You know… there are documentaries. The one thing that always grabs me about them, is that usually they are only as good as the level of interest that the viewer has in the subject. Even the best documentary filmmakers have a hard time capturing the imagination and interest of those who have an apathetic attitude towards learning and only want to watch something where, and I quote, “Stuff gets blowed up reeeeally good!” Granted, I also enjoy watching something where stuff gets…ahem…blown up really good, but I like to pepper my entertainment with some good old-fashioned educational materials. Recently I had the opportunity to watch a documentary DVD called “Pioneers in Aviation”, which was written, directed and edited by Seattle Filmmaker William Winship. It traces the history of modern aviation through the lives of William Boeing and Donald Douglas. And if you don’t already recognize these gentlemen’s’ names, then I’m sending you to the back of the class. (Perhaps Boeing 747 and McDonnell-Douglas ring a bell, hmmm?) As the title suggests, both Boeing and Douglas were pioneers in the world of aviation and were involved almost from the very beginning.

Both men came from very different backgrounds, and the stories of their fortunes, lost and found, are quite fascinating.

“Pioneers in Aviation” runs just under an hour and a half, and Winship refrains from wasting a moment of that time. The film is rich with amazing archival film footage and photographs, including a recording of the famous 1924 ‘Round-the-World Flight’ in which U.S. Army aviators circled the globe in four Douglas World Cruisers and pictures of still unknown 19-year-old Marilyn Monroe, modeling the cabin features and Pullman berth of the new Douglas DC-6. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what you’ll find in the terrific documentary.

One of the most telling, and perhaps a bit poignant, pieces of footage is from a 1953 interview with Douglas. It’s fairly short, but in it he reminisces about the Wright Brothers ‘first flight’, and as he speaks it cuts to film footage of the flight itself. It was a really nice addition to the documentary.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of “Pioneers in Aviation” if you have an interest in flight, or history in general. It’s a very well put together documentary and offers a fitting tribute to the early part of our century, when innovation and sheer force of will went hand in hand.

Directed by: William Winship
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: Aiolos Productions
Release Date: Available Now
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Pioneers In Aviation a B.