“One Six Right” is an exhilarating documentary film that celebrates the unsung hero of aviation the local airport by tracing the life, history, and struggles of an airport icon: Southern Californias Van Nuys Airport. Featuring thrilling aerial photography and a sweeping original score, the film dispels common misconceptions and opposes criticism of General Aviation airports. Through the love story of one airport, past to present, the film shares the timeless romance of flying with all ages.
The film takes viewers on a journey of spectacular aerial sequences and tells a romantic story through the accounts of passionate pilots, air traffic controllers, historians and flight enthusiasts, including well-known faces such as Sydney Pollack, Lorenzo Lamas, Paul Moyer, Hal Fishman and many others. There is no off-screen narrator.
The film uncovers the rich history of this airport Amelia Earhart broke a world speed record over its runways, Marilyn Monroe was discovered while working in its hangars, and scenes from Casablanca were filmed on its grounds. Almost every type of aircraft has graced its runways, from the primitive airplanes of the 1920s to the state-of-the-art business jets of today. Through the history of the Van Nuys Airport (VNY), the viewer comes to have a new appreciation for the significance of all General Aviation airports as a critical component of the communities they serve. Located in the heart of the San Fernando Valley, VNY is today the world’s busiest General Aviation airport and contributes over $1 billion each year to the Southern California economy.
One Six Right explores common misconceptions about General Aviation airports, which are often criticized for noise pollution and viewed as exclusive playgrounds for the rich. The film creates an awareness of the threat to these community airports through staggering statistics of airports that no longer exist, and the rapid rate at which they are continuing to close (1 per week in the U.S.). Airports are not a renewable resource these smaller and often forgotten airports are the foundation of the entire aviation industry, contributing significantly to global commerce and are the breeding ground of the pilots of tomorrow.