WIX Archives

Re: Paul Mantz

Posted by Rob Mears on Mon Aug 04, 2003 07:55:21 PM

In reply top Paul Mantz - Flight of Phoenix. After many years knowing posted by Paul McMillan on Mon Aug 04, 2003 10:34:52 AM

I caught the film of the crash by chance while watching Bravo channel a few months back. It's hard to believe the passenger survived the end-over-end tumbling of that airframe. I also hate to hear that this was an unnecessary 2nd take - a risk that didn't need to be taken. I guess hindsight's 20/20 though. Had it not broken at that moment, they might have gone on to take it on tour to promote the movie. Bound to happen one way or the other I suppose.

I often wonder how differently the warbird movement might have flourished had Mantz & Tallman remained a viable force in aviation through the 1970s! Any man willing to write a personal check for a desert lot full of hundreds of warbirds as far back as the 1950s gets all my respect! :)

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