5 O'Clock Charlie - Production

Production

A Ryan PT-22 painted with North Korean markings was used for Charlie's plane. The plane used was owned by Don Burkett, who kept the plane in a hangar at Long Beach Airport. The production team painted over the plane's orange and white starburst pattern with special paint to resemble the North Korean markings. Burkett himself actually flew the plane from the front seat, as the pilot who was assigned to do the flying had never flown a plane of this type before. If you look closely, you can see something in the front cockpit which was Don hunched down when the cameras were rolling. Enough film was taken during the one day of flying they were able to piece together two episodes featuring the plane and its inept pilot. An article in the October 1972 edition of Private Pilot magazine featured Don's experience doing the show. The magazine's cover has a picture of what the plane looked like when it wasn't "in costume".

The character of 5 O'Clock Charlie returns in the Season 3 episode "There Is Nothing Like a Nurse". In this episode, the nursing staff is evacuated based on intelligence that points to an air-based attack on the 4077. In the end 5 O'Clock Charlie flies overhead, dropping propaganda leaflets.