MovieChat Forums > Twelve O'Clock High (1950) Discussion > Athletic Airplane Entry

Athletic Airplane Entry

posted 14 years ago by polsixe
8 replies | jump to latest

After seeing this movie again after a long time I noticed the unusual method the pilots had to get into the aircraft. A chin up backwards somersault into a rather small opening about 7' high. It was a "Whoa! did movie star Peck just do that??" the first time he did it, neatly setting up the end when he, er, had his problems doing so. Definitely a good fitness test right there, but wasn't there a way into the cockpit through the normal waist gunner doors? How did Gately do that for three missions with a broken verterbrae?

[–] vonmazur 14 years ago

Polsixe: I am a Pilot,and when I got a chance to fly a B-17, I did the same thing....Only because of the movie.;) Keep in mind, when the bomb bay is full or even has a partial load, going on that 3-4" catwalk is not easy, and to avoid pulling the arming wires out of the bombs is another consideration, in any case, with one's bag and gear, one does not traverse the bomb bay easily....

All of the forward crew had to use this method, or have some ground crew person bring the little step ladder...very declasse, and not cool...after all, pilots are supposed to have the "Right Stuff" and not resort to a step stool!

I am sure that is why the incredulity over Gately flying all the missions after the injury...NO doubt it was painful, and Savage knew it full well....

IF you ever get the chance to see a B-17 when they have one of the visits to a local airport, ask the crewmen about it....I am sure they can explain the technique...

Dale in AL

"If those sweethearts won't face German bullets--They'll face French ones!"

[–] polsixe 14 years ago

nice add!

[–] Butteoid 14 years ago

Dana Andrews uses the same entry method into the scrapped B-17 at the end of "Best Years of Our Lives." I can see how you enter the plane, but for the life of me I cannot figure out how you would dismount the aircraft.

[–] vonmazur 14 years ago

Gentlemen: Once the bombs are gone, they could walk thru the bomb bay and leave thru the door on the right rear...The one it this movie that they take McKesson and the other injured crewmen out of, after the belly landing...

Dale in AL

"If those sweethearts won't face German bullets--They'll face French ones!"

[–] CUTiger78 14 years ago

BG Frank A. Armstrong, Jr., the inspiration for Peck's character in Twelve O'Clock High, was superstitious about flying. He always entered the B-17 by its rear fuselage door, rather than through the nose hatch as most pilots did.

[–] quarterbacksneak 14 years ago

Actually vonmazur, you can walk through the bomb bay on that narrow catwalk with a full bomb load. The bombs hang to each side of the catwalk and the rack. It is a squeeze with a B-3 and a chute on however. About getting in the front hatch - it's not as hard as it looks. I throw my legs and hips to the right, under the pilot's deck bulkhead and do a half twist up onto the floorboard in there. The scary thing is how close that hatch is to the prop. Spooky to watch Savage and Gately running around in there next to the running prop in that scene.

"Man-O-War started rattlin' yesterday and threw a kid on its head".

[–] rwsmith29456 11 years ago

It wasn't a problem for young men in good shape.

[–] ralph-80 11 years ago

Boeing never intended that hatch to be a normal boarding door; it was put there for maintenance access and bailing out. They expected everybody to board via the door on the right side of the aft compartment, which is an easy climb.

But there's nobody like a young lieutenant for finding ways to act macho, and skinning the cat through the nose door fit the bill admirably. Most squadrons had some jocks who could do it for the newsreel cameras; the rest used the aft door or a stepladder, or were boosted up by a ground crewman.