It’s no surprise that people who love aviation also love aviation movies and TV shows. How well do you know your cinematic aviation history? Put your knowledge to the test with this short multiple choice quiz, and please — don’t post the answers in the comments! (Warning: This quiz goes to 11!)
Before he took command of DMS 18, the lead actor in this mid-century film test flew a fictional jet prototype and set a new speed record. The nonflyable mock-up used in filming was based on a Bell P-39.
Correct!
Wrong!
When George Peppard served the Kaiser as a fighter pilot in a popular World War I themed movie, the filmmakers assembled a collection of replicas, as well as repainting several newer aircraft to stand in for the German and British fighters of the day. Which of the following types does NOT appear onscreen?
Correct!
Wrong!
Before he was "Gone With the Wind", a certain leading man starred in a movie about daredevil record-breakers. In that film, he flies a Seversky SEV-2 that’s given a fictional name. What was that airplane called in the movie?
Correct!
Wrong!
The 1991 Disney classic "The Rocketeer" is an airplane spotter’s dream, especially for those fans of aviation’s golden age. In one or two “blink and you’ll miss it” scenes, you can spot a single amphibian. What is it?
Correct!
Wrong!
Audrey Hepburn’s last role was in a movie about a group of brave bomber pilots, fighting an unstoppable enemy in challenging conditions. In a poignant scene, she takes a walk with Richard Dreyfuss’ character, Pete, through a wheat field, and he is vividly reminded of his first solo. What kind of airplane flies past in that scene?
Correct!
Wrong!
About 45 years before Richard Dreyfuss played Pete as mentioned in the previous question, Spencer Tracy played the same character in an earlier version of the same story. In that film, what is Pete flying when he (spoiler alert) is killed in a crash?
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Wrong!
In a movie about fictional movie stars, the shortest of the stars says he flew a Tubman 601 when he starred in a fictional movie called "Little Neddy Goes to War". What type of airplane do we see on-screen in this scene?
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Wrong!
In "Top Gun", Tom Cruise’s character Pete “Maverick” Mitchell looks at picture of himself as a child, posing with his dad in front of an airplane. What kind of airplane is it?
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Wrong!
Two television series about the exploits of a crime-fighting team and their fictional high-tech helicopter debuted in 1984. One of them proved to be popular and ran for a total of four seasons. What kind of aircraft do the bad guys use for close air support in the second episode of the OTHER series?
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Wrong!
In "The Great Waldo Pepper", Bo Svenson’s character crashes into a swamp after his landing gear is tampered with. What kind of airplane do we actually see hitting the water in this scene?
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Wrong!
In 1958, Dean Fredericks starred in a television series based on a long-running comic strip about a U.S. Air Force pilot. What airplane appears in the opening titles of the series?
Correct!
Wrong!
Aviation on the Big (and Small) Screen
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