Don’t panic — smoking plane part of movie

Karen Zekan

Tuesday, Sept. 10, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

That smoking plane in the sky Monday evening was not in distress. And its pilot had not lost his way.

No, Hollywood takes the credit for this one. The C-123, a 1940s vintage airplane, caused quite a stir as it repeatedly circled around the Stratosphere Tower shortly before sunset Monday, the first of a four-day shoot planned for this week.

The film crew is shooting footage for an upcoming Disney movie, "Con Air," starring Nicolas Cage, in which a commandeered plane eventually crashes into the Sands hotel-casino, officials said.

The aircraft was to be flying above the Strip again today, filmed on the ground at an unspecified location Wednesday and will be blowing smoke over Red Rock on Thursday for a mock distress segment, said Cynthia Andersen, McCarran International Airport spokeswoman.

Two Cobra helicopters also will be flying near the plane.

"We got lots of calls on this one," Andersen said. "People were worried that something had really gone wrong. The FAA was fully aware of what was going on, and so was the control tower, so it didn't upset any air traffic."

The C-123 is taking off from and landing at McCarran, recently the backdrop for numerous videos and part of the production of two Warner Bros. movies, "Vegas Vacation" and "Fools Rush In," Andersen said.

A film crew from France is currently orchestrating a documentary involving McCarran, she said. About 5,000 French fans will be flying direct from Paris in the coming months to watch a French recording star perform live in Las Vegas.