| Tom McMurtry |
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| Tom graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He had been part of the university's Navy ROTC program, and after graduation he joined the Navy as a pilot. Before retiring from the Navy as a Lieutenant, he graduated from the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School, and had flown such aircraft as the F9F, A3D, A4D, F3D, F-8, A-6, and S-2. Tom was then a consultant for the Lockheed Corporation until joining NASA as a research pilot. While at the Dryden Flight Research Center, he was co-project pilot on the F-8 Digital Fly-By-Wire program, and the 747 Space Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, as well as project pilot on the F-15 Digital Electronic Engine Control (DEEC) project, the KC-135 Winglets, the F-8 Supercritical Wing project, and the AD-1 Oblique Wing Project. He also made research flights in NASA's YF-12C aircraft (actually a modified SR-71). McMurtry made the last glide flight of the X-24B lifting body, and was co-pilot of the 747 Space Shuttle Carrier Aircraft on the first free flight of the space shuttle Enterprise. He was involved in several remotely piloted research vehicle programs, including the FAA/NASA Boeing 720 Controlled Impact Demonstration and the F-15 Spin Research Vehicle. During Tom's 32 years as a pilot and manager at Dryden, he received numerous awards. These include the NASA Exceptional Service Award for his work on the F-8 Supercritical Wing, and the Iven C. Kincheloe Award from the Society of Experimental Test Pilots for his role as chief pilot on the AD-1 project, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and the 1999 Milton O. Thomson Lifetime Achievement Award. Tom also held a number of management positions at Dryden, including Chief Pilot, Director of Flight Operations, Associate Director of Flight Operations, and was the acting Chief Engineer at the time of his retirement in 1999. Since becoming a pilot Tom has logged more than 11,000 hours of flight time, in aircraft ranging from his personal WACO open cockpit biplane to a Mach 3 YF-12C, as well as Navy trainers, fighters and attack airplanes, the U-2, F-104 and FA-18 chase planes, and diverse research aircraft. As Wolfe Air's lead Learjet captain, Tom ensures that every aerial filming mission is safe and flawless. Click here to see Tom talking about a very cool, high profile project he worked on prior to becoming Wolfe Air's lead Vectorvision pilot. |
| Ace Beall |
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| Arthur "Ace" Beall spent a decade with the Air Force as an Instructor Pilot in the T-38A and C-141 aircraft. Following his military career, Ace went to work at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. He worked as Chief Pilot of Flight Operations, Boeing 747 Space Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) Captain, as well as Captain/ Instructor on NASA's T-38N, Boeing 377 Super Guppy, G-159 and the famed KC-135A Zero Gravity "Vomit Comet". When he is not at the controls of the Wolfe Air Learjet, Ace pilots a corporate Learjet and flies the R&D flights for the Evergreen Super Tanker, a Boeing 747-273C specially modified with internal tanks to carry water or fire retardant for fighting forest fires. (When Evergreen needed the best possible air-to-air filming of the 747 test flights, they called Wolfe Air. See the demo reel for the incredible footage.) Ace has over 11,700 hours of logged flight time. With Ace in the cockpit, Wolfe Air continues the tradition of using only "The Best". |
| Jeff Senour |
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| Learjet/Vectorvison pilot Jeff Senour took to the controls at the age of 7 years old when his Dad would take him up in a Piper Cub. His formal training began when he was in College and worked every part time job he could get his hands on to pay for instruction, flight time and pilot ratings right out of Van Nuys Airport. He went on to flight instruct and then started flying Learjets out of Van Nuys for several corporate jet operators. Jeff's flying career spanned many years of charter flying and learning the art of aerial photo chase missions. He went on to fly many celebrities and VIP's around the country. He also honed his aerobatic and formation skills flying a Pitts Special, competing in aerobatics. In 1983, Jeff joined the Screen Actors Guild and worked as a SAG pilot doing numerous TV shows including "Fall Guy", "Knight Rider", "Oh God You Devil", "Murder She Wrote" and many others. Through his movie work met Dan Wolfe of Wolfe Air Aviation. A union was formed creating the perfect aerial photo team. Jeff went on to fly the Vectorvision system for hundreds of missions all over the world, including feature films, television shows, commercials and research and development missions for almost every aircraft manufacturer in the world. His formation time next to other aircraft is probably one of the most diverse of any pilot around. Aside from being a formation pilot, a good aerial pilot has to be creative with film and have an eye for photography. The camera pilot is the eyes for the cameraman as the aerial shot is performed and Jeff has the creative eye it takes to make any photo shoot seem effortless, like a ballet in the sky, even though at times there can be up to 10 aircraft at once all in close formation. Jeff is also a Captain for Southwest Airlines and has flown for Southwest for 17 years. He has logged over 20,000 hours to date and still loves his job. Jeff is a tremendous asset to any aerial shoot putting safety first while getting the shots the directors need to bring their storyboards to life. |
| John Tamburro |
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| With over 16 years of dedicated experience in the Motion Picture Aviation Industry and a perfect safety record, John Tamburro has the experience and knowledge to tackle any aerial production with precision and safety. John’s experience includes flying all types of camera mounts in all types of situations ranging from television news, where you only get one chance to get the shot, to complex orchestrated flight activities involving multiple aircraft for major motion pictures. John can effectively achieve the “Directors vision” and get the desired footage for the project. As a stunt pilot, John has also had the opportunity and honor to work with, and learn from the top stunt coordinators in the Motion Picture and TV Industry and that has resulted in very comprehensive flight skills. Flying air-to-air formation, high-speed low-level chases and under bridge flight are just a few of his abilities. Close coordination and planning with stunt teams are the keys to achieving success for any aviation stunt activity and John prides himself on his “safety mentality” and getting the job done properly as a combined team with other members of the production staff. John Tamburro also has wide-ranging coordination abilities that are instrumental in getting the aerial production “leg work” accomplished. In today’s world of liability concerns, the paperwork shuffle is intensive. John works closely with production management to insure “all of the bases” are covered when it comes to the requirements of aerial filming and other low-level flight activities. These requirements include but are not limited to; production meetings, location scouting, additional insurance issues and filing an FAA Plan of Activities. |