From passionate pilot to devoted producer
Embarking on what became a five-year mission to capture and convey the very essence of the best that flying has to offer, Terwilliger produced and directed the film with great fervor. Rewind to the beginning.
Early in life, Terwilliger--who was born and raised outside Hartford, Connecticut--expressed an interest in absolutely everything aviation. He grew up always knowing that he wanted to become a pilot. "I visited every airshow I could attend and built and flew model airplanes all the time," he says.
| Name: Brian J. Terwilliger Age: 29 Certificate: Private Flight time: 300 hours Aircraft flown: Cessna 150, Cessna 172, Cessna 182 (part-owner) Home airport: Van Nuys (VNY), California |
Terwilliger fondly recalls his first flight in a small airplane: "I loved the feeling of it, and I was especially proud to be part of this particular flight as I sat next to my best friend and watched him fly the airplane. Within one week of that flight I started my first lesson, and within nine months I earned my private pilot certificate." He also remembers a spectacular flight when his friend took him flying along the Hudson River in New York and how thrilled he was when he could later return the favor by taking his friend on a breathtaking flight over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Hollywood sparked Terwilliger's interest in cinematography while completing high school in California. "I became fascinated with moviemaking, especially being in such close proximity to and around Hollywood moviemaking magic, so I took video production classes during the last two years of high school," he explains. The summer after graduation he interned with a production company--the rest, as they say, is history.
Terwilliger has ideas for developing other documentaries, aviation- and nonaviation-oriented. But first, he will spend time to ensure that distribution of One Six Right is a success. Then, he may pursue an instrument rating. "Ironically, I've done less flying in the past year during the heavy video production of this movie. But, I've experienced flights in many exotic aircraft because of it," he says.
Since he earned his private pilot certificate at Van Nuys in 1996, Terwilliger has taken some 130 people for their first flight. "During these flights, I become a tour guide explaining flying, the airplane, and the airport's history while we taxi," he says contentedly. "The ultimate reason for this film was my love of taking people flying--to share my love of flying, the airplane, and the history of the airport. I wanted to capture that feeling and express my love of aviation. What better way to do this than tying it all together in a video that tells about general aviation and airports, while educating pilots and especially nonpilots about small local airports, whose purpose is often misunderstood? Nonpilots may be ignorant and think these airports exist exclusively for the rich," he explains.
The movie, available on DVD, earned him AOPA's Special Citation for Excellence "for promoting general aviation through the art of filmmaking" at AOPA Expo 2005.
Within hours after its release this past Thanksgiving, people inundated Terwilliger Productions with e-mails expressing their excitement about the movie and the story it told. According to Terwilliger, some have watched the movie two times in a row. What better compliment can a passionate young filmmaker receive?
By Machteld Smith
Machteld Smith is senior editor of AOPA Pilot and an AOPA Flight Training contributing editor. She is a 730-hour private pilot with multiengine, seaplane, and instrument ratings.
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