Frank Tallman

Frank Gifford Tallman (b. 17 April 1919, Orange, New Jersey – d. April 15, 1978, Santiago Peak, Trabuco Canyon, California. He was a stunt pilot in Hollywood during the 1960s and 1970s.

Tallmantz Aviation

In 1961 Tallman formed Tallmantz Aviation with stunt pilot Paul Mantz. Based at Orange County Airport (now John Wayne Airport) in Southern California, they provided pilots, camera planes and a small fleet of antique and historic aircraft (along with background models of aircraft and ships) for movie and television productions. Mantz was killed in 1965 while flying a cobbled-together aircraft representing the fictional type built by oil explorers of pieces of their crashed Fairchild C-82 Packet downed in the North African desert in "The Flight of the Phoenix".

Tallman injured his leg in a go-cart accident with his small son (which meant Mantz had to fly the Phoenix), and was hospitalized. Infection set in and most of the leg was amputated. Tallman taught himself to fly with one leg, reportedly preferring to fly some planes without the prosthetic he used for walking. As an amputee he eventually held a wide range of FAA licenses.

Film Credits

Tallman did the stunt flying in the 1963 chase movie "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", including the flight through a Coca-Cola billboard. He also contributed to "The Carpetbaggers" (1964), "The Wrecking Crew" (a Matt Helm spy movie starring Dean Martin) and "The Thousand Plane Raid" (both in 1969).

He served as the flying supervisor for "Catch-22" in 1970 and was personally involved in locating and acquiring the 18 or so flyable B-25s appearing in the film. Tallman flew the dramatic night shots of the Milo Minderbinder Air Force B-25 bombing its own base just over the heads of actors Jon Voight and Martin Sheen.

In 1971 Tallman flew a Grumman Duck amphibian in "Murphy's War". In 1973 he flew in "Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies" and piloted a Stearman cropduster in "Charley Varrick" along with the television pilot films "Death Race" and "San Francisco International". He was aerial supervisor for "The Great Waldo Pepper" in which he performed barnstorming stunts and flew in "Lucky Lady", both in 1975. Tallman also served as aerial coordinator and pilot for the television series "Baa Baa Black Sheep" (1976 - 1979). He also flew in the TV series "Spencer's Pilots" and in the TV movie "Amelia Earhart", both in 1976.

In 1973 Tallman recounted his experiences rebuilding and flying vintage aircraft in the book "Flying the Old Planes".

His last film projects were "The Cat From Outer Space", "Capricorn One" and "1941", all in 1978.

Death

On Saturday 15 April 1978 Tallman was making a routine ferry flight in a twin engine Piper Aztec from Santa Monica Airport (California) to Phoenix, Arizona under visual flight rules when he continued the flight into deteriorating weather, a lowering ceiling and rain. He struck the side of Santiago Peak in the Santa Ana Mountains near Trabuco Canyon at cruise altitude, dying in the ensuing crash.

Following Tallman's death his historic collection of movie warplanes and camera planes was sold off. Many were purchased by entrepreneur Kermit Weeks and went on display at his Fantasy of Flight museum in Polk City, Florida. A Silver Line ship's model was donated to the Los Angeles Maritime Museum.

ee also

Paul Mantz