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Albert Paul Mantz (August 2, 1903 – July 8, 1965) was a noted movie stunt pilot and consultant from the late 1930s until his death in the mid 1960s. He was the son of a school principal, was raised in Redwood City, California and developed his interest in flying at an early age. August 2 is the 214th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (215th in leap years), with 151 days remaining. ...
1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ...
July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 176 days remaining. ...
1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ...
For other uses, see Aviator (disambiguation). ...
The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known in Europe as the World Depression. ...
The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ...
Redwood City is the county seat of San Mateo County, California. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ...
US Army air cadet
Mantz learned to fly when he was 17 and spent several years barnstorming. He applied for admission to the United States Army flight school at March Field, California but was told he needed at least two years of college to be eligible. Apparently resorting to a ruse involving Stanford University stationery he managed to gain admission and became a successful cadet. Barnstorming was a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s in which stunt pilots would perform tricks with airplanes, often in groups as a flying circus. ...
The United States Army is one of the armed forces of the United States and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ...
March Air Reserve Base (IATA: RIV, ICAO: KRIV) is a base of the U.S. Air Force Reserve located in Riverside County, California, between the cities of Riverside and Moreno Valley. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ...
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University (or simply Stanford), is a private university located approximately 37 miles (60 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco and approximately 20 miles northwest of San José in an unincorporated area of Santa Clara County. ...
In 1927, shortly before his graduation at March Field, Mantz was flying solo over the Coachella Valley when he spotted a train heading west over the empty desert floor up the long grade from Indio. He rolled over into a dive, leveled off a few feet above the track and flew head-on towards the train as the engineer repeatedly sounded the whistle. At the last moment Mantz pulled up and flew away. This sort of dangerous stunt was fairly common during the early era of loosely regulated flying in the 1920s but the train's passengers included ranking officers coming to March Field to participate in the graduation ceremonies and Mantz was subsequently dismissed from the Army. His instructor reportedly made it clear to Paul that he had the makings of an exceptional pilot and encouraged him to continue a career in aviation.
Hollywood stunt pilot After working briefly in commercial aviation, Mantz went to Hollywood, attracted by the large sums of money movie stunt pilots were making at the time. Howard Hughes was among his first clients. After much difficulty finding steady stunt work he accepted a particularly risky assignment, flying a Stearman biplane through a hangar with less than five feet of clearance off each wingtip for the 1932 film Air Mail. Mantz reportedly treated the challenge as an issue of thorough planning, which set him apart from most of the pilots then flying stunts for the movies. ...
For the Welsh murderer, see Howard Hughes (murderer). ...
Air Mail was a hit and as word spread about his success in getting through the hangar unscathed, Mantz found more work and his professional ideas about stunt flying were gradually accepted by the studios. United Air Services, Paul's fledgling company at United Airport in Burbank, offered readily-available planes and pilots, standard rates and insurance to protect producers from the financial risks of accidents and downtime. Mantz's company grew steadily along with the public's fascination for flying as the studios made increasing numbers of aviation related films. His air charter service also flourished and became a favorite among Hollywood stars, many of whom became friends. Burbank is a common place name in English speaking countries. ...
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In 1937 Mantz tutored Amelia Earhart in long-distance flying and navigation a few months before she vanished over the western Pacific ocean (and had accompanied her as technical advisor on the aborted first attempt of her world flight). During World War II Mantz served in the US Army Air Corps' so-called First Motion Picture Unit in Culver City, California (which produced training films), acting for a time as commanding officer. Amelia if you changed my name from alien message girlfromthebigo Earhart (24 July 1897 – missing 2 July 1937, declared dead 5 January 1939) was a noted American aviation pioneer and womens rights advocate. ...
The First Motion Picture Unit was the first unit of the United States Military to be made entirely of motion picture personnel. ...
Culver City Seal Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. ...
Mantz won the Bendix Trophy (a racing award) for three consecutive years (1946-1948) in a converted war-surplus P-51. His longest single flying assignment was in the late 1950s, for the TV series Sky King. In 1961, aged 58, he formed Tallmantz Aviation with pilot Frank Tallman, supplying airplanes along with their personal stunt flying services to movie directors. Mantz piloted a Boeing B-17 for the belly-landing scenes in Twelve O'Clock High and the footage was reused in several other movies. The Bendix Trophy is an aeronautical racing trophy. ...
The North American P-51 Mustang was an American long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that entered service with Allied air forces in the middle years of World War II. The P-51 became one of the conflicts most successful and recognizable aircraft. ...
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
Frank Gifford Tallman (b. ...
A B_17 nicknamed Sally B in England in 2001 The B_17 Flying Fortress was the first mass_produced, four_engine heavy bomber. ...
Twelve OClock High is a 1949 film about the United States Army Air Forces crews who flew daylight bombing missions against Germany and occupied France during World War II. The movie was adapted by Sy Bartlett, Henry King (uncredited) and Beirne Lay Jr. ...
Death Mantz died on July 8, 1965 while working on the movie The Flight of the Phoenix. Flying a very unusual aircraft built especially for the film Mantz struck a small hillock while skimming over a desert site in Arizona for a second take. As Mantz attempted to recover by opening the throttle to its maximum the over-stressed aircraft broke in two and nosed over into the ground, killing Mantz instantly (Bobby Rose, a stuntman standing behind Mantz in the cockpit and representing a character played by Hardy Kruger was seriously injured). The FAA investigation noted Mantz' alcohol consumption before the flight and said the resulting impairment to his "efficiency and judgment" contributed to the accident. 13 years later his business partner Frank Tallman also died in an aviation mishap. It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article entitled The Flight of the Phoenix (1965 film). ...
Official language(s) English Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area Ranked 6th - Total 113,998 sq mi (295,254 km²) - Width 310 miles (500 km) - Length 400 miles (645 km) - % water 0. ...
Born Franz Eberhard August Krüger, April 12, 1928 in Berlin-Wedding, Germany. ...
Awards The Bendix Trophy is an aeronautical racing trophy. ...
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is a Hall of Fame and museum in Novi, Michigan for American motorsports legends. ...
See also Frank Gifford Tallman (b. ...
Art Scholl (24 December 1931 - 16 September 1985) was a renowned American aerobatic pilot, aerial cameraman, flight instructor and educator based in Southern California. ...
Bibliography - Dwiggens, Don, Hollywood Pilot, 1967
1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ...
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