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| By Carmelo Turdo |
The Fly Now! The Movie crew continued their odyssey at the Sun'n Fun International Fly-In and Expo in Lakeland, FL today with a visit to the performer's hangar. Our special guest interview today was with the team from Fly Jive Fly, Jerry "Jive" Kerby (USAF LtCol. Ret.) and L.M. "Lunar" Sawyer, accompanied by Wild Blue, the RV-8A that has become an airshow phenomenon across the country in recent years. The crew was warmly received by "Jive" and "Lunar" and we gathered around "Wild Blue" to record the interview and get some great candid photos of the visit. The Aero Experience was proud to assist in arranging the interview and recommending the Fly Jive Fly team for inclusion in Fly Now! The Movie.
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| (Bill Aanstad photo) |
Jerry "Jive" Kerby, a retired USAF fighter pilot from Lancaster, MO, has been flying since he was a teenager. He joined the USAF after accumulating thousands of hours and numerous ratings, giving him the advantage to move through military flight training and into the F-15 Eagle fighter. His last command included bringing the F-4 Phantom II fighter into the USAF Heritage Flight program, letting another generation of Americans experience the mighty Phantom before the recent retirement of the type from Heritage Flights. He currently still flies high-performance aircraft as VP for Operations at Draken International and of course flies the RV-8A "Wild Blue" at airshows across the country.
L.M. "Lunar" Sawyer, from Swannanoa, NC, is an Public Relations and advertising professional managing the Fly Jive Fly activities (and also married to "Jive"!). She has over 17 years of experience in the airshow industry and is one of the few women airshow narrators. "Lunar" has worked to make Fly Jive Fly a must-see entertainment feature of any airshow event. She accompanies "Jive" to airshows flying in "Wild Blue," and makes appearances like the one in the upcoming Fly Now! The Movie possible.
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| (Bill Aanstad photo) |
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| (Bill Aanstad photo) |
We have a portion of the interview available here, where "Jive" tells us about the RV-8A "Wild Blue" and gives his advice to our next generation. This video clip is made available courtesy of Fly Now! The Movie Director Jeff Wilson.
The Fly Now! The Movie crew and The Aero Experience wish to thank "Jive" and "Lunar" for participating in the interview and for showing their good nature and candor during our visit. Look for their appearance at airshows around the country and in Fly Now! The Movie coming later this year.
Jive has flown a variety of aircraft in airshows, including the first Heritage Flight QF-4E season in 2005 as Commander of the 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron at Tyndall AFB, FL following extensive experience flying F-15s in active service. Since retiring from active duty in 2006, he has been involved with several high-profile aerobatic acts: Collings Foundation F-4D Phantom II, Black Diamond Jet Team Lead L-39, Trojan Horsemen Wing and Solo T-28, Team MS760 Morane-Saulnier MS760, and solo performances in many other types. It is no surprise that Jive calls his aerobatic RV-8A "Wild Blue," and when the crowds see it zip by they yell, "Fly, Jive, Fly!"
The premiere of the Reality Aviation Documentary Fly Now! The Movie took place at the St. Louis Hi-Pointe Theater on October 17. The film chronicles the adventures of aviators from around the country as the movie crew and their trusty homebuilt Pietenpol aircraft travel from St. Louis to Lakeland, Florida, Oshkosh, WI and many places in between. After much hard work, the self-funded, independent film got its wings in front of a home-town audience. A limited amount of Fly Now! gear - T-shirts and caps, are now available at the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum. 
