Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/03
Page Numbers: 60,61

HIGHER PLANE PRODUCTIONS and its
popular slogan, “Fly Low, Roll Tape,” is the
brainchild of Fred Midgett, who is most often
found behind the camera, catching all the
action. His passion for flight, which is evident
in his videos, started in his childhood.
Fred had an interest, at an early age, in
model rocketry and caught the flying bug
from his father, who flew CL. Unfortunately
for Fred, the lines were passed to his two
older brothers first; by the time it was Fred’s
turn, there was nothing left to fly!
His interest in flight, unfulfilled in his
childhood, compelled Fred to purchase his
first RC aircraft more than 20 years ago. It
was an electric-powered, 50-inch-wingspan
trainer from a hobby shop.
Fred spent approximately six months on
self-instruction—fly, crash, repair, and
repeat—before he became comfortable
piloting his model and moving up to a CAP
232. When Fred started flying in 1986,
electrics were not the norm and reliability was
questionable. However, AstroFlight motors
and speed controls quickly evolved and found
their way into his aircraft.
From his RC beginnings in the mid-1980s
until just before the inception of Higher Plane
Productions, Fred estimates he had owned
close to 15 aircraft, including his first scratchbuilt
model. During that time, he shared his
hobby with his son, Thomas, as his father had
done with him. It was a good thing that
Thomas did not have two older brothers in
line in front of him!
Fred began dabbling in shooting video and
editing for family projects and a talent show at
his work. He drew from his college education,
which was a degree in printing technology
with a minor in photography.
Before long, filming models was a focus
and Fred put together a heavily edited video
with music, showcasing an electric-powered
Christen Eagle. It was well received by the
manufacturer, but it didn’t fit into the
company’s video strategy at the time because
it was so unique.
Although the video wasn’t used as Fred
had hoped, it caught the attention of 3D
Hobby Shop’s Ben Fisher and, shortly
thereafter, Chris Hinson of Extreme Flight
RC. Both saw the value in promoting their
models, and Higher Plane Productions was
born.
According to Fred, the aircraft that he shot
artistic promotional videos of were
disposable. It was most important to get them
flying low, hard, and fast, and at times that
required as many as three models to get a
complete video.
Event coverage was the next goal in
Fred’s sights. His approach was to showcase
an event and tell a story, while answering
questions that he had and that other modelers
might have. Pilots who would watch the
videos wanted more information about the
aircraft, what kind of turnout was at the event,
and what vendors were in attendance.
My first experience with Higher Plane
Productions was at the Southeast Electric
Flight Festival (SEFF) in 2007, when Fred
entertained the pilots with a film festival. I
was impressed not only by the quality of the
footage, but also by the creative presentation
that went beyond catching the action.
The show lived up to Fred’s philosophy—
“We don’t make RC videos; we make RC
entertainment”—and left me wanting more. I
would later learn that some of the music used
in the video was from Fred’s band, called
“The Distractions.”
Fred realized early on that releasing event
coverage on DVD a couple months after it
took place resulted in a loss of some of the
excitement, especially with competitions such
as the Tucson Aerobatic Shootout and the
Extreme Flight Championships. His vision
was to provide professionally shot and edited
videos from the events via “FlightPass” on his
Web site. FlightPass is a paid membership
that allows people to access more than 100
hours of content, with more than 4,000 films,
all in HD (High Definition). That list
continues to grow as Fred covers several
events each year.
FlightPass is funded completely by
memberships, not advertising, so members
don’t have to deal with pop-up ads and
similar annoyances. FlightPass is enjoyed
around the world; 40% of its membership
comes from outside the US.
I asked Fred where he gets the ideas for
the interesting angles he uses when covering
an event. Does he decide on them beforehand
or at an event? He said:
“It’s a bit like writing a song. Sometimes
the lyrics come first; other times the music is
first to mind. For example, driving to SEFF
2007, I was listening to the song ‘In These
Shoes’ by Kirsty MacColl. I decided to
make it the ‘theme’ song for SEFF 2007.
“I filmed the whole event with that
song in mind. Lots of shoes and feet. The
guys from the Netherlands happened to
show up in wooden shoes; that was
perfect! The piece was a little quirky but
a big hit.
“Unfortunately, the cost for music
rights was out of my reach. So I had to
change the music on the DVD.
“Editing to popular music is really
fun, but typically out of my financial
grasp for use on a DVD. So more often I
show up with only a plan to have fun with
this sport I’m so passionate about, and
trust that something entertaining will
happen along the way. And so far, so
good.”
During our interview, Fred told me
about a new series called “Andrew Jesky
Takes RC to a Higher Plane.” It was an
announcement I hadn’t expected.
