One of the best films with a flying theme in the recent 20 years is Flight, which came out in 2012. In this article, we’ll see if “Flight” is based on a real story or not. It has received a lot of praise for its storyline, thrilling flying scenes, and first-ever depiction of airplanes flying upside-down on a large screen.
The upside-down flying picture, however, surprised many pilots and raised doubts about its veracity. Whip Whitaker, the co-pilot of the domestic flight, was found guilty of driving under the influence and given a 16-month federal jail term.
Despite his bravery, a probe into his sobriety during the flight casts doubt on his actions. While some consider the movie to be a work of fiction, many viewers think it is based on a genuine story. So, without any further ado, let’s see if Flight is based on a real story or not.
About The Movie “Flight”
The protagonist of the tale is SouthJet airline Captain Whip Whitaker, an alcoholic and drug user. Denzel Washington, who plays Whip Whitaker, also learned to fly for the role. He practiced flying with actual pilots to better understand their behavior and learn how to control a tense scenario.
One morning, after a restless night, he snorts cocaine to help him wake up so that he can board SouthJet Flight 227 during a downpour from Orlando to Atlanta. Stormy weather causes the aircraft to experience extreme turbulence during takeoff. The flight appears to be going smoothly, but in the middle of the air, an aircraft malfunctions, sending the aircraft into a precipitous drop.
Whitaker & His Addiction
Whitaker is lauded as a hero but is shortly found guilty of flying while under the influence of drink and cocaine. The film chronicles Whitaker’s struggles with the plane disaster and the subsequent collapse of his life and relationships, all of which were brought on by his addiction. Whitaker miraculously manages to fly the plane upside down and make a safe crash landing to save almost all of the passengers’ lives. Apart from the plane tragedy, Whitaker’s battle with alcoholism has played a significant role in his life. He is unable to manage his addiction even when his entire job and way of life are at stake, refusing to accept assistance despite numerous offers.
Despite having experience from directing a similar scenario in “Cast Away,” filmmaker Zemeckis’ crash in “Flight” is one of the most realistic crashes ever shot on camera. Zemeckis, who won an Oscar for directing “Forrest Gump,” expressed his hope that no one would roll their eyes at his latest big-screen disaster, “Flight.”
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Is “Flight” Based On A True Story?
Even though the film is fictional, a few of its plot points were influenced by the actual disaster of Alaskan Airlines Flight 261 on January 31, 2000. The movie’s story is made up. The pilot of the movie miraculously rescues 96 out of 102 passengers by flying the jet upside-down, unlike in the real disaster, and is acclaimed as a hero until the investigation uncovers that he was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine while flying the plane. The film’s creator, Robert Zemeckis, does, however, also admit that it is entirely fictitious.
Some of the speech in the film, including the upside-down flying moment, was derived from the CVR transcript of the actual occurrence. Whip Whitaker is another made-up pilot. However, several elements of the movie were influenced by actual occurrences. The concept for the movie came emerged while Gatins was on a flight, and it is based on his original screenplay. The pilots’ persistent efforts to retake control of the aircraft are made clear by the transcript. At one point, unable to elevate the plane’s nose, they made the aircraft “fly upside-down” in an effort to restore control.
In contrast to the movie, the plane was unable to recover and plummeted inverted and nose-down from 18,000 feet into the Pacific Ocean in 81 seconds, killing all of the occupants—passengers, pilots, and cabin crew. Given all said above, it is fair to argue that “Flight” treads a delicate line between realism and authenticity, even though it isn’t based on a true story, particularly in terms of how its characters are portrayed. However, this was all about whether or not the movie”Flight” is based on a true story. Keep streaming!!
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