The movie, "Fate Is The Hunter"

[Navy Chief]

I saw the movie, "Fate Is The Hunter" when I was a young boy. It was many, many years later that I saw it again, but always liked it, and the people who started in it.

It is on YouTube in its entirety if anyone is interested. Oh, and I do know that Ernest Gann wrote a book by the same name, which has zero relation to the movie whatsoever. Gann was so disappointed with the actual movie script that he wanted his name removed from the project. I still like the movie though.

 

[ViperPilot2]

I saw the movie, "Fate Is The Hunter" when I was a young boy. It was many, many years later that I saw it again, but always liked it, and the people who started in it.

It is on YouTube in its entirety if anyone is interested. Oh, and I do know that Ernest Gann wrote a book by the same name, which has zero relation to the movie whatsoever. Gann was so disappointed with the actual movie script that he wanted his name removed from the project. I still like the movie though.

Just curious if you ever got a chance to read the book... if you didn't, one of the more memorable tales within recounts how Gann almost collided with the Taj Mahal climbing out from the airport in Agra; the C-87 Liberator Express he flew used up the entire length of the runway just to get to V1 (110 kts.) and at the last minute he deployed full Flaps in order to just clear the dome of the Taj Mahal and the terrified workers doing work there.

Gann himself called the C-87 "... an evil bastard contraption, nothing like the relatively efficient B-24 except in appearance." Famed Aviation pioneer Elrey Jeppesen also flew the C-87 and had similar things to say about it. A C-87 was also obtained for FDR to use as an executive transport, but the Secret Service refused to let FDR use the airplane because of its appalling Safety record.

Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[jmig]

I have read all of Gann's aviation books. "Fate is the Hunter" is at least partially autobiographical. I also saw the movie many years ago. I remember the scene where the maintenance guy showed him how the bolt holding the stabilator was almost sheered off.