The company is partnering with
Andrew to release a set of instructional
videos. Their plan is to produce eight
installments, and the first, covering
foamie aircraft, will debut at E-Fest at the
end of this month.
Fred explained:
“We are going to back up and start at
the point when someone just has upright
flying covered. These videos are not just
going to show maneuvers with stick
movements. They are going to take it to
the fundamental level with Andrew
Jesky’s vast knowledge of building,
aircraft setup, and flying.
“Future titles will cover subjects like
small electrics, large electrics, gaspowered
models, IMAC [International
Miniature Aerobatic Club], and 3-D.”
We finished our conversation with Fred’s
goal for Higher Plane Productions, which is:
March 2010 61
A Conversation With Higher Plane
Productions’ Heather Massey Win
Merch andi s e
f ro m M A a nd
H i g her Pla ne
Production s!
There will be a total of 10 winners
for this installment of “About Us”! The
Grand Prize will be a choice of 10
DVDs and a Higher Plane Productions
calendar. First Prize will be a free
FlightPass for 90 days and a calendar.
Second Prize will be a calendar, and
there will be eight winners.
For the opportunity to win, name
the first event that was featured on
FlightPass coverage. (You can find the
answer on the Higher Plane
Productions Web site.)
To su bmit yo ur entr y via e-mail,
send your an swer, full na me, p ost alm
ail address, an d telephone number
to MA As sist an t Edit or Jay Sm ith
([email protected]). Please put
“About Us” in the subject line. To
enter via postal mail, send the
preceding information to MA, to Jay
Smith’s attention.
Entries will be accepted through
March 31, 2010. Winners will be
selected on or before April 5. One
entry per person is allowed. Those that
are lost, late, misdirected, garbled, or
incomplete for any reason will be
ineligible.
This contest is open to legal
residents of the 50 states, District of
Columbia, and US military members
with APO/FPO addresses. AMA
employees are not eligible to win.
Winners will be selected in random
drawings, from among all eligible
entries with the correct answer, by an
Academy employee or employees.
Those whose names are drawn will be
notified by telephone or e-mail. Their
names and states of residence will be
published in a future issue of MA and
on the AMA Web site. MA
Sources:
AMA
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
JS: Tell us about your first experience
with RC.
HM: I worked with the Hockadays at East
RC and Scootworks [motorcycle
accessory company]. They convinced me
to attend the Fly-for-Tots [Children’s
Charity Fly-In, held by the Raleigh-
Durham RC club] event, and I really
enjoyed it. The reason I am involved in
RC is because of them.
JS: Describe the first time you met Fred
and washed his model on video.
HM: We were washing bikes for tips, and
Fred came up with a camera and asked us
to wash his plane. I thought he was
adventurous and he wanted something
interesting—something no one had shot
before. We kept in contact after that, and I
became a part of the Higher Plane team
about a year ago.
JS: What was it like, attending your first
big RC event?
HM: The first big event was the Atlanta
Huckfest. I loved it; everybody was really
nice and flew their planes like there was
no tomorrow. People went all out. We
stayed with Chris [Hinson of Extreme
Flight RC] and his wife and experienced
some crazy flying.
JS: You just returned from Pilots of the
Caribbean 2 in Puerto Rico. What was
that like?
HM: I enjoy all the events I attend, but I
think Puerto Rico was my favorite event.
The field was small, but there was a lot
of energy throughout the event. They
were happy Higher Plane was there and
really went all out for us. There was a
real focus on fun with a slightly more
laid-back atmosphere.
JS: What has been most enjoyable to
you in the time that you have been
involved with Higher Plane
Productions?
HM: Going to events and seeing people
that actually like what Fred and I do.
Seeing all the support that everybody
gives us, knowing they enjoy what we
do, and showing us what they like. It
makes all the hard work worth it.
JS: Why do you think there are not
many women involved with our sport,
and what could we do to attract more?
HM: I think that the majority of
women who are introduced to the
hobby are introduced through their
husband or boyfriend. With me, if I was
married and my husband loved this
sport and spent a whole bunch of time
doing it, I would probably turn my nose
up to it.
I feel like we should introduce
women to it without undermining them.
Support them if they are interested.
When I first started, I heard things like,
“You are a girl; you can’t fly.” If you
want to fly, don’t let anyone else stop
you. That’s what I did. MA
—Jay Smith
“To continue to push RC filmmaking
to the limit and to remain
self-sustaining; that’s always a goal.
Ha!
“So let me say an official thank
you to all the people that have
purchased Higher Plane DVDs and
products or joined FlightPass. Your
support has allowed me to fulfill a
dream.” MA
—Jay Smith
[email protected]
Sources:
Higher Plane Productions
1525 Acadia St.
Durham NC 27701
http://higherplaneproductions.com
03sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 1/25/10 1:39 PM Page 61
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/03
Page Numbers: 60,61

HIGHER PLANE PRODUCTIONS and its
popular slogan, “Fly Low, Roll Tape,” is the
brainchild of Fred Midgett, who is most often
found behind the camera, catching all the
action. His passion for flight, which is evident
in his videos, started in his childhood.
