Art does imitate life.

[madbodger]

When I was watching The Dark Knight, I figured the description in the movie of a purported CIA invention called "Skyhook" wherein a person is yanked up into the air by a cable held aloft by a balloon and grabbed by a passing airplane was simply a Hollywood invention that made for a good stunt. But then I was reading a book about declassified CIA

Comments

[perspicuity]

stellite and tantalite are amusing metals. of the allurium class :>

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[jorjedatoy]

nothing scientific to say just... :-) (I like this post)

And... Definitely sounds like the makings of zombies to me!

[orkney]

Is it something like the rescue of the president in the movie Air Force One? I suppose it has nothing to do with the Tailhook scandal of a number of years ago.

[murakozi]

I'm guessing you've not seen the movies Thunderball or The Green Berets. Both of those had people extracted via Skyhook.

I remember watching Thunderball with my father long ago and, upon seeing Bond yanked up by the thing, asking if it was real. My father knew someone who'd been lifted by Skyhook and apparently, it's not exactly a fun experience. After getting jerked violently up into the air, you dangle behind the plane until someone hooks the cable and you get winched in, hopefully not bonking against the fuselage a few times when you're near the door.

A quick search didn't lead to any videos of the thing being used in The Green Berets (which was probably a bit more accurate), but there is this one from Thunderball:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dekJ2Ip7koo

[madbodger]

While I have seen Thunderball, I didn't recall that detail. The writeup on Skyhook says that there were a few daft fellows who liked showing off and would get skyhooked for the "fun" of it.

[gale_storm]

Wow, movies really make you think!!! :-)