I read your article & noticed you assumed the Seabee traveled
by boat. It was disassembled enough to fit in the back of a 707 &
then flown to Bangkok. Pat Crowley was the IA, A&P not to mention
Pilot with numerous ratings that helped break it down & load it in
a 707. Pat Crowley was the test pilot in the Seabee for Man With a
Golden Gun. He was asked at least 3 to 4 times while filming to make
lower passes while flying over the trees. He told the crew that if he
flew any lower he would hit the trees but they kept asking for lower
& on there last request to fly lower that’s when the float was
torn from the wing. He was concerned about landing the Seabee after
the float was torn off but did fine & powered it right up on the
beach. The plane BTW does not exist anymore. It was blown up with
dynamite. Pat was watching as the explosives guy put dynamite in the
plane. This plane absolutely does not exist anymore. The tail number
may or may not be used by someone but the original was blown up. Btw,
Roger Moore was NOT a very friendly individual at that point in time
during the production of the movie according to Pat. They all stayed
in one location in the middle of no where in Bangkok where this whole
thing was being produced/ filmed because there were no other options.
Pat Crowley was a very quite man that didn’t boast about anything.
If you ever got a story from him he would quietly tell it. He never
bragged about anything but many at WEA airport knew about his history
& I personally have known him for years. Anyway, Pat still has
family & friends living that can verify this story. Probably not a
big deal to most but maybe to you since you wrote about the Seabee. I’ve
known about this particular story for years & saw your article
& thought I might mention it. Pat Crowley passed away in June of
2019 & will be missed by many. He had an amazing Aviation History.
Sincerely
Rick Holliday
N377BA
(E-mail November 22, 2019)
