One Six Right

One Six Right: The Romance of Flying covers the history and diversity of Van Nuys Airport, as well as the condition of the general aviation industry as a whole. It first interviews pilots who have been to Van Nuys, exploring how they first got interested in aviation and their experience of flying, specifically in the airport. According to them, the feeling of flying is heavenly, free from societal disturbances and allowing for a more diverse appreciation of nature. They describe Van Nuys as home, also a very special spot of their childhood, and its most commonly-used runway, 16R, as a reminder of that. This is further amplified when they performed their first solo. Van Nuys is the world's busiest general aviation airport, busier than London Heathrow itself.

The film then shifts its focus to the history of Van Nuys, which began as Los Angeles Metropolitan Airport in 1920, an ambitious project to make the eponymous area an aerotropolis. Three men named Heffron, McCray, and St. John got into a real estate development process. The layout of the two runways, which makes the airport weather-friendly, were the best in the United States. It was opened on October 1, 1928, "but because of the 25th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight December [17], 1928, they decided to make the formal dedication that day." It soon formed a large community of aviation industries and enthusiasts. Marketing efforts include holding several events to highlight the airport's advantages. Later, Amelia Earhart set a speed record flight there. However the airport became unpopular during the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and further amplified by the Great Depression. During these periods, it was used to distribute contraband. It began resurging when executive vice president of operations, Dean Daily Sr., allowed the film industry to shoot in the location; an example is Casablanca (1942). On December 7, 1941, the United States government acquired Metropolitan Airport, changing it to the Van Nuys Army Air Base, as well as lengthening the runways and changing its material to concrete. According to pilots, the subsequent period is the prospering era of general aviation, and the golden age of airport. In 1957, it was renamed Van Nuys Airport. Runway 16R was lengthened by 2,000 feet (610 metres). Amid all this, Van Nuys became involved in various revolutions in the American aviation history.

The film then says how general aviation airports are facing backlashes from the nearby community, with various petitions on banning certain aircraft, or even close the airport down. As a result, at the time of filming one general aviation airport in the United States was closing per week. On March 30, 2003, Mayor Richard M. Daley illegally bulldozered the runway of Meigs Field, in order to build a park named after his wife, despite civil negotiations to build the park while preserving the airport. The film's interviewees expressed disgust at the action: "It's scary because what it says is, somebody can go anywhere and do that, and that's that." They continue by disagreeing the notion that general aviation is causing noise pollution: "[Just] shut your mouth for a few minutes, and wait until they (the airplanes) go by." They argue that general aviation is important to society, such as transporting cancer patients. However they acknowledged that the industry is not perfect, and highlighted the many efforts to make airplanes more noise and environmentally friendly.

The One Six Right DVD made news by selling over 10,000 units independently in its first two weeks of release. By March 2006, Brian J. Terwilliger (Producer/Director) made the cover of The Hollywood Reporter in an article titled Filmmaker Takes Flight to DVD. Brian's determination to maintain all distribution rights was a noted departure from the common practice of selling rights to a third party distributor. During the first year of distribution, One Six Right's website became a leading example of successful independent film distribution by developing a viral marketing strategy that included multiple levels of consumer awareness allowing the film to develop significant presence within its niche audiences worldwide.

On September 22, 2006, One Six Right was exhibited to the United States Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. This special screening was organized and sponsored by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).[17][18][19]

In the Spring of 2005, AOPA sent a complimentary copy of One Six Right to every member of Congress who was a private pilot. Additionally, AOPA sent over 1,400 DVDs of One Six Right to all their airport support network volunteers in hopes of inspiring local community discussions on the importance of general aviation.

On November 15, 2005, AOPA President Phil Boyer awarded Brian J. Terwilliger with AOPA's Special Citation for Excellence for promoting General Aviation through the art of filmmaking.[20]

One Six Right has also been incorporated into the curriculum of many educational programs and is frequently used to educate students on the workings and importance of the General Aviation industry as the foundation to all aviation commerce worldwide.

In response to hundreds of grass-roots organized screenings, the distributors of One Six Right have created a public performance licensing process.[21][22][23][24]

The Making of One Six Right featurette was released in 2006 on a companion DVD titled One Six Left - The Companion DVD. This twenty-four-minute-long special feature showcased the six-year journey that brought One Six Right from conception to theatrical premiere.

• Official One Six Right Website
• One Six Right at IMDb
• Official YouTube Page