Field of Dreams - 2011 League of WWI Aviation Historians Conference - Post 10

Dinner, Models and "Silver Wings and the Silver Screen"

With the main group of the day’s sessions completed, the conference took a break. Later everyone returned for the group dinner.

After the meal was over, the winners of the Dan San Abbott modeling contest were awarded (I will update this with the names of the winners shortly).

Next, and I guess the final regular presentation of the conference, was from Texan, Prof. Kearby Lyde – “Silver Wings and the Silver Screen: Early Hollywood’s View of WWI Aviation”

Kearby opened up with a childhood - baby-boomer - understanding of war, and then related this perception to the way WWI aviation movies perpetuate myths about honor, death and war in the air.

His presentation included clips from most of the big aviation movies from the 1930s: “Wings,” “Hell’s Angles,” and the 1938 version of “Dawn Patrol.” The question and answer session at the end was quite lively. John Guttman brought up a WWII aviation movie I can also recommend: “Dark Blue World,” about Czech pilots fighting in the Battle of Britain.