Air Show Stars Do The Flying In Bond's Spectre

Two award winning ICAS pilots flew the thrilling flying sequences in the new James Bond film "Spectre" - Craig Hosking and Chuck Aaron.

By Ric Peterson (Courtesy of AllThingsAero.com)

(click here to watch the trailer and see a few seconds of their work)

Hosking has worked on more than 150 Features and over 200 Commercials. He is known for designing and shooting complex aerial sequences that involve dozens of aircraft at a time. His film credits include "American Sniper," “Executive Decision,” “Clear and Present Danger, “The Hulk,” “The Aviator” and “Miami Vice” to name a few. You've probably seen him on screen as well, in “Speed 2” he tries to push Sandra Bullock out of a float plane, appeared in a Stearman with Tommy Lee Jones in “Space Cowboys.” and was the helicopter pilot in Jurassic Park.

Film Makers in France wanted to make that country’s most exciting aerial picture ever! With the support of the French Air Force, "Sky Fighter’s" hired Craig to coordinate the Aerials and to fly the VectorVision equipped Lear Jet for the series.

Air show fans may remember his "Double Take" act in which he landed his Pitts Special inverted; and for which he earned the Art Scholl Award for Showmanship, given by the International Council of Air Shows in 1988. Hosking is the son of another award winning helicopter pilot, Robert “Bob” Hosking, and his wife Annette. His father flew helicopters as a photographer in the U.S. Army, shooting film from the air and later flew Otto The Helicopter on the airshow circuit. Craig learned to fly from his father at age 12 and at 16 became the youngest ever legally licensed helicopter pilot.

Chuck Aaron, also an ICAS Art Scholl Showmanship Award Winner, flies his Messerschmitt-Bölkow Blohm BO-105, modified to withstand the rigors of aerobatic flight, in the thrilling opening to the new Bond film (minus the Red Bull paint scheme).

He announced his retirement this year and performed his last show at the Red Bull Air Race in Las Vegas on October 17 and 18. Aaron told me before the Los Angeles County Air Show a couple of years ago that he was inspired to fly from a childhood dream in which he rode on a magic carpet. In his 10-year tenure with Red Bull, Aaron performed about 250 air shows.