Your Top 10 Aviation movies of all time

[canav8]

I started this thread on another forum board and got some interesting results. What are your aviation favorites?

Here are my favorite aviation movies of all time. Got any to add?
1. Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines (1965)
2. Tora Tora Tora (1970)
3. Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
4. Wings (1927)
5. Hell's Angels (1930)
6. Strategic Air Command (1955)
7. The Blue Max (1966)
8. Battle of Britain (1969)
9. The Dam Busters (1955)
10. The High and the Mighty (1954)

Since I only made the list Top 10, I didnt have room for Task Force (1949)or Dawn Patrol(1930). I know you want to put in the cult classic "Top Gun" but hey its on my Top Ten Worst list. D

[pdb]

You can't miss Captains of the Clouds (1942).

There are lots of great flying shots of vintage Canadian bush planes and pilots competing fiercely, and sometimes unfairly with each other. As the demands of the war kick in, the pilots eventually join the RCAF flying all kinds aircraft to aid the war effort. Most of the pilots are older guys, probably like you, too old for combat, but they want to and do contribute in a all kinds of ways, including ferrying aircraft.

They are joined by young guys from all over the world, Canadians, South Africans, Kiwis, Brits, Australians, Texans, etc, all of whom were training hard in preparation for combat. The film was produced in 1941, pre Pearl Harbor, and certainly was aimed at Americans to boost support for the allies. It was released early in Feb 1942.

Jimmy Cagney and many period actors are joined by Air Marshal W. Bishop in a cameo role as the commander of the training base. In WWI, Billy Bishop was a renown ace. He was, as he described himself, a bad pilot but a great shot. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bishop

[busav8or]

For a laugh, you've got to watch "Zero Hour"! It's the movie that was parodied in "Airplane".

Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q__vuyH1JEI

[futr_alaskaflyer]

Always liked Always



Though some of the fire bombing scenes are unrealistic. But what else is new?

[russfarris]

"The Flight of the Phoenix" 1965 - the one with James Stewart. Avoid the re-make at all costs! Russ Farris

[Canadian]

Battle of Britain and Hell's Angels are all-time favourites.

Tora, Tora, Tora has to be paired with its sequel, Midway, to get the whole story.

[falco]

The Great Waldo Pepper

[GAHorn]

Jimmy Stewart in "The Spirit of St. Louis".
And the opening scenes of "Night Riders" with James Coburn (Catalina flying boat)

[iowa]

long forgotten is Ron Howard's

'Skyward'

IMO, it personifies the love of flying and small airports

Sadly, it is not available on DVD

Also, I'm with Canav8
'Top Gun' is on my ten worst airplane movies
The planes, not Cruise, are the stars

[rschreiber]

I’m going to have to respectfully but strongly disagree with the previous contributors. Top Gun Maverick was amazing. Top Gun is the greatest aviation film of all time. It’s an airplane movie for people who wouldn’t otherwise like airplane movies. The soundtrack is epic. To round out my top 10 (in no particular order):

Memphis Belle
Airplane!
The High and the Mighty
Tora! Tora! Tora!
United 93
Air Force One
30 Seconds Over Tokyo
The Aviator

Honorable mention for the 150 race scene in Iron Eagle!

[bgiesbrecht]

I’m going to have to respectfully but strongly disagree with the previous contributors. Top Gun Maverick was amazing. Top Gun is the greatest aviation film of all time. It’s an airplane movie for people who wouldn’t otherwise like airplane movies. The soundtrack is epic.

100% agreed. The number of pilots still flying this day due to the first Top Gun is endless, and Top Gun Maverick appears to be doing the same for the next gen. My son, who already has a bunch of "unofficial" 170 time, wants to fly fighters now. What a great flick, awesome filmography, cheeseball lines/acting (done purposefully). Perfect? No...but one of the best overall new movies I've seen come out in a long time. It's been awhile since I've heard practically the entire theater applauding after certain scenes and with an ovation at the end. I've seen it three times now and it keeps getting better. The last time was in IMAX format...wow!

[Aaron]

I’m going to have to respectfully but strongly disagree with the previous contributors. Top Gun Maverick was amazing. Top Gun is the greatest aviation film of all time. It’s an airplane movie for people who wouldn’t otherwise like airplane movies. The soundtrack is epic.

100% agreed. The number of pilots still flying this day due to the first Top Gun is endless, and Top Gun Maverick appears to be doing the same for the next gen. My son, who already has a bunch of "unofficial" 170 time, wants to fly fighters now. What a great flick, awesome filmography, cheeseball lines/acting (done purposefully). Perfect? No...but one of the best overall new movies I've seen come out in a long time. It's been awhile since I've heard practically the entire theater applauding after certain scenes and with an ovation at the end. I've seen it three times now and it keeps getting better. The last time was in IMAX format...wow!

I agree as well. Top Gun was great and Maverick was too. I had low expectations going into the new film but was pleasantly surprised. The original film was one of the things that really ignited my desire to fly. If the new one does the same for today's kids, it will be a big win for aviation. Other films that stand out to me are Midway, "Tora,Tora, Tora", Memphis Bell, The Aviator and maybe even Independence Day .