FSX-SE Two planes spotted in James Bond "Casino Royale"...

[P_7878 6,611]

OK, I got your attention...first of all, I'm a bit of a fan of the MI6 Agent's (incredible) globe-trotting exploits...especially when airplanes are involved...if you are both an aviation fan and a Bond fan, please read on, otherwise you may directly jump to the screenshots, below... (BTW, planning for this post, today, was effective few hours of diversionary exercise for this weekend...) ...

Couple of months ago, after a break of nearly 2 years, I'd ventured into the local theater for a viewing of the latest Bond Saga, No time to Die. Quite conscious of the pandemic risks in such a closed quarter, I'd selected a weekday, and also the first scheduled show of the day. In the auditorium, was present, just one other (seemingly like-minded) Bond-fan, seated at the far end of the next row. In spite of the audience of just "two", someone in management thought it was worthwhile to start the show, and the show started...on time...

Now, as (well-known) background, the Bond franchise had started, ~60 years ago from now, with the very first film, Dr. No (1962), in which (Sir) Sean Connery brought the iconic character to life on the big screen. And, in the most recent (2021) film, the James Bond character, (uncharacteristically) dies in the climactic scene....Stranded on an island, been infected by an incurable virus, and faced with an impossible choice; Bond decides to stay on the island, and (contrary to the Title) finally gives up his charmed (fictional) life...and, with it, the desire to return to a normal (family) life...Oh well...Anyway, Casino Royale was the current James Bond's very first (and quite an impressive) debut, and in the most recent 007 episode, 15 years later, he plays his final role...(with 3 good ones in between)...From the aviation perspective, as you might guess, somewhat like us virtual Pilots, here,...🙂...Bond is licensed (and pre-certified) to fly any a/c... gyros, props, helicopters, bizjets, airliners and what not, all, with amazing dexterity...

All the last five 007s have some kind of (spectacular) a/c scenes included, two of the most thrilling (IMO) are the following:

1. In SPECTRE, where Bond is chasing the Range Rovers in a BN-2 Islander. If you wish to see this scene, please search for the 3m:57s video clip, "007 Spectre- Plane Scene". We know the BN-2 is a sturdy plane, but, not sure, it is meant for such assignments...anyway, it's certainly not supposed to be flown on the ground as Bond does here...
2. In Quantum of Solace, where Bond, flying a (bulky) piston-powered DC-3, is chased by the nimble and fast Aermacchi SF.260 fighter. Thanks to a series of (most) miraculous maneuvers (questionable, whether they are approved by the Douglas handbook), Bond outwits the fighter, and survives the ordeal. If you wish to see this scene, please search for the 4m:24s video clip, "Quantum of Solace flight chase".

Now back to the planes of Casino Royale: The Miami airport action-sequence (actually) takes place in Prague International “Václav Havel Airport” (LKPR). If you care to see this (rather) intense piece, please search for the 7m:41s video clip, "Casino Royale Airport fight". The (main) airplane of interest in this action sequence is the Skyfleet S570, a fictional prototype double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner. IRL, the aircraft you see is in fact a (former) British Airways B747-200 (G-BDXJ, City of Birmingham) modified for the filming of Casino Royale, with B-52-style engine pods and external tanks, affixed under the wings. 

In the clip, the Virgin Atlantic (Lady Luck) Airbus A340-600 appears at 0m:49s... later on, the TRAVEL Service (aka Czech Smartwings airline) B737 and the Virgin Atlantic A340-600, together, seen side-by-side, in static display, appear at 1m:27s. These two a/c actually do not participate in the action sequence, but, when I first caught sight of them, I recalled flying the Travel Service (PMDG B737-800) from years ago, and indeed, found the repaint, today, waiting to be flown in my PMDG B738 folder. The Airbus A340-600 repaints are somewhat rare to find in our SIM, but I did find one, see pictures below, for Virgin Atlantic Airways. So, I've picked two airliners, from the video clip, that I coincidentally recalled having flown in the past, in the SIM...and, I wished to fly them one more time...for this post. Below, my TRAVEL Service 737-800 (Winglet Version) is flying on a custom (and purely fictitious) 130 nm flight from (Rwy 24) Prague (LKPR) Airport back to (Rwy 06) of the same Airport. The (short but complete) flight via WPTs (RAK, L2, BADUG, MEDOV) is pre-programmed into the FMC (see the FlightPlan MAP and also interior shots of the ND display). The flight is flown under automated (LNAV/VNAV) guidance.

I've also shown a few pictures (first 6 screenshots) of an Airbus A340-600 in the color of Virgin Atlantic (Scarlet Lady not Lady Luck), also lifting off Prague Airport.

Hope you enjoy this collection of images...of just two (of many) airplanes seen in the airport scene of Casino Royale, the (dramatic) action sequence, in which the new Bond definitively set the tone for thing to come in his later films...!

Thanks for viewing...! Good day...!

[PMDG (B737NG), AS/XHT (Prague), Thomas Ruth (A340-600)]

Edited February 27, 2022 by P_7878

[pmplayer 9,463]

Beautiful set and shots !

cheers 😉

[bernd1151 5,857]

Excellent story and pics, P_7878! I could recall the BN-2 Islander scene but not anymore the DC-3 one, so thanks for the link. I'm going to watch it now 🙂

[rmeier 473]

Great segue from Bond to your photos...and very nice photos as well!

A life-long Bond fan here as well...this last one...not so much.

Thanks for the story and photos!

[johnbow72 2,722]

Wonderful post mate , TY !! .

[Alaska738 8,407]

Stunning shots! 🙂 

[P_7878 6,611]

pmplayer, bernd, rmeier, johnb, Alaska:

Appreciated the comments and kind words...🙂...!!