A highly respected and talented aerial coordinator, stunt pilot, and second unit director, J. David Jones was among the pioneers of helicopter aerial photography and stunt work. Thanks to him and a select group of fellow pilots, the commercial utilization of helicopters has become a standard part of filmmaking. It was he who developed the notion of combining footage shot from stationary platforms with shots of miniature models and special effects. Jones (who is occasionally billed as just David Jones) was a native of Pensacola, FL, and began flying at age 14. He joined the Marine Corps as a lieutenant after graduating from the University of Florida. A year into his military stint, Jones earned his wings as a helicopter pilot from the naval Flight School. Following his discharge and before coming to Hollywood in the early '60s, he held flying jobs in various states and in Central America. His first entertainment gig was with the television series Whirlybirds. He subsequently worked on over 400 film and television projects and over 1,000 advertisements and documentaries. Jones earned the Hollywood Stuntman Award for Best Aerial Stunt in 1985 for an exceptional performance in an episode of the action TV series Airwolf. Excellent examples of Jones' piloting and stunt work can be seen in the "Flight of the Valkyries" sequence in Apocalypse Now (1979), Capricorn One (1978), Twister (1996), and Con Air. Jones died of lung cancer at his home in Redway, CA, at the age of 61.
by Sandra Brennan
biography
