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| A stunt pilot's view on Disney's Planes | A stunt pilot's view on Disney's Planes |
| (25 days later) | |
| This Disney animation is strictly for kids. It's a David and Goliath story, in which a humble cropduster named Dusty goes up against the world's fastest racing planes in a round-the-world race. There's no such competition in reality: the logistics would be impossible, and racing planes aren't designed to fly long distances. Plus there's no way a cropduster could compete against more advanced aircraft. But it's hardly worth quibbling. This film's about firing up children's imaginations, rather than reflecting reality. And anything showing that aviation is about more than taking a passenger plane to Malaga once a year is fine by me. | This Disney animation is strictly for kids. It's a David and Goliath story, in which a humble cropduster named Dusty goes up against the world's fastest racing planes in a round-the-world race. There's no such competition in reality: the logistics would be impossible, and racing planes aren't designed to fly long distances. Plus there's no way a cropduster could compete against more advanced aircraft. But it's hardly worth quibbling. This film's about firing up children's imaginations, rather than reflecting reality. And anything showing that aviation is about more than taking a passenger plane to Malaga once a year is fine by me. |
| The film does draw on some real-life competitions. Early on, Dusty takes part in a training race around a series of pylons – very much like the Red Bull Air Race, an international competition in which pilots navigate obstacles at speed. Some of the aeroplanes bump into the pylons – yes, it has happened – and Dusty later crashes into the sea but is rescued. I wouldn't like anyone to think they could really get away with crashing into water, though. Planes that do so rarely come up again. | The film does draw on some real-life competitions. Early on, Dusty takes part in a training race around a series of pylons – very much like the Red Bull Air Race, an international competition in which pilots navigate obstacles at speed. Some of the aeroplanes bump into the pylons – yes, it has happened – and Dusty later crashes into the sea but is rescued. I wouldn't like anyone to think they could really get away with crashing into water, though. Planes that do so rarely come up again. |
| There's a culture of pylon racing in the US, with a major air show at Reno in Nevada. Unfortunately, they had a dreadful incident in 2011, where a pilot crashed into the audience, killing himself and 10 others, and injuring many more. Of course, we don't see any incidents like that in the film: it would be pretty disturbing for the children watching. | There's a culture of pylon racing in the US, with a major air show at Reno in Nevada. Unfortunately, they had a dreadful incident in 2011, where a pilot crashed into the audience, killing himself and 10 others, and injuring many more. Of course, we don't see any incidents like that in the film: it would be pretty disturbing for the children watching. |
| All the planes are based on real aircraft. I don't know of any painted with long eyelashes, like the lady planes in the film, but there are certainly planes with that distinctively feminine, curved shape; and I do know of some pilots who call their aircraft "she". There's also a major interest in souping up second world war planes – like Ripslinger, the champion plane in the film. | All the planes are based on real aircraft. I don't know of any painted with long eyelashes, like the lady planes in the film, but there are certainly planes with that distinctively feminine, curved shape; and I do know of some pilots who call their aircraft "she". There's also a major interest in souping up second world war planes – like Ripslinger, the champion plane in the film. |
| The fact that Dusty is afraid of heights isn't as absurd as it sounds. Some amateur pilots also prefer to fly low - but once they climb higher, they realise, like Dusty, that it's well worth it. There's nothing quite like flying above the clouds, just you and your aeroplane. | The fact that Dusty is afraid of heights isn't as absurd as it sounds. Some amateur pilots also prefer to fly low - but once they climb higher, they realise, like Dusty, that it's well worth it. There's nothing quite like flying above the clouds, just you and your aeroplane. |
| Several scenes made me smile: I liked the fact that what from the air seemed to be a herd of sacred Indian cows turned out to be a herd of tractors; and there's a lovely sense throughout of the joy of piloting a light aircraft. You get some wonderful moments up there – like the time I met a flock of geese at 14,000ft. | Several scenes made me smile: I liked the fact that what from the air seemed to be a herd of sacred Indian cows turned out to be a herd of tractors; and there's a lovely sense throughout of the joy of piloting a light aircraft. You get some wonderful moments up there – like the time I met a flock of geese at 14,000ft. |
| Alan Cassidy is chairman of the British Aerobatic Association. | Alan Cassidy is chairman of the British Aerobatic Association. |
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