"Air America" the movie....where are they now?

[toddbrenna]

Seeing the thread on Top Gun got me curious to some other movies.
Air America with Mel Gibson And Robert Downey, Jr.
Anyone know what all the planes were and where they are now?

[RNDMTRS4EVR]

Well the C-123's were Thailand Air Force, the Porters and helicopters I do not know. I worked for a guy who had a C-123 that was contacted about the movie, when they put the cost together to use his plane the other guys were cheaper. But his airplane did get used for Conair. It now lives in Alaska hauling freight here and there.
Scott.......

[Mr Widgeon]

Most if not all of the Porters were bought by Jim Perry here in the States.
They were disassembled and shipped back to Washington state in the early 1990s, and offered for sale, most were without engines and some were damaged.
He restored one for personal use as a jump ship, the others were still for sale when he moved in the mid 90s, no idea as to what happened after that.

[Steve Nelson]

I remember reading a magazine article that said the plane used in the hillside landing sequence was pulled out of a junkyard, and restored just enough to use in the scene..which stressed the airframe out so bad it went right back to the junkyard. Supposedly, while they were restoring it, the crew found the plane's original "Air America" markings.

SN

[B29Gunner]

I remember reading a magazine article that said the plane used in the hillside landing sequence was pulled out of a junkyard, and restored just enough to use in the scene..which stressed the airframe out so bad it went right back to the junkyard.

For a completely bullsh*t movie, that landing sequence was actually pretty accurate. AAM routinely operated Helios and Porters out of such strips with no problems...except unpredictable winds, eroded landing surfaces, wondering live stock and of course people shooting at you

[Tulio]

Well the C-123's were Thailand Air Force, the Porters and helicopters I do not know. I worked for a guy who had a C-123 that was contacted about the movie, when they put the cost together to use his plane the other guys were cheaper. But his airplane did get used for Conair. It now lives in Alaska hauling freight here and there.
Scott.......

Do you know how many C-123s were used during the filming of Conair?

Last year, I saw one with the movie markings [Jailbird, IIRC) at the Wendover, UT airport.

Saludos,


Tulio

[RuudLeeuw]

Conair aircraft:
all on http://www.oldwings.nl/content/con_air/con_air.htm
The C-123 at Wendover is still there, drove past there in May.
Rudi

[RNDMTRS4EVR]

3 C-123's were used for the movie, 1 flyable and 2 for the crash and towing scene in the desert. The one in Utah is still there and the one in Las Vegas was last I heard stored in a lot behind some wharehouse or at least what was left of it.

Scott........