Did Roger E. Moseley Fly the Island Hoppers Helicopter in Magnum P.I.?

In the original Magnum P.I. TV series, Roger E. Moseley did not actually fly the Island Hoppers helicopter himself. While he portrayed T.C. Calvin, the character was a helicopter pilot who worked for Island Hoppers, the helicopter tour company in Hawaii. The flying scenes were typically performed by professional pilots, even though Moseley underwent some training to make his portrayal more authentic.

Assumptions and Insurance Concerns

While Roger E. Moseley was a registered pilot, the network did not let him fly the helicopter. This decision was likely due to insurance and safety reasons to protect the star from potential injuries in case something went wrong. This is my assumption based on the industry practices and available information.

The Role of Local Pilots

The majority of the flying scenes were performed by a local pilot named Pete McKernan. Roger E. Moseley probably wanted to fly the helicopter himself as he held his own private helicopter license, but he was not allowed to. This was likely because of the concerns around insurance and public safety.

Workarounds and Authenticity

Instead of Moseley flying, the production took out the passenger seat and set up a secondary set of controls out of sight, or in some distance shots, a person wore a black body stocking with fake muscles. These workarounds were designed to maintain the authenticity of the scenes while ensuring the safety and compliance with industry standards.

Accuracy from Wikipedia

I looked this up on Wikipedia out of curiosity. According to the information available, Moseley was not allowed to do his own stunts, and a person with a body stocking with fake muscles was used for those scenes. Moseley, however, is a licensed helicopter pilot, which speaks to his experience and expertise in the field.

Concluding Thoughts

The original Magnum P.I. series, while maintaining the authenticity of its helicopter scenes, prioritized the safety and insurance concerns of its cast and crew. This decision, while limiting Moseley's direct involvement in some stunts, did not detract from the overall quality and realism of the show.