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Just received my copy of the long awaited book on the making of Baa Baa Black Sheep / Black Sheep Squadron TV series from 1976-78.
It was just released a week ago and my sister in law was kind enough to bring my copy (to avoid the high UK postal charges) with here on a BA 777.
Whether you're old enough to remember when it was shown on NBC or just know it from reruns on cable, you'll find it interesting.
To my surprise, the book is a thick, large format (12" w x8 1/2" high) hardcover printed on quality paper. Most photos are in color.
There are chapters on the background of the story...based on Major Gregory Boyington's period as commander of VFM-214 in the south Pacific.
The first chapter introduces you to the actors and more importantly to our discussion, the pilots who portrayed them for filming.
Other chapters discuss the logistics of getting six airworthy Corsair for initial filming (plus two others used in later episodes), numbers which accounted for some 66% of the world's flying Corsair population at the time.
Each episode is briefly discussed, again with emphasis on aircraft useage.
But it's not all airplanes, you learn the genesis of stories and the challenges and pressures faced by the producers, writers and stars. One of the newcomers was the script supervisor, a 40-something Marine vet turned advertising executive named Donald Bellisario...who would go onto a successful tv career producing or creating shows like Magnum, P.I., Quantum Leap, Airwolf, Jag and the current several NCIS series.
Owners and pilots included Tom Friedkin, Tom Mooney, Bill Yoak, and owner of the F4U-7, John Schafhausen, whose son, Mark, was present during much of the filming during his summer vacation from college. Now a retired airline pilot, Mark provided many never before seen photos to the author. Steve Hinton was just 24 with just 1.2 hours in Corsairs when he was asked by John Stokes, owner of FG-1D 92629 if he'd like to fly his Corsair for a TV show.
The rest of the book, some 110 pages, consists of well done color profiles of the major types and finally, appendices on the Corsairs, the " Tora Tora" veterans which portrayed the Japanese enemy, the many allied types seen in the series...C-47s, a J2F, Duck, L-5, Mustangs, P-38s, B-17s, several B-25...(plus some surprises...I didn't recall seeing an Avenger or Helldiver), finally a look on the camera ships provided by Tallmantz Aviation.
Each plane has been identified with histories of their pre and post film use. The fates of the various F4U/FG-1s are well known, less is known about the many supporting aircraft.
One of the C-47s used (fitted with a DC-3 style door) disappeared on a flight to Hawaii in 1979, the other still flies as a museum ship for Delta Air Lines...its original owner in 1940. One of the P-38s seen was subsequently lost in a fatal crash.
Rivet counters may need to take a deep breath/tranquilizer or have a strong shot before watching the series.
Yes, the series took liberties....Okay, a LOT of liberties...with the story of 214 and World War II in general.
Yes, the hairstyles are more 1970s than 1940s.
Yes, the nurses were more Charlie's Angles than the heroic real life volunteers,
Yes, (as the author points out), none of the Corsair were of the model used by 214....
But...
It was a fairly high budget, highly visible series about wartime pilots on a major tv network back when there were only three.
And given the lack of real aircraft in later productions, it is likely the last time warbirds will be used for an aviation-centric TV series.
So cut it some slack and enjoy it for what it is.
Like the much derided Pearl Harbor, I propose that any film that presents real heroes, whether it be Jimmy Doolittle of Pappy Boyington, to a new generation can't be all bad.
Because of that, it deserves to be remembered by warbird fans.
By Stephen Chapis, Key Publishing.2025
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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.
Last edited by JohnB on Fri Oct 17, 2025 8:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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