTC-7, Soartech wrote:
Two very famous people who have taken hang gliding lessons are Steve Tyler of Aerosmith and Bill Gates.

I wonder if it was before or after they could afford taking sailplane lessons ;-)

Ramy

On Thursday, October 24, 2013 4:58:01 PM UTC-4, wrote:
I believe Nobel Prize winner for Medicine, Oliver Smithies is a glider pilot.

Maybe someone there in North Carolina can confirm?

Yes, he has a G109 he keeps at KTTA. He's come down to our glider club
from time to time for flight reviews.

Matt
NCSA Instructor

On Thursday, August 30, 2012 11:07:59 PM UTC-7, Ramy wrote:
While Neil Armstrong was one of the most famous glider pilots, he wasn't the only one.

Other famous people who where also glider pilots which I recall:

John Denver

Christopher Reeve (Superman)

Sully (Hudson landing pilot)



Others?



Ramy (just signing my name, not claiming to be famous ;-)

Dick Rutan

But of course!
First worked with him on The Dregs. On the 1985/86 Rush tour the Steve Morse Band was the support. We'd talk planes a lot. He was at that time amazed to find out he could not fly a motorglider with his ratings.
Steve and the band were flying between shows in his twin Cezzna. As he described a nasty IFR approach into Richmond, he was practicing some scales that most people can only dream of playing. The mind boggles.
Jim


On Sunday, September 16, 2012 2:48:42 PM UTC-7, Brad wrote:
On Aug 31, 8:44*am, wrote:

would this be the same Steve Morse of the Dixie Dregs?

Hanna Reitsch has not been mentioned.

Kerry