Here’s Tom Cruise’s new movie with lots of Aerostars in it. Sadly, during production, one of the most experienced film stunt pilots died in a crash in one during a night approach in Colombia with high terrain. But the film looks good and will be a good tribute to him, hopefully.
As a little anecdote, I dropped by my Aerostar guru Don Smith in Alabama during this time and as I walked into his office, I saw a script laying on the desk named “Mena”. You don’t really see many scripts on aviation mechanics desks, so I naturally asked what it was for and he was bursting to tell me. He couldn’t really say anything about story, but he’d just the week before been up and trained Tom Cruise to fly the 600A model. Said he was a natural pilot. Production bought two 600A’s from him (the non-pressurized version) and unfortunately one of them was the one that later crashed.
Here’s a short clip I took of the very plane that crashed later taxiing in on the ramp in Dothan, Alabama.
Adam thank you for the heads up, will order the popcorn.
Now you know, and I know, that Hollywood has sexed this up with the Aerostar starring in place of the venerable PA-23-250 Aztruck, which was the preferred donkey for these ops. 
Yeah, don’t recall Barry using any AeroStars , but it sure is one sexxy plane !
Tom Cruise? Sorry. But no way will I watch a movie with that guy.
Here’s a lengthy article about the crash of the Aerostar on the set of American Made from Hollywood Reporter. As expected, everyone is now suing everyone.
Plane crash on American Made film
As usual – and not really blaming the reporters here as this is pretty complex stuff – but the inaccuracies in article about Purwin being “illegal” as he potentially ferries a plane from Florida to Jamaica are to be expected. No, you do not need to have an ATP for fixed wing, nor a part 135 certificate to ferry a plane. They make it out like he’s flying without a license and doing illegal carriage for hire, when he is most likely fully legal.
AdamFrisch wrote:
nor a part 135 certificate to ferry a plane
Actually, you do, if you carry pax. I run into this occasionally when chartering helos for work.
Other than that, the usual journo drivel. Aviation seems to simply beat that profession. It’s not that complicated !
If anyone doubted that Tom Crusie is actually flying himself, here’s a good behind the scenes clip:
Loved that movie !!
