In an intimate screening at the Silent Movie Theatre in Los Angeles, the premiere of a short version of what may become a full feature movie based on Rinker Buck’s highly acclaimed memoir Flight of Passage was shared with a full house of viewers.
The true story follows Buck and his brother Kernahan, who in 1966 at age 15 and 17, flew across the United States in a Piper Cub they had bought and restored. The brothers were at that time the youngest on record to have flown across the country, and the flight drew significant media attention.
Two young actors, Zach Callison and Joseph Schirle, play Rinker and Kernahan Buck. Aviators will also recognize aerobatic pilot extraordinaire Sean Tucker, who acts as “Hank the Stearman Man.” Rinker Buck himself makes a cameo as well.
The short film is well-produced, with spectacular aerial footage and intense scenes that put the viewer right in the cockpit with the two aviators during their adventure. The creators of the short, Henry Saine and Colin Ebeling, are now looking for the funding to complete the full feature.