Fred had an interest, at an early age, in
model rocketry and caught the flying bug
from his father, who flew CL. Unfortunately
for Fred, the lines were passed to his two
older brothers first; by the time it was Fred’s
turn, there was nothing left to fly!
His interest in flight, unfulfilled in his
childhood, compelled Fred to purchase his
first RC aircraft more than 20 years ago. It
was an electric-powered, 50-inch-wingspan
trainer from a hobby shop.
Fred spent approximately six months on
self-instruction—fly, crash, repair, and
repeat—before he became comfortable
piloting his model and moving up to a CAP
232. When Fred started flying in 1986,
electrics were not the norm and reliability was
questionable. However, AstroFlight motors
and speed controls quickly evolved and found
their way into his aircraft.
From his RC beginnings in the mid-1980s
until just before the inception of Higher Plane
Productions, Fred estimates he had owned
close to 15 aircraft, including his first scratchbuilt
model. During that time, he shared his
hobby with his son, Thomas, as his father had
done with him. It was a good thing that
Thomas did not have two older brothers in
line in front of him!
Fred began dabbling in shooting video and
editing for family projects and a talent show at
his work. He drew from his college education,
which was a degree in printing technology
with a minor in photography.
Before long, filming models was a focus
and Fred put together a heavily edited video
with music, showcasing an electric-powered
Christen Eagle. It was well received by the
manufacturer, but it didn’t fit into the
company’s video strategy at the time because
it was so unique.
Although the video wasn’t used as Fred
had hoped, it caught the attention of 3D
Hobby Shop’s Ben Fisher and, shortly
thereafter, Chris Hinson of Extreme Flight
RC. Both saw the value in promoting their
models, and Higher Plane Productions was
born.
According to Fred, the aircraft that he shot
artistic promotional videos of were
disposable. It was most important to get them
flying low, hard, and fast, and at times that
required as many as three models to get a
complete video.
Event coverage was the next goal in
Fred’s sights. His approach was to showcase
an event and tell a story, while answering
questions that he had and that other modelers
might have. Pilots who would watch the
videos wanted more information about the
aircraft, what kind of turnout was at the event,
and what vendors were in attendance.
My first experience with Higher Plane
Productions was at the Southeast Electric
Flight Festival (SEFF) in 2007, when Fred
entertained the pilots with a film festival. I
was impressed not only by the quality of the
footage, but also by the creative presentation
that went beyond catching the action.
The show lived up to Fred’s philosophy—
“We don’t make RC videos; we make RC
entertainment”—and left me wanting more. I
would later learn that some of the music used
in the video was from Fred’s band, called
“The Distractions.”
Fred realized early on that releasing event
coverage on DVD a couple months after it
took place resulted in a loss of some of the
excitement, especially with competitions such
as the Tucson Aerobatic Shootout and the
Extreme Flight Championships. His vision
was to provide professionally shot and edited
videos from the events via “FlightPass” on his
Web site. FlightPass is a paid membership
that allows people to access more than 100
hours of content, with more than 4,000 films,
all in HD (High Definition). That list
continues to grow as Fred covers several
events each year.
FlightPass is funded completely by
memberships, not advertising, so members
don’t have to deal with pop-up ads and
similar annoyances. FlightPass is enjoyed
around the world; 40% of its membership
comes from outside the US.
I asked Fred where he gets the ideas for
the interesting angles he uses when covering
an event. Does he decide on them beforehand
or at an event? He said:
“It’s a bit like writing a song. Sometimes
the lyrics come first; other times the music is
first to mind. For example, driving to SEFF
2007, I was listening to the song ‘In These
Shoes’ by Kirsty MacColl. I decided to
make it the ‘theme’ song for SEFF 2007.
“I filmed the whole event with that
song in mind. Lots of shoes and feet. The
guys from the Netherlands happened to
show up in wooden shoes; that was
perfect! The piece was a little quirky but
a big hit.
“Unfortunately, the cost for music
rights was out of my reach. So I had to
change the music on the DVD.
“Editing to popular music is really
fun, but typically out of my financial
grasp for use on a DVD. So more often I
show up with only a plan to have fun with
this sport I’m so passionate about, and
trust that something entertaining will
happen along the way. And so far, so
good.”
During our interview, Fred told me
about a new series called “Andrew Jesky
Takes RC to a Higher Plane.” It was an
announcement I hadn’t expected.
The company is partnering with
Andrew to release a set of instructional
videos. Their plan is to produce eight
installments, and the first, covering
foamie aircraft, will debut at E-Fest at the
end of this month.
Fred explained:
“We are going to back up and start at
the point when someone just has upright
flying covered. These videos are not just
going to show maneuvers with stick
movements. They are going to take it to
the fundamental level with Andrew
Jesky’s vast knowledge of building,
aircraft setup, and flying.
“Future titles will cover subjects like
small electrics, large electrics, gaspowered
models, IMAC [International
Miniature Aerobatic Club], and 3-D.”
We finished our conversation with Fred’s
goal for Higher Plane Productions, which is:
March 2010 61
A Conversation With Higher Plane
Productions’ Heather Massey Win
Merch andi s e
f ro m M A a nd
H i g her Pla ne
Production s!
There will be a total of 10 winners
for this installment of “About Us”! The
Grand Prize will be a choice of 10
DVDs and a Higher Plane Productions
calendar. First Prize will be a free
FlightPass for 90 days and a calendar.
Second Prize will be a calendar, and
there will be eight winners.
For the opportunity to win, name
the first event that was featured on
FlightPass coverage. (You can find the
answer on the Higher Plane
Productions Web site.)
To su bmit yo ur entr y via e-mail,
send your an swer, full na me, p ost alm
ail address, an d telephone number
to MA As sist an t Edit or Jay Sm ith
([email protected]). Please put
“About Us” in the subject line. To
enter via postal mail, send the
preceding information to MA, to Jay
Smith’s attention.
Entries will be accepted through
March 31, 2010. Winners will be
selected on or before April 5. One
entry per person is allowed. Those that
are lost, late, misdirected, garbled, or
incomplete for any reason will be
ineligible.
This contest is open to legal
residents of the 50 states, District of
Columbia, and US military members
with APO/FPO addresses. AMA
employees are not eligible to win.
Winners will be selected in random
drawings, from among all eligible
entries with the correct answer, by an
Academy employee or employees.
Those whose names are drawn will be
notified by telephone or e-mail. Their
names and states of residence will be
published in a future issue of MA and
on the AMA Web site. MA
Sources:
AMA
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
JS: Tell us about your first experience
with RC.
HM: I worked with the Hockadays at East
RC and Scootworks [motorcycle
accessory company]. They convinced me
to attend the Fly-for-Tots [Children’s
Charity Fly-In, held by the Raleigh-
Durham RC club] event, and I really
enjoyed it. The reason I am involved in
RC is because of them.
JS: Describe the first time you met Fred
and washed his model on video.
HM: We were washing bikes for tips, and
Fred came up with a camera and asked us
to wash his plane. I thought he was
adventurous and he wanted something
interesting—something no one had shot
before. We kept in contact after that, and I
became a part of the Higher Plane team
about a year ago.
JS: What was it like, attending your first
big RC event?
HM: The first big event was the Atlanta
Huckfest. I loved it; everybody was really
nice and flew their planes like there was
no tomorrow. People went all out. We
stayed with Chris [Hinson of Extreme
Flight RC] and his wife and experienced
some crazy flying.
JS: You just returned from Pilots of the
Caribbean 2 in Puerto Rico. What was
that like?
HM: I enjoy all the events I attend, but I
think Puerto Rico was my favorite event.
The field was small, but there was a lot
of energy throughout the event. They
were happy Higher Plane was there and
really went all out for us. There was a
real focus on fun with a slightly more
laid-back atmosphere.
JS: What has been most enjoyable to
you in the time that you have been
involved with Higher Plane
Productions?
HM: Going to events and seeing people
that actually like what Fred and I do.
Seeing all the support that everybody
gives us, knowing they enjoy what we
do, and showing us what they like. It
makes all the hard work worth it.
JS: Why do you think there are not
many women involved with our sport,
and what could we do to attract more?
HM: I think that the majority of
women who are introduced to the
hobby are introduced through their
husband or boyfriend. With me, if I was
married and my husband loved this
sport and spent a whole bunch of time
doing it, I would probably turn my nose
up to it.
I feel like we should introduce
women to it without undermining them.
Support them if they are interested.
When I first started, I heard things like,
“You are a girl; you can’t fly.” If you
want to fly, don’t let anyone else stop
you. That’s what I did. MA
—Jay Smith
“To continue to push RC filmmaking
to the limit and to remain
self-sustaining; that’s always a goal.
Ha!
“So let me say an official thank
you to all the people that have
purchased Higher Plane DVDs and
products or joined FlightPass. Your
support has allowed me to fulfill a
dream.” MA
—Jay Smith
[email protected]
Sources:
Higher Plane Productions
1525 Acadia St.
Durham NC 27701
http://higherplaneproductions.com
03sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 1/25/10 1:39 PM Page 61