Boeing-sponsored IMAX film follows pilot at Red Flag training exercise

BY KIMBERLEE BEERS

"Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag," a stunning IMAX film supported by the U.S. Air Force and sponsored by Boeing, is getting rave reviews following its December world premiere at the Smithsonian Institution's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center outside Washington, D.C.

The midair sequences—all shot during real Red Flag exercises—are exhilarating. It's impressive to see all the aircraft lined up on the tarmac waiting to begin, but when they are all in the air at the same time, it's unbelievable. The immense film format of IMAX—images are projected 10 times larger than conventional 35-millimeter film, and the format can provide crystal clear images up to eight stories high—is ideal for soaring shots of sun-dappled scenes that thrust viewers into aerial dog- fights and mock bombing raids.

Watching the battle unfold from the Boeing-built Airborne Warning & Control System aircraft shows the complex effort that goes on behind the scenes to make this safe but still give the pilots the practice they need to be combat ready.

When they use real ordnance, it's sobering, but it's also comforting to know that the pilots are as prepared as they can be to handle the real thing. And with a camera attached to an F-15, viewers are taken along for the highspeed ride—takeoff, rapid climbs, low-level flying, and rolling maneuvers.

Yet "Fighter Pilot" covers more than just the flying part of Operation Red Flag. It also shows the people who put aircraft in the air and support the mission, such as mechanics, crew chiefs, firefighters and those who do the Foreign Object Debris walk clearing the tarmac of materials that could damage the aircraft.

"This film is a tribute to the outstanding men and women of our military forces, who are today in combat—facing real enemies and real threats—to protect our freedom," said George Muellner, Boeing vice president and general manager, Air Force Systems, at the premiere. "Boeing sponsored this film to showcase the Air Force's great people and equipment and to inspire young people to think about careers in the military and the aerospace industry."

As Stratton fights through the dangerous exercises, he recognizes the support team and other pilots crucial to a safe and successful mission aren't just out to prove themselves. They're helping him by watching his back and taking personal risks to cover his mistakes. And he is doing the same for them. He realizes that being a hero is not quite as simple as he once believed.

"Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag" is still playing at the Udvar-Hazy Center and also is showing at 12 other cinemas worldwide, including locations in the Seattle and San Antonio areas, where Boeing has facilities. "It really gave me a sense of pride to see Boeing aircraft in action and know that you had a part in producing them," said Rich Parker, a 737 Airborne Early Warning & Command manufacturing engineer for Boeing in Kent, Wash.

The film is also slated to appear at 36 other theaters worldwide, including those in areas where Boeing has a presence, such as Los Angeles, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, Chicago, Tulsa, Okla., and the Space Coast region of Florida. For more information, visit www.fighterpilotfilm.com and click on the "Find Theaters" box in the upper right.

kimberlee.l.beers@boeing.com