Debrief /

Kevin LaRosa II (K2 to friends) was born to fly. He grew up on California’s Van Nuys Airport, where his parents had a string of Cessnas and helicopters. By age 12 he was climbing into the backseat of his father’s modified P-51D and helping fly it to airshows across the West. Now he’s followed Kevin Sr., a legendary movie stunt pilot, into the film industry. Only 28, he’s the industry’s youngest aerial coordinator, choreographing flying sequences for movies and commercials. Sometimes he’s on the ground alongside the director, radioing orders to the stunt pilots above. More often, he’s piloting the camera ship, flying close formation to bring back elegantly crafted action shots of airplanes doing their thing.

GETTING STARTED…In grade school I began flying with Dad on traffic watch and maintenance flights in his airplanes and helicopters. He’s a CFI, so I started logging time at age 14, soloed at 16, got my ticket at 17, and my twin rating at 19—the same year I flew my first Learjet. On weekends I went on the airshow circuit with him, in the backseat of the P-51D or a T-6 or a T-28. That’s how I built my formation time and aerobatic time. I was pretty fortunate to have that.

EARLY CHALLENGES…The rudder pedals. My dad says I could have landed a 172 in grade school if my feet had reached the pedals. But I’ve never been apprehensive about anything. I remember looking at the empty seat on my first solo and just laughing. I was completely at ease and happy, because I had worked for this ever since I was a little kid.

AVIATION ACTIVITY…As lead pilot for Wolfe Air Aviation, I fly its modified Learjet 25B camera airplane, directing air-to-air sequences with picture aircraft ranging from small business jets to 747-8 freighters to the B-2 bomber. I also fly news helicopters over Los Angeles, medical emergency flights, and a range of airplanes for the movies.

FAVORITE AIRPLANE…The P-51 Mustang. We owned one and those were the best seven flying years of my life. We’re looking at a T-6 now, but I hope to have another P-51 some day.

ADVICE FOR STUDENTS…Fly the airplane. Leave the iPod at home and turn off the headset’s noise canceling. The airplane is always talking to you. Feel it, smell it, listen to it. Get your head out the window. Stick and rudder, baby!

WHO: Kevin LaRosa II
AGE: 28
OCCUPATION: Motion picture aerial coordinator
HOURS: 3,900 hours in 20-plus types, including helicopters.
EXTRA: LaRosa is an avid water skier, started playing drums at age 15, and drives a mint 1956 Ford pickup truck.

LaRosa got his first Hollywood job while still a teenager, flying an RC model for a commercial.

Photography by Chad Slattery