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Documentary on iconic Mosquito promises plenty of bite

Sept 16, 2014 – A labour of love, both in front of and behind the camera, is nearing the finish line in Victoria.

After five years of filming, Gaining Altitude — A Mosquito Reborn, is now in its post-production phase with an expected completion date in November 2014.

The documentary follows the restoration of an original de Havilland Mosquito airplane (VR796) in Victoria, B.C., Canada. The Mosquito, affectionately nicknamed the Mossie, was a crucial element of the Allied Forces’ victory in the Second World War. By 1950, 7,781 Mossies were constructed, but most were left to the elements and have crumbled, and only about 30 examples of this historic aircraft remain. VR796 is one of just two Mosquitos that are currently flying.

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To restore this plane back to its original glory — both on the ground and in the air — was perhaps one of the biggest challenges the engineers at Victoria Air Maintenance have ever faced.

Gaining Altitude — A Mosquito Reborn documents this process, tracing the history of this aircraft through the many hands who guided it. We also pay homage to the importance of the Mosquito in World War II, interviewing the men who put their lives on the line in this remarkable plane in support of the Allied Forces effort. And, we follow renowned pilot Steve Hinton as he prepares to take the beloved Mosquito for its inaugural flight after years of restoration efforts.

“The Mossie was used in so many different roles, and excelled in each,” explains WWII Flight Lieutenant Tom Burdge, who followed the plane through the restoration and believes that the Mossie has not been accorded nearly enough respect for its contribution to the Allied victory. “It did not quite compare with a Lancaster or Halifax, which excelled in just one role, as a heavy bomber. Instead, it could do so many different things and at different altitudes, which made it very versatile and important.”

With today’s multimedia environment, selling to traditional broadcast-television outlets is no longer an option. Victoria-based director/producer April Butler has been filming the restoration on her own time and now is looking for support to complete the film. A Kickstarter campaign has been launched and a goal of $15,000 has been set to finish editing and produce DVDs.

For more information on the campaign, go to: http://kck.st/ZaC9l3