21 Facts About Frank Tallman

Frank Gifford Tallman III was a stunt pilot who worked in Hollywood during the 1960s and 1970s.

Frank Tallman was the son of Frank Gifford Tallman, Jr.

Frank Tallman's father had been a military pilot during World War I Tallman took his first plane ride in his father's lap at the age of five.

When World War II started, Tallman tried to enter the military as a pilot, but his application was declined due to his lack of the required two years of college.

Frank Tallman worked for a time as a civilian pilot instructor and later in the war was able to join the US Navy when they relaxed their education requirements.

Frank Tallman remained in the United States Navy Reserve after the war and started a business in Illinois.

Frank Tallman acquired a collection of pre-1920 aircraft and supplemented the collection with surplus World War II aircraft and more pre-war aircraft as he was able.

Frank Tallman injured his leg in a go-cart accident with his small son in the driveway of their home, which meant Mantz had to fly the Phoenix.

Frank Tallman taught himself to fly with one leg, reportedly preferring to fly some planes without the prosthetic leg he used for walking.

Frank Tallman performed the stunt flying in the 1963 chase movie It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, including the flight in a Beechcraft Model 18 through a Coca-Cola billboard.

Frank Tallman contributed to The Carpetbaggers, The Wrecking Crew, and The Thousand Plane Raid.

Frank Tallman served as the flying supervisor for Catch-22 in 1970 and was personally involved in locating and acquiring the 18 or so flyable film unit B-25s appearing in the film.

Frank 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, Frank Tallman flew a Grumman J2F-6 Duck amphibian he restored in Murphy's War.

Frank Tallman was aerial supervisor for The Great Waldo Pepper in which he performed barnstorming stunts.

Frank Tallman served as aerial coordinator and pilot for the television series Baa Baa Black Sheep.

Frank Tallman flew in the six-episode TV series Spencer's Pilots, starring Gene Evans, and the television film, Amelia Earhart, both in 1976.

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

On Saturday 15 April 1978, Frank 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.

Frank Tallman struck the side of Santiago Peak in the Santa Ana Mountains near Trabuco Canyon at cruising altitude, and died in the ensuing crash.

Frank Tallman was survived by his second wife, "Boots," and children Gail and Frank.