Plan B Forum

Bonanzas to Oshkosh[/b] event take off from La Crosse Regional Airport (LSE).



Residents of Winona, MN (a city about thirty miles north of La Crosse) will also have an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the aircraft group, as a formation practice is planned Friday at Winona Municipal Airport (ONA).

Just a reminder...   it was a Beechcraft Bonanza Model 35 (built in 1947) that crashed shortly after takeoff, due to what appears to have been pilot error compounded by inclement weather, just outside of Mason City/Clear Lake, IA back in 1959, resulting in the death of all onboard — Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper), and their pilot, Roger Peterson.

-"BB"-

Lucky it wasn't a 747 (OK, maybe a 707), or we'd have a lot more crappy biopic movies about those who died aboard. Sure, The Buddy Holly Story was decent, but La Bamba (about a guy who had, what, two hits before he died?) was a big drop off. I thank my lucky stars that it derailed the planned "Hello Baby...It's the Big Bopper". A bigger plane and we'd have movies about producers, sales people,

Big RR wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 20, 2023 12:51 pm

La Bamba (about a guy who had, what, two hits before he died?) was a big drop off.

This assertion got my bile up, so I had to post in defense of La Bamba - which by the way scores very high with critics and audiences alike, and a near identical audience rating as TBHS which is also a terrific film. Both films have astonishingly good performances in the lead roles which pretty much make them the compelling films they are.

I loved TBHS when I saw it as a preteen, but my passion for La Bamba was off the charts - admittedly I was 16 when it released and like many girls I swooned over Lou Diamond Phillips, but the film was very popular with other ages as well and I think it was an important film because just like the song La Bamba broke ground for Latino voices in popular music, the film broke ground for having a Latino focused story that was heavily ethnic in casting and production and nevertheless became a box office hit.

And by the way, Richie Valens had 3 big hits before his untimely and tragic passing at 17.

BSG--to r each his or her own--if you liked La Bamba, fine--I did not. As for Phillips, I liked his performances in Stand and Deliver and Courage Under Fire better. I just don't think a biopic of a two (or three) hit wonder is worth watching (I wouldn't watch a Zaegar and Evans movie either ). I guess I could do a variation on the Red Buttons "Never got a dinner" routine, but honestly, the film didn't interest me, and watching it confirmed that feeling. But, I agree, it was pretty well received by many critics and at the box office.

As for Valens' hits, the only ones I can recall are La Bamba and Donna; he had some hits posthumously, but if he had another one before he died I don't recall it. I guess I could google it.

Maybe this will refresh your recollection:

Anyway this thread has inspired me to a double feature viewing tonight of TBHS and La Bamba. A guaranteed good night’s viewing!

Hope you enjoyed both; as for me, I went to see Oppenheimer, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

And thanks for the video--I had forgotten that song. Personally, my favorite of his was Donna, but then I'm a sucker for ballads.

I am eager to see Oppenheimer, and am trying to convince myself to trek into Providence to see it on the IMAX screen. Would it be worth it do you think? I’ve heard several reviewers who encouraged people to see it on the biggest screen possible.

I saw it on a regular screen (but in a bugger theater so it was not a small screen) and it was fine. I read that about IMAX as well (and apparently the director, Nolan< was promoting it as the best way to see the movie, but personally I don't think I missed much. There are a couple of scenes that might be a bit better in IMAX, but most of the movie is character driven and not dazzling special effects or cinematography. I woudln't make a big trip to view it in IMAX.

Watched them depart La Crosse earlier this afternoon on their way to AirVenture in Oshkosh.  About a hundred in total; they took off, three at a time, then formed up into four or five groups before heading east in a loose formation.   I assume they all made it OK — at least I haven't seen any news stories about downed planes on their way to the fly-in.

Just curious ... is there any site that will allow one to see bird's-eye views, similar to what you can get from Google Maps, in current time?  I'd love to be able to have an eye-in-the-sky view of all the planes scattered about Wittman Field this weekend.

-"BB"-

Big RR wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 21, 2023 4:20 pm

I saw it on a regular screen (but in a bugger theater so it was not a small screen) and it was fine.

I've never been to one of those. How did that work our for you?

Bicycle Bill wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 23, 2023 2:32 am

Just curious ... is there any site that will allow one to see bird's-eye views, similar to what you can get from Google Maps, in current time?  

A former supervisor of mine stated that the company was able to track an on duty worker to his girlfriend's home by photographing his company vehicle at her house by satellite. I accused him of lying, because of course only the government can direct that sort of thing. GPS tracking, yes. Satellite photography, no way. You'll note that I no longer work there.

It's been a long time since I've been to OSH. Several of my neighbors are there now. As another stay-at-home neighbor said "I didn't leave anything up there".

On an unrelated subject, here was another neighbor last week. He was a retired American Airlines pilot with more experience than anyone else I know.
https://www.kctv5.com/2023/07/20/pilot- ... t-kearney/ He's already missed.

MGMcAnick wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 10:38 pm

Big RR wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 21, 2023 4:20 pm

I saw it on a regular screen (but in a bugger theater so it was not a small screen) and it was fine.

I've never been to one of those. How did that work our for you?

OK: despite what you're thinking, it was not a pain in the ass.