Airplane owner not flying too high over movie honor

David Giussi isn't starstruck.

Sure, he thinks it's cool John Cusack walked by, acknowledging him and a friend with a casual, "Hi guys." But he thinks it's even cooler he got a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of a major forthcoming movie starring Cusack, Danny Glover and Amanda Peet.

And he thinks it's even cooler still that his airplane is being used in the film, set to be released next summer. He's even getting paid for it, although he won't say how much.

Audiences will be able to tell the plane is his by the tail number, a kind of license plate for airplanes. While movie people had the aircraft painted for the film, they didn't cover its identification number: N340SB.

"They kept it for the movie, which is unusual -- but good for me, because now I can actually prove it was my plane in the movie," says the 44-year-old Giussi, owner and president of the Yakima-based Graffunder Safe and Vault Inc.

Earlier this month -- as well as once this summer -- he traveled to British Columbia to visit the set and check on his airplane, a 1979 six-passenger, twin-engine Cessna 340A.

He spent 10 days -- five at Cache Creek, about 50 miles west of Kamloops, and five in Vancouver -- hanging out on location. He and his friend Gary Oliver, owner of G.O.'s Collision Center in Yakima, got to watch Cusack and Peet film scenes with his plane at the Cache Creek airstrip.

"We were just like part of the crew," says the 53-year-old Oliver. "We got first-class treatment while we were there because of Dave having his airplane there."

Giussi, a 1982 Eisenhower High School graduate, describes the film as "an end-of-the-world type thing." The budget of the film, identified as both "2012" and "Farewell Atlantis," is reported to be more than $200 million, landing it among the most expensive films ever made. It's directed by Ronald Emmerich, of "Independence Day" and "Godzilla," who also co-wrote the script.

"I've always been amazed at special effects in movies," Oliver says. It was pretty incredible. I'm anxious to see the end results."

Giussi says watching the filming was interesting, but there was a lot of standing and waiting around. He also says he was surprised to learn how much filming outdoors depends on the weather.

"They have a schedule, but they don't stick to it," Giussi says. "You don't know what's going to happen day to day."

He got involved when he was approached by a local man who leases aircraft to movie production companies.

He says he was impressed by the movie sets and props -- "It's amazing how much time and effort goes in to make this stuff realistic" -- and surprised at the large number of people working behind-the-scenes.

"I met some really good people I'm still in contact with," Giussi says. "It was fun to listen to their stories of other movies they have worked on."

While on the set, Giussi and Oliver didn't pose in any photos with starring actors or ask for autographs.

"I was just there as a spectator," Giussi says. "I got to go because my aircraft was there."

Giussi, who has a degree in chemical engineering from Washington State University, got his pilot's license in 2001. And he has owned the airplane that's being used in the film for about five years.

Similar models are for sale online from $149,000 to upwards of $300,000. Giussi says he was comfortable leasing his plane for the movie because an experienced pilot and mechanic were on-site during filming.

Normally, his plane is white with red, gold and green stripes. But it was painted for the film, and -- as a movie prop -- that paint job is top secret.

Folks connected to the film were adamant that no photos be released prior to the official media release and the film's opening.

Giussi estimates he flies his plane about 120 hours a year, mostly for business purposes, meeting clients around the West. His company manufactures high-end, high-security, plate-metal safes and vaults.

Filming with Giussi's airplane is now finished -- unless certain scenes need to be reshot. Meantime, he's looking forward to seeing the film -- and his airplane in it.

Maybe he'll even get to go to the premiere. Now, that would be cool.

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