Hollywood Precision Aviation

Craig Hosking

Stunt Pilot Aerial Coordinator Second Unit Director
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Capabilities

Production Services

Delivering elite, safety-first aerial stunt coordination and high-speed cinematography sequences for major studio feature films.

Aerial Coordination

End-to-end management of complex aerial shoots. Handles FAA waivers, full sequence storyboarding, international logistics, strict filming safety briefings, and casting of SAG-certified precision stunt pilots.

Second Unit Directing

Translating the primary Director's vision into highly dynamic aerial camera takes. Directs dedicated aerial camera platforms and stunt aircraft to secure heart-pounding dogfights and tracking shots.

Precision Stunt Flying

Executing high-risk, FAA-authorized maneuvers in both fixed-wing biplanes and twin-engine camera aircraft, including flying under bridges, threading power lines, and staging controlled aircraft crash sequences.

The Ted Smith Aerostar Platform

Specifically modified and owned by Craig Hosking, this twin-engine Aerostar fills the critical medium-speed filming gap (120 to 220 knots) between slow-moving helicopters and high-altitude Lear Jets. Engineered and FAA-approved, it serves as the ultimate cinematic chase aircraft.

  • Dual Shotover Mounts

    FAA-approved nose and tail mounts supporting Shotover F1/G1 gimbals.

  • Unrestricted 360 View

    Shoot pan, tilt, and rolls in all directions with zero aircraft structure visible in the shot.

  • Aviation Production Efficiency

    Allows for long-range, high-speed tracking and dogfight sequences as seen in Tenet and Dunkirk.

Formation Flying Approval: Craig Hosking is one of a rare tier of precision civilian pilots approved to fly in close formation with secure military aircraft and Air Force One for feature filming.

Ted Smith Aerostar Custom Camera Plane

Ted Smith Aerostar

Fixed-Wing Camera Ship

Aviation Legend

The Double Take Act

Craig Hosking is the only pilot in aviation history to successfully take off and land an airplane completely inverted, flying a highly modified Pitts Special biplane.

Pitts S-2 Double Take Symmetrical Biplane blueprint
Altitude 1500 FT
Pitch Angle 0°
G-Force +1.2 G
Landing Gear DEPLOYED (BTM)
Normal Flight
Inverted Flight
Inverted Landing Gear Engaged

Symmetrical Upside-Down Flight

To achieve this record, Craig Hosking extensively modified a Pitts S-2 biplane with a completely symmetrical design, including custom fuel and oil pressure feed systems to allow continuous inverted engine operation. Crucially, the aircraft featured functioning landing gear built onto the **top of the upper wing** as well as the standard wheels on the bottom.

By flying low to the runway, flipping upside down, and easing the wheels onto the tarmac, Craig achieved the impossible—reversing standard aerodynamics, landing inverted, and even taxiing the plane upside-down to the center of the airshow! He would then egress the inverted cockpit to wave to the crowd, and later strap back in to take off completely upside-down.

Art Scholl Memorial Award

Awarded in 1988 by the International Council of Airshows (ICAS) for outstanding showmanship and safety in piloting the Pitts "Double Take".

Featured Stunt Work

Blockbuster Filmography

Craig Hosking is Hollywood's elite choice for designing and flying complex aerial action scenes, contributing to over 375 productions.

Lead Stunt Pilot / Aerial Coordinator

Dunkirk

Flew full dogfight sequences in real Spitfire aircraft, skimming low over ocean waves and beaches to capture Christopher Nolan's hyper-realistic aerial battles on IMAX cameras.

Aerial Coordinator / Second Unit Director

Interstellar

Designed, budgeted, and staged dynamic atmospheric aircraft flight simulations and aerial tracking sequences for Nolan's sci-fi masterpiece.

Aerial Coordinator / Camera Ship Pilot

Tenet

Utilized the custom Aerostar fixed-wing platform equipped with dual Shotover mounts to capture reverse-flow airplane maneuvers and high-speed action tracking shots.

Aerial Coordinator / Lead Pilot

Inception

Flew helicopters in complex urban corridors, capturing the aerial backdrops and helicopter sequences for the dream-world architecture.

