Featuring actor / pilot James Stewart and beloved newsman and entertainer Arthur Godfrey, this film promotes the International AeroClassic, an air show that took place only once — in November of 1965 at Palm Springs, California. Unfortunately for Palm Springs and event organizers, the event took place in inclement weather. The AeroClassic racked up considerable debts and put the organization behind it into bankruptcy. James Stewart flies a Cessna 310.
At 4:20, Miss Ila Johnson is seen arriving to open the AeroClassic. At 4:50, famed balloonist Jean Piccard and Fred Dolder are seen on the tarmac at Palm Springs, preparing for a 1-hour balloon race. At 6:50, Jimmy Stewart and Arthur Godfrey are seen in the cockpit of one of Godfrey’s private planes — he owned many — shooting the breeze about flying. At 10:00, a Stolp SA-300 Starduster Too is seen, along with glider aircraft. At 12:44 the Goodyear Blimp Columbia is seen, with Chairman of the AeroClassic William J. Schulte and actor Robert Lansing on board. At 14:30, the air race participants are seen on the ground. Warbirds including a P-40 Warhawk are seen at 18:50. At 23:40, parachute team of 30 champion jumpers are seen including Susan Susan Clements Joerns, the National Woman’s Champion, and Jack Hady, a National Men’s Champion. At 29:39, aviation displays are seen including an early Lear Jet is seen, property of Clay Lacy Aviation. At 31:15, Sandy Bunker, a 78-year old aviatrix, appears on camera. Short landing aircraft is seen at 33:15, and a 33:40 an Orion Space Gyrocopter is seen, as well as the tiny Benson gyrocopter. A Rockwell Aerocommander is also shown. A Cessna Super Skymaster is shown, and at 35:00 a Lockheed Vega makes an overflight. At 34:40 is an Ercoupe.
At 36:30, Arthur Godfrey greets Waldo Waterman, one of the famous OX-5 stunt pilots. Waterman was an inventor and aviation pioneer from San Diego, California. His most notable contributions to aviation were the first tailless monoplane (the precursor to the flying wing, the first aircraft with modern tricycle landing gear and the first successful low cost and simple to fly a flying car which in the 1930s were commonly called Flivver Aircraft. Waterman shows off his pusher airplane at 39:30.
At 42:00, Roscoe Turner the famed air racer makes an appearance at the event. With him are Frank Tallman, famed female pilot Jackie Cochran, and Maurice Obregon.
At 42:30, radio controlled aircraft as well as control line planes are seen racing at the event.
At 48:47, aerobatic pilot Harold Krier, provides the show finale.
