An aircraft out of the Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon is featured in the movie Devotion which is opening today, November 23, 2022. The F4U-7 was flown by Mike Oliver, the general manager.
The film is about the son of a black Mississippi sharecropper who against all odds goes to the Naval Academy and becomes a fighter pilot. The true story revolves around elite pilots Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner, who became the U.S. Navy’s most celebrated wingmen during the Korean War. It is based on the 2014 book Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice by Adam Makos, which retells the comradeship between the two naval officers.
Kevin La Rosa III who was the aerial coordinator and helicopter camera pilot for the smash hit, Top Gun Maverick, was also involved in acquiring aircraft and pilots for Devotion.
Mr. La Rosa heard that the Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon had an F4U Corsair and contacted Mr. Oliver.
From Oregon Live:
The Erickson Aircraft Collection features displays of vintage aircraft, including an F4U Corsair, which Oliver had been restoring. After he read Makos’ book, Oliver said he was inspired to paint the plane with the blue color and markings that would have been on the craft Brown flew.
“We spent probably three-and-a-half to four months filming the movie,” Oliver said. “We started in Wenatchee (Washington), then went to Pasco, and flew down to Savannah, Georgia. It was fantastic. Being my first movie, I didn’t know what to expect. It was a lot of good coordination, a lot of people that were professionals, and knew what they were doing.”
Oliver, along with stars Jonathan Majors (whose credits include “Lovecraft Country”) and Glen Powell (who costarred in “Top Gun: Maverick”), recently went to the Los Angeles premiere of “Devotion.” The premiere, Oliver said, was “Grand. It was a true red carpet.”
Erickson, under the name Erickson Aero Tanker, also operates a fleet of MD-87 Type 1 air tankers.
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Kelly.