Lead Stunt Helicopter Pilot

Spectre

Executed the famous, heart-pounding helicopter fight sequence over Mexico City's Zócalo square, weaving the aircraft in close proximity to massive stunt crowds.

Aerial Coordinator / Helicopter Pilot

The Dark Knight Rises

Coordinated the breathtaking opening airplane hijacking sequence and piloted support camera ships tracking the mid-air structural drops.

Lead Stunt Pilot / Safety Pilot

The Aviator

Piloted and coordinated historical vintage aircraft (including the massive Sikorsky flying boat) to capture Howard Hughes' aviation trials for Martin Scorsese.

Precision Airplane Stunt Pilot

Jurassic Park 3

Executed the famous, terrifying jungle-skimming floatplane landing and subsequent tree crash sequence on set.

Precision Stunt Pilot

The Rocketeer

Piloted and coordinated vintage 1930s aircraft and classic racing biplanes, including the legendary Gee Bee racer, alongside colleague Steve Hinton for Walt Disney Pictures.

Craig Hosking Stunt Pilot & Director
About Craig

A Life in Flight

Craig Hosking is a precision Hollywood pilot, second unit director, and industry legend. He remains the global entertainment sector's premier resource for complex aerial stunt sequencing and cinematography.

Starting his professional career on the competitive airshow circuits, Craig gained international acclaim for his fearless precision. He cemented his place in aviation history by engineering a symmetrical Pitts S-2 Special to perform the only inverted takeoffs, landings, and runway taxiing ever recorded.

Since establishing **Hosking Aviation** and joining **Stunts Unlimited** in 1987, Craig has designed, budgeted, and flown stunts for over 375 productions. He is uniquely licensed across both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, serving as the industry's most trusted consultant for capturing the drama of the sky.

Craig continues to shape modern cinema's greatest action sequences. His recent blockbuster credits as Aerial Coordinator and Pilot include Christopher Nolan's Oscar-winning Oppenheimer (2023) and Tenet (2020), Jordan Peele's sci-fi thriller Nope (2022), and Lana Wachowski's The Matrix Resurrections (2021). Additionally, he coordinates and pilots the massive aerial television landscapes of Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone (across 30 epic episodes) and its prequel 1883.

Academy Member Invited

The only stunt and precision coordinator pilot ever invited as an active voting member of the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

Taurus World Stunt Award Trophy

3x Taurus World Stunt Awards

Winner of three Taurus World Stunt Awards, honoring the outstanding precision, design, safety, and execution of aerial action sequences in global cinema.

Art Scholl Memorial Award

Recipient of airshow flying's highest honor for safety and outstanding entertainment showmanship, awarded in 1988.

Living Legends of Aviation

Inducted in 2020 alongside aviation and aerospace pioneers, honoring extraordinary lifelong achievements in stunt flight and flight safety.

Real-Life Survival Epic

Emergency Auto-Rotation Landing Inside an Active Volcanic Crater

In November 1992, during the aerial filming of the movie Sliver over Hawaii's active Kilauea volcano, Craig Hosking's camera helicopter was swept into a thick volcanic gas cloud inside the Puʻu ʻŌʻō crater, which choked the turbine engine of oxygen and caused immediate total power loss.

In a split-second, death-defying precision maneuver, Craig executed an auto-rotation landing directly onto the active volcanic floor to avoid a catastrophic outer rollover. Stranded inside the crater amidst bubbling lava and toxic sulfur clouds, Craig successfully jury-rigged the damaged radio directly to a spare battery, transmitting rescue coordinates to save himself and coordinate a high-risk long-line helicopter rescue to extract the remaining crew members (who had survived 27 hours in the fumes).

This miraculous survival story was featured in the Discovery Channel / BBC hit series "I Shouldn't Be Alive" (Season 1, Episode 11: "Crash in a Volcano").

Location & Volcanic Asset Puʻu ʻŌʻō Crater, Kilauea HI
Survival Episode Feature Discovery "I Shouldn't Be Alive"
Ordeal Duration 27 Hours Stranded inside Active Vent
Secure Operations

Secure Aerial Inquiries

Contact Hosking Aviation directly to budget, coordinate, storyboard, or book precision stunt flights for upcoming feature film or television productions.

Base of Operations

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Email Operations

ops@hoskingaviation.com

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