Life Magazine photo.
ONLINE TICKET SALES HAVE ENDED, BUT COME ON DOWN. THERE WILL BE TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR. WE SUGGEST BRINGING CASH ($25 PER PERSON), BUT WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CREDIT CARDS TOO!
Polish up the Ford and join us at an historic airfield for a 1930s Drive-In Movie Experience! We’re looking forward to seeing old friends in an environment that is both intimate and socially distanced. Doors open at 6:30pm for placement at the Drive-In (first come, first serve), but come earlier for dinner at Messhall Market if you like.
Timeline:
6:00 PM
Doors open for drinks and dining at FLIGHT’S chef-driven Messhall Market (closes at 8 PM) which offers a full bar and an array of take-out dining options. Plenty of tables for outdoor picnicking or, if you would rather, you can eat in your car.
Music by Swingtronic’s Marshall Watson until showtime!
6:30 PM
Our rooftop concession stand will be open for candy, soda pop and popcorn. Old fashioned candy will be delivered to your car about 30 minutes to showtime.
7:30 PM
Pre-show music and drawing for fabulous prizes from Hollywood Heritage and the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles, plus we will hold a dish night giveaway - a reference to when glass and china manufacturers teamed with movie theaters to give away pieces of a set of dishes to attract people to return each week to the theatre. Our giveaway has an Art Deco flair to it
8:30 PM
FLYING DOWN TO RIO (1933, 89 min.)
In this musical romance, choreographer and musician Fred Ayers (Fred Astaire) labors to help his friend and aviator and band leader Roger Bond (Gene Raymond) romance gorgeous Brazilian Belinha De Rezende (Dolores del Río), who is the fiancée of Julio (Raul Roulien). Along the way, Ayers and singer Honey Hale (Ginger Rogers) stage marvelous dance numbers and conspire to make sure the shows go on, including a breathtaking dance number on the exterior of a formation of airplanes flying over the audience. FLYING DOWN TO RIO is preceded by a newsreel and an introduction by Rusty Frank, a Tap Dancer and Lindy Hopper, producer, choreographer, writer, and dance preservationist. She is the author of the critically acclaimed book TAP! The Greatest Tap Dance Stars and Their Stories 1900-1955, the producer and choreographer of the stage revues “Swingin’ The Century - The Big Band Show” and "Jazz Tap." She has been a life-long fan of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and will bring her special insight through the lens of a tap dancer. In addition to her preservation work, Rusty also runs the largest and oldest Lindy Hop school and club - Lindy by the Sea and Rusty’s Rhythm Club (to reopen, someday!).
Intermission
LOVE ON THE RUN (1936, 80 min.)
Clark Gable conceals his identity as a New York newspaper reporter from an heiress (Joan Crawford) who is trying to stay out of print, when he helps her ditch the man she is about to marry. After he steals a plane (in real life, aviator Amelia Earhart’s plane) to take her from London to France, they find themselves on the run from spies and his professