WIX Archives
Re: Shekar Kapur chooses wrong bloke for film......
Posted by Warbird Fan on Wed Dec 12, 2001 04:04:01 PM
In reply top Shekar Kapur chooses wrong bloke for film...... posted by Tony on Wed Dec 12, 2001 11:03:41 AM
: I'd have thought, it would be infinitely more interesting,
: to have had the life of Doug Arnold on film. I often wond
: ered, if the main character on Airline, was modelled after
: him. I only met him twice, the first time was as a young
: spotter at Blackbushe, can't remember when, but there were
: B-25's there, and a Meteor in the hangar, so i guess, rou
: nd about the time that the Harrison ford Niffer "Hanover S
: treet" was being filmed. Myself and Rob (Now a Jaguar jock
: ey) were definitaly in the wrong part of the airfield.
:
: We wondered over to a hangar, to try and find the owner, t
: o get permission to spot, but were intercepted by a Rolls-
: Royce with DA32 on the licence plate. I think the first wo
: rds out of his mouth were "What the f**k are you doing her
: e" (Oh, so that's where I get it from?)
:
: We said we were trying to find the owner, he said "Well yo
: u've found him, f**k off my airfield" -lol
:
: So off, we trudged, dejected, and all of a sudden, he pull
: ed up again, and we thought "Oh Christ" he then asked, "ha
: ve you come far?" we said "about 75 miles" So then he said
: , get in..... and we got a tour of the facilities!
:
: So, I only have a happy memory of Doug, after the inital t
: error!
:
: but I think, if you're going to make a film, of a larger t
: han life character, who may or may not, according to legen
: d, have done everything from used cars to nazi gold etc, t
: hen make one about our Doug....
:
: Tony
Now a film about Doug Arnolds life, what a good idea. One can only speculate as to what else he would have aquired a brought to the UK, even if perhaps only briefly.
Shame the B17G never made it (reputedly going to be called Sally A). I'm sure Doug would have sold aircraft to UK collectors had they been prepared to buy them, in fact he did from time to time, Gary Numan's Harvard, OFMC,s FG1D, TFC's since destroyed P63 & Jet Heritage's Meteor to name a few. I stand by my feelings that the warbird movement the world over would be very much poorer if it weren't for Doug, so he made some money along the way, good luck to him, I'd probably do the same if I were in his position.
It should be remembered that the Warbirds of Great Britain Collection weren't the only warbirds not to be seen at events up and down the country, there are a number of others that I can think of that are used purely for their owners pleasure, and if Doug's pleasure was to see HIS Warbirds in HIS hanger usually on HIS Airfield then so be it. I guess I'm lucky because over the years I have been able to see much of the collection, and felt honoured to be there. Maybe one day soon we'll get to see the aircraft in the long promised museum, however for as long as airfields in the UK are more valuable as brownfield housing developments, then I guess the aircraft will remain in storage. As long as they are in the UK there is still a chance enthusiasts in the UK will get to see them, after that enthusiasts in other parts of the world will get to see them.
Good Luck to the future of the collection