BREAKOUT - THE CASSANDRA CROSSING - L'EVADE - PEUR SUR LA VILLE - Other movies

LIST OF "STARRING" ALOUETTES & LAMAS - MAKING OF - FRANCAIS

 

Breakout

( L'évadé )

Helicopter:

Type:

SA315B Lama

Registration:

N62250

Serial Number:

2334

Director: Tom GRIES (1975).
Starring: Charles BRONSON, Robert DUVALL, Jill IRELAND, John HUSTON & Randy QUAID.
Synopsis: A pilot (Charles BRONSON) is hired by a woman (Jill IRELAND) to help her in escaping her husband (Robert DUVALL) out of a Mexican federal jail. After several unsuccessful attempts he is trying once again ... with a helicopter.
Comments: A simple script dominates this movie. Beside for soundtrack all aviation actions are realistic on the contrary of most American movies. As a matter of fact sound of Lama has been replaced by a mix of Bell 47 and Hughes 500 noises almost for all actions where the helicopter appears ... something to irritate a specialist ! Charles Bronson is at the control of the Lama but on the left seat probably in order to make realistic in flight shots. The "real" pilot, who is hidden on the screen, is seated on the right seat.
Other aircraft: Bell 47G (N2879B) , Convair CV440 (N4815C s/n 117), Piper N5187H. On backgrounds : Beech 18/C-45, Bell 47G, Cessnas (incl. N5128Q, N8593X), Piper Commanche and various small airplanes.
Links: Photos of LAMA s/n 2334 - The Bell 47 Video Shelf - Movies To Go

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The Cassandra CROSSING

 

Hélicopter:

Type:

SA315B Lama

Registration:

HB-XDL

Serial Number:

2225

Director: George P. COSMATOS (1976).
Starring: Sophia LOREN, Richard HARRIS, Ava GARDNER, Burt LANCASTER, Martin SHEEN, O.J. SIMPSON.
Synopsis:

A person infected by an antidoteless virus takes on board the Geneva-Stockholm Express Train and infects most of the passengers. After having been informed of the problem, authorities of concerned countries refuses any stop of the train on their territory. It is then sent to a quarantine camp in Poland but in order to reach it, the train must first pass on the disused Cassandra Bridge.

Comments:

The Lama is required to evacuate a dog and the fugitive both infected by the virus from the moving train. A winching with a basket is performed, but it must be interrupted because the train is arriving in a mountainous area where this operation is no longer possible due to tunnels. The railfan will certainly notice that there is no catenary during the winching operation even if the train is electric-powered. That operation would of course not have been feasible if there were poles and caternaries.

Other aircraft:

No other airplane or helicopter is visible. A second helicopter was used for filming the Lama above the moving train and over mountainous landscapes. It was probably one of the first use of a Wescam system for the realization of an important production. The initial screenplay scene is very impressive and demonstrates the interest of that Canadian camera gyrostabilization system.

Links: Picture of the Lama in the movie - Making of - Wikipedia - The Bell 47 Video Shelf

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Peur sur la ville

 

Helicopter:

Type:

SA319A Alouette III

Registration:

F-MJAK

Serial Number:

1678

Director: Henri VERNEUIL (1975).
Starring: Jean-Paul BELMONDO, Charles DENNER, Adalberto Maria MERLI, Rosy VARTE & Lea MASSARI.
Synopsis: A maniac named "Minos" (Adalberto Maria MERLI) is spreading terror among women in Paris. Commissaire Letellier (Jean-Paul BELMONDO) and his assistant (Charles DENNER) begin to chase Minos. A true suspense movie ... Belmondo style !
Comments: A Gendarmerie Alouette III is used for the final action of the movie. Commissaire Letellier (Jean-Paul BELMONDO) is winched along the skyscraper façade where Minos is entrenched with his hostages. He starts a swing movement to break a window and penetrate inside the building. It seems unlikely that this second part of the last action has been realised with the Alouette hoist. As a matter of fact, the Alouette is fitted with a 25 meter hoist and the helicopter appears much higher on the screen. Then inducing a swing movement at the end of a hoist cable cannot be without any effect on the aircraft stability. At last, it is very difficult for a pilot to maintain an altidude within a meter when the helicopter is out of ground effect and with almost no practical close visual references. But Belmondo penetrates inside the building at first attemp through the right window ... where Minos is staying. Four GIGN policemen abseil down later from the Alouette on the skyscraper. It seems that there are no special effects in this action. It is really impressive on the screen.
Other aircraft: Any other airplane or helicopter cannot be seen. Nevertheless another helicopter has probably been used to take some air-to-air shots of the Gendarmerie's Alouette III above Paris.
Links:

Photos of ALOUETTE III s/n 1678 - Picture of Alouette in the movie

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OTHER MOVIES WITH ALOUETTES & LAMAS

 

BIRDS OF PREY (OISEAUX DE PROIE) - LE BON PLAISIR - LES BRONZES FONT DU SKI (THE BRONZES GO SKIING) - CANICULE (DOG DAY) - LA CARAPATE - CASQUE BLEU - CASSANDRA CROSSING - CASTAWAY - LE CERCLE ROUGE - LE CERVEAU (THE BRAIN) - LE CIEL SUR LA TETE (?) - COLOSSUS: "THE FORBIN" PROJECT - THE CRIMSON RIVERS (LES RIVIERES POURPRES) - THE DAY OF THE JACKAL (LE CHACAL) - THE DEADLY ENCOUNTER (LA BELLE ET L'HELICO) - EN LIMITE DE PUISSANCE - FANTOMAS - FAR WEST - FIGURES IN A LANDSCAPE - LA FILLE DE L'AIR - FRANTZ - LE GENDARME EN BALLADE - LE GRAND RESTAURANT - LE GUIGNOLO - HIBERNATUS - LAISSE ALLER, C'EST UNE VALSE - LA LEGION SAUTE SUR KOLWEZI - LE MAGNIFIQUE - OCTOPUSSY (JAMES BOND) - ON A VOLE LA CUISSE DE JUPITER - PEAU D'ANE - PUSHING THE LIMITS - SKY RIDERS (INTERVENTION DELTA) - LA SOIF DE L'OR - LE TATOUE - THEY CAME TO ROB LAS VEGAS - TOUT FEU TOUT FLAMME - LA VENGEANCE DU SERPENT A PLUMES - YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (JAMES BOND)

... If you know further titles, please advise us. Thanks.

Click on the links to get a picture gallery !

 

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LIST OF "STARRING" ALOUETTES & LAMAS
No.
Type
Registr.
Operator
Film title
Year
Remarks
ALOUETTE II - LAMA
1021
SE313B
F-GHTO
C.L. Copter
LA FILLE DE L'AIR
1992
1165
SE313B
I-CUDP
LE GUIGNOLO
1980
Jean-Paul Belmondo is flying above Venice, Italy, "slinged" by this Alouette.
1345
SE3130
F-GIJN
C.L. Copter
LA FILLE DE L'AIR
1992
1394
SE3130
F-BLOH
Gyrafrance
1964
1487
SE3130
F-BIFT
Heli-Union
1968
Louis de Funès persuades the pilot to fly him to Paris.
1502
SE3130
Heli-Union
1971
Wearing "Police" titles.
1628
SE3130
F-MJAO
Gendarmerie Nationale
1973
1663
SE3130S
Force Terrestre Belge, LtAvn School
FAR WEST
1972
Jacques Brel is suspended under this Alouette for an action taken at Nivelles, Belgium.
1679
SE3130
JA9007
YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
1967
 
1974
SE3180
F-BPIY
Heli-Union
1969
 
1970
 
2038
SE3180
F-BRHP
Heli-Union
1970
2049
SE3180
OL-A63
Force Terrestre Belge, LtAvn School
FAR WEST
1972
Jacques Brel is suspended under this Alouette for an action taken at Braine-le-Château, Belgium.
2225
SA315B
HB-XDL
B.O.H.A.G.
1976
 
2261
SA315B
N13583
BIRDS OF PREY
1973
Lama is the gangsters' helicopter and it is chasing N9103F registered Hughes 500C (369HS).
2287 /41
SA315B
F-GIBK
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Hélicoptères
2000
 
2309
SA315B
HB-XRN
Air Glaciers
1994
2334
SA315B
Evergreen Helicopters Inc.
1975
A blue resprayed Lama is used for an escape from a Mexican jail.
THE DEADLY ENCOUNTER
1982
One of the two gangsters' Lamas used to kidnap Susan Anspach and to chase Larry Hagman's Hughes 500.
2407
SA315B
N62345
THE DEADLY ENCOUNTER
1982
One of the two gangsters' Lamas used to kidnap Susan Anspach and to chase Larry Hagman's Hughes 500.
2477
SA315B
F-GFCE
SAF
LA SOIF DE L'OR
1993
Lama is used to sling a house ... in which gold is hidden.
2547
SA315B
F-GBRB
Heli Services
1979
Used for heliskiing.
2633
SA315B
Air Glaciers
1994
 
 
SE31...
F-M...
A.L.A.T.
LA LEGION SAUTE SUR KOLWEZI
1980
The Alouette II that can be seen was from 1st Groupe d'Helicopteres Legers that was based in Les Mureaux (Yvelines). It lands in front of the Mess of that unit.
ALOUETTE III
1019
SA316B
HB-XOE
Air Glaciers
1994
 
1100
SE3160
Heli-Union
1966
The Alouette is a "Police" helicopter and is wearing number "4".
1109
SE3160
Heli-Union
1969
Wears a French flag.
1439
SA316B
Air Glaciers
1994
 
1447
SE3160
F-BRAQ
Heli-Union
1969
Wears a Danish flag.
1509
SE3160
SX-HAC
Olympic Aviation
SKY RIDERS
1976
This Greek registered Alouette is carrying policemen for the final action including Charles Aznavour.
1536
SA316B
F-GPGM
Procoptère Aviation
2000
Visible at the end of the movie.
1678
SA319A
Gendarmerie Nationale
1975
Jean-Paul Belmondo is winched above Paris for the final action.
1708
SE3160
XC-COS
Mexican Government
LA VENGEANCE DU SERPENT A PLUMES
1984
1788
SE316B
XC-TAM
Pemex
1973
This Alouette is used for several actions during the movie notably the first-one when the helicopter remove a telephone cabin from a crowded place and drop it into sea !
1949
SA316B
I-CRSR
Elilario srl.
LE GUIGNOLO
1980
Used to take air-to-air shots of Alouette II s/n 1165 above Venice, Italy.
2377
SA319B
HB-XHY
REGA
TOUT FEU TOUT FLAMME
1981
 
5311
SA316B
F-GAPX
Heli-Union
LE BON PLAISIR
1983
GLAM livery.
SE3160
F-MABC
A.L.A.T.
1969
 
SA316B
VH-JMP (?)
 
CASTAWAY
1987
 
SA316B
Armed Forces of Malta
CASQUE BLEU
1993
Plays the role of a U.N. chopper.

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MAKING OF

 

Click here to see pictures of shootings !

 

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INTERNET LINKS
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