Catch me if ya can..

[350DRIVER]

Off the "normal" subjects> Has anyone seen the movie Catch Me If You Can with good ole Leo D.?? I guess Leo plays a TWA jet jock way back when, not to mention the many other things.. The previews look good but was curious if the flick is worth seeing.?

I guess the movie is based on a true story

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[race#53]

We saw the movie and thought it was fun except the part where he looks down and says "runway 44" .

 

[Britpilot]

I guess Leo plays a TWA jet jock way back when
I guess the movie is based on a true story

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Leo plays Frank Abagale Jr. He posed as a Pan Am pilot, doctor and lawyer amongst other things. Story is true and Frank is now a private security consultant, oh and he paid back all the money he owed.

 

[FlightTraker]

Go see it. A truly amazing story (times were different then) I saw Frank on a TV talkshow the other day. He has a book out that tells the real story (I am guessing that Hollywood may have embellished a bit)


FlightTraker

 

[qxeplt]

Uniform = not good

3 scenes in uniform they messed up.

When he first buys a uniform he's getting fitted with one that only has two stripes on the cuff and the next scene he's walking out with 3 stips.

Then in one of the last uniform scenes he's in a captain blazer with four stripes yet he's wearing an FO hat.

Whatever...

 

[lionflyer]

I chuckled when the kid asked the Pan AM Capt. for his autogragh. How about when Leo's in the restaurant in uniform drinking wine? Those must have been the days.

 

[Starsailor]

Regarding the uniform:

All of the flight crews' coats are manufactured with two stripes -- that way, if an F/E walks in and needs a uniform, no change. F/O: add a stripe. CA: you see where this is going.

I'd be willing to bet that the last uniformed scene was messed up on purpose. Leo's character probably had the wherewithal to add a gold braid or two to his sleeves, but might not have been able to duplicate the 'eggs'.

That said, there were plenty of other aviation flubs in the movie (runway 44: a wicked magnetic variation?), but remember: Frank Abagnale Jr. was not a pilot. Any error he makes is, in the spirit of the movie, completely forgivable. I'd have to see it again to see if any of the 'real' pilots tanked anything. I thought Spielberg and crew did a fine job.

The book is good, too. I read it in one sitting (back in November when I saw that the movie was being released). . .it was difficult to put down. Mr. Abagnale has another book, The Art of the Steal, which is about protecting yourself against fraud. Also a good read, though a bit scary, i.e. you get to see just how many different ways a person could defraud you.

Regards,
Starsailor

 

[Contract Guy]

Just an interesting side note but along related lines

A couple of years back (around the end of 00 beginning of 01) I met a rather interesting character thru a charter job I was working at the time.

A Gulfstream driver, he was a very likable guy and a very good pilot. About two months into it he took a leave of absence unpaid for personal reasons.
He really didn’t offer up much in the way of an explanation to the boss and that kind of miffed him (at the time).

We never heard back from him and several months passed, the boss assumed he’d found another job and just wrote him off and hired someone else.

Well his departure was somewhat of a stir around the office as we only had five pilots at that time and people began to ask about him, what might have caused him to leave.

No one really knew him THAT well, he talked of his past and his family on occasion, nothing out of the ordinary or extraordinary etc…
Said he trained at ERAU, flew checks, freight charter etc. usual career ladder stuff.

Well, one evening in Nov 2001 we had returned from out of country trip and the boss was rather frazzled looking. We asked him what was up, he said the FBI just left.

Flight bags hit the floor.

What happened we asked?

They were here about you know who and took everything from his employment files and training records.

No explanation, no thank you’s, no have a nice day’s… they just left.

Now it gets weirder,

Around July of this past year myself and one other guy who knew this fellow was at IAD waiting on our charter to arrive when this all white Gulfstream pulls up to the ramp and out pops three suits trying really hard to conceal whatever artillery piece they were carrying under their jackets and two other men in suits. Next comes off you know who, dressed in semi casual attire, Dockers etc.

It took me a second or to, to recognize him but I am 100000% sure it was him, when he glanced over at us staring at him, the look he gave, if it could kill, well you know the saying.


Rather bizarre I guess,

 

[rjcap]

It took me a second or to, to recognize him but I am 100000% sure it was him, when he glanced over at us staring at him, the look he gave, if it could kill, well you know the saying.

Am I to understand this guy was being escorted by these armed suits ??

Good story.

 

[XLR8]

What a great story! You don't happen to know the name of the original book by him do you?

I thought the movie actually was pretty realistic (other than "runway 44", and the whole autograph thing). One of the best movies I've seen! Can't wait to read the book!

Fly Safe!