Review: OMNIMAX movie “LEGENDS OF FLIGHT”

                              Review:  OMNIMAX movie “LEGENDS OF FLIGHT”

Recently, I attended a screening of the above documentary in the huge OMNIMAX theater at the Museum Of Science & Industry in Chicago… 

…  This very interesting film covers some of the HISTORY of air travel, from the Wright Brothers first powered flight on  December 17, 1903.  There is a somewhat glossed-over accounting of important aircraft after that, such as the World War I planes having multiple wings (the very successful biplanes & others)…

…  The movie frequently uses a lot of COMPUTER-generated graphics to illustrate various advances in the industry.  While they are often colorful & nice-looking (with flashing lights & the like), I found it to be a bit OVER-used, with what to me were occasionally UNCLEAR explanations of just what they were meant to “represent” (& thus they at times came across as more confusing than truly informative)…

…  Every other year, the Paris Air Show draws plane manufacturers from around the world, who congregate to show off their newest products in an attempt to generate sales.  Scenes are shown from the 2005 show where Airbus introduced its model A380 plane--  the largest passenger airliner in the world whose double-deck configuration could hold more than 850 passengers on a flight…

...  A good deal of the movie utilizes scenes with MIKE CARRIKER, the Chief Test Pilot of Boeing Company.  He’s flown numerous types of aircraft thru the years, & his favorite plane is an old TWA Super Constellation by Lockheed;  he’s shown flying a restored version of that aircraft (with its distinctive 3-finned tail) & explaining how he loves the way the PILOT (rather than “automatic” programs) do the actual work of controlling the plane…

 …  The movie is very straightforward about all the planning, deliberations and DELAYS encountered in bringing a new plane to market, with considerable time spent on the problems AIRBUS had with its A380 & BOEING has had with its 787 “Dreamliner”…

…  There’s a good deal of historical interest and information on current and upcoming technologies covered by the expansive film, & I would rate it 8.00 out of 10 stars (with its rating lowered a bit because of the periodically perplexing computer simulations mentioned previously)…

Here are the Showtimes for the film (which will be playing at the MSI thru February 11, 2011):

 

Monday-Saturday: 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3 p.m.
Sunday: 12:30 p.m., 3 p.m.