“Wildcat, Thunder in the Sky”
Submitted by: Mike Heiny
Category: Film / Documentary
“Wildcat, Thunder in the Sky” This never-before-seen documentary film was lost in a flood, but the master was found and I am re-releasing it.
The film was originally shot by LMA Studio’s Hollywood in 1989, and funded by Robert Reiss. On Mr. Reiss’ behalf I worked as a pilot and assistant producer on this film, organizing aircraft, flight crews and interviewees. The F4F Wildcat (1939) and F-14 Tomcat (1969) are the first cat and last cats of the eight Cat Navy fighters. It is the only in-flight film of these two Navy fighters, and it includes the establishment of GM’s Eastern Aviation and the FM-2 and TBM.
I now own the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in this film. This DVD film is available on Amazon as well as my website.
About the author:
I quit 10th grade in November 1958 and joined the United States Navy in December 1958. March 1959 found me at Naval Air Station (NAS) Litchfield Park, Ariz., March 1960 USS Surfbird ADG 383 Sasebo Japan, November 1960 USS Ajax AR6 2nd class Diver/Scuba, Sasebo, November 1961 Sub school as BM/SN/DV, February 1962 USS Quillback SS424, July 1962 USS Thomas A. Edison SSBN 610, and September 1963 discharged EN-3 DV. I wore the Mark V for seven years at Hunters Point Naval Ship Yard (HPNSY), San Francisco, California. The Navy never learned to use the Mark V. I am proud to be counted among the last generation of Hard Hat Divers, during my 20 year diving career. I learned to fly at Half Moon Bay, California in 1969, using the GI Bill. My flight education eventually lead to pilot certificates that include Airline Transport Pilot, Commercial, Instrument, Instructor, Single and Multi-Engine. In 1972 I bought into a partnership in a P-51 and AT-6. I have been a Warbird pilot, instructor and owner since. I also flew as co-pilot in a B-17 air tankers, fighting forest fires. I flew a FM-2 Wildcat in air shows around the west for 300 hours and 7 years. I have started several business’ but war birds ate up the profits and the wives.