Defending Earth From Aliens One Raw Oyster At A Time

Whereas you will have to wait until summer to see a 3D transformer, I already saw one in the flesh (er, steel?) last October in Baton Rouge.

The Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey is a helicopter that becomes a plane.  They cost $67 million dollars a piece and there are (officially, anyway) only 76 that exisit.  They were the stars of what was probably the most costliest money shot I've ever witnessed with my own eyes.

One by one the two Ospreys among us, plus the three "Froggers" and three "Hueys" begin to crank up their engines.  Despite some significant distance, the wind created is massive.  The propellers are so loud everyone has to wear headphones and mash them up against their head to hear anything, and the few people who are giving orders are absolutely screaming into their mics.  Hay hits me in the face.  Actual hay.  I'm in a director's chair on an airfield and the might of these machines somehow finds hay to throw my way.

With the the sun setting, and good visibity, a stream of them lifted off from the ground as helicopters, then zoomed off in formation as jets.  When you couldn't see 'em any more, they came back.

Cut and print.  You only get one shot at that, so with the multiple cameras rolling, I hope director Jonathan Leibsman got what he was looking for.

So, you might be asking, why are these birds taking to the air?