It’s Mission: Possible for Welch’s as it transports Tom Cruise plane for UK premiere
It proved anything but an impossible mission for the team at Welch’s as they were called on to transport these Boeing Stearman Model 75 biplanes from Duxford to Leicester Square this month for the premiere of the Tom Cruise blockbuster in which they feature, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
The astonishing sequences of the Hollywood star’s wing-gliding stunts are sure to linger long in the memory – but perhaps not in Tom Cruise’s memory, because national media reported that he got stuck on the wing of a biplane just before it ran out of fuel during the filming of the stunt, and for a few vital seconds the crew couldn’t tell if he was conscious or not.
But the 62-year-old actor made it through, as did the planes, which were taken by Welch’s Specialist Movements to the Leicester Square Odeon for the premiere of the eighth outing of the Mission: Impossible franchise.
The Welch’s team – general manager Martin Burgess, operations manager Julie Payne and drivers Sam Curtis and Ashley Wiseman – had planned the transportation with near-military precision.
“The Stearman Biplanes were collected from Aircraft Restoration Co (ARC) in Duxford and delivered to site in the afternoon of 13 May,” says Julie, adding that the job had been mapped out four months previously.
“Our drivers met with the Aircraft Restoration team who guided our vehicles into position, and we offloaded under guidance, and ARC began the build ready for the premiere on 14 May.”
“The amazing team at Welch's Specialist Movements have had the honour of transporting Tom Cruise’s planes to and from the UK premiere of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” said Chris Welch, director of The Welch Group. “Well done Julie and Martin.”
The planes are classics: the yellow model marked as ZS-WVW in the film (registration N9039H, constructor's number 75-6801) was built in 1941.
The team were thrilled to have successfully completed the mission.
“Nothing’s impossible for the Welch Group!” concluded Chris.
