EXCLUSIVE: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT Aerial Coordinators On Tom Cruise's Death-Defying Helicopter Chase
Last week, Paramount Pictures flew me out to Palm Springs where I got to meet Mission: Impossible - Fallout aerial coordinators Wade Eastwood & Marc Wolff and learn how to fly a helicopter like Tom Cruise!
Last week, ahead of the 4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray release of Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Paramount Pictures flew me out to sunny Palm Springs, California where I got to hang out with second unit director and stunt coordinator Wade Eastwood and the film's aerial coordinator Marc Wolff at the Palm Springs Air Museum and got to pick their brains about some of Tom Cruise's biggest and most death-defying stunts yet, including the jaw-dropping helicopter chase.
After learning how to drive like Tom Cruise on Wednesday, our last day in Palm Springs saw us learn how to fly like him as well as we made our way to Atlantic Aviation, at the Palm Springs International Airport, to get expert instruction from some of the top pilots in the world before getting behind the yoke of a helicopter.
I was fortunate enough to get picked to co-pilot the Robinson R66 Turbine N6605 Orbic Helicopter, which was the biggest and most powerful chopper we had available to us, with an instructor that his peers dubbed "the best," so I knew I was in good hands as we made our exhilarating ascent into the skies.
Having never been in a helicopter before, there was a pretty major learning curve as I had to get adjusted to flying something that, unlike a car, was extremely sensitive to even the slightest nudge, so keeping the yoke level while flying above the mountain plains of Palm Springs was of utmost importance. - Now, of course, the instructor was there to ensure I didn't veer too far off-course or make a fatal mistake, but I did get to do a good chunk of the flying myself, which was an unreal experience.
While we weren't allowed to do a corkscrew turn like Tom Cruise, my instructor did show me one pulse-pounding maneuver when he simulated an engine cut-off scenario and let me experience Zero G before showing me how to glide the chopper back to the ground safely. It was every bit as insane as it sounds.
Ahead of the helicopter training, I got a chance to reunite with Wade Eastwood and meet the film's aerial coordinator Marc Wolff, who also worked on the first Mission: Impossible and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and after talking high-speed chases yesterday, we spent a few minutes talking about two of the most dangerous stunts ever completed on film: the HALO jump and the helicopter chase.
Check out my full interview with Wade and Marc, where they detail the extensive planning and execution of the helicopter chase, exactly how close Tom Cruise came to meeting his end, what was racing through their minds during the long rope sequence, the difficulties in realizing both the bathroom fight and the Pulpit Rock fight, whether or not they'd ever consider stepping into the director's chair, and more!
Plus, here's a quick sizzle reel of my time flying helicopters at Atlantic Aviation:
The best intentions often come back to haunt you. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team (Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames) along with some familiar allies (Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan) in a race against time after a mission gone wrong. Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett, and Vanessa Kirby also join the dynamic cast with filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie returning to the helm.
Mission: Impossible - Fallout features:
Director: Chris McQuarrie
Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt
Henry Cavill as August Walker
Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell
Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn
Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust
Sean Harris as Solomon Lane
Angela Bassett as Erica Sloane
Vanessa Kirby as Alanna Mitsopolis/White Widow
Michelle Monaghan as Julia Meade
Wes Bentley as Erik
Frederick Schmidt as Zola Mitsopolis
Alec Baldwin as Alan Hunley
Liang Yang as "John Lark"
Kristoffer Joner as Nils Delbruuk
Mission: Impossible - Fallout is now out on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, & Digital HD!