Filmmaker Marvels Over Aviation at AIAA Forum Written 17 June 2019
by Michele McDonald, AIAA Communications Manager
AIAA AVIATION FORUM, Dallas, June 17, 2019 — Filmmaker Brian J. Terwilliger says he always takes the window seat when he flies. He told the audience at his plenary session “Living in the Age of Airplanes” that what he sees out the window is better than any screen entertainment.
Unless, perhaps, it’s his 2015 documentary “Living in the Age of Airplanes,” narrated by Harrison Ford and distributed by National Geographic.
Terwilliger said being colorblind prevented him from making his living as a pilot, so instead he began making movies about aviation. His first film, “One Six Right: The Romance of Flying,” was well-received. It’s about the airport in Van Nuys, California.
We’ve lost perspective about how extraordinary aviation is because it’s become so ordinary, Terwilliger said, adding that it’s changed how we see the world — from being able to walk in the footsteps of our ancestors to experiencing works of art firsthand. It’s even changed how we say goodbye, he explained, because we can fly home.
“What was once a migration, is now a vacation,” Terwilliger said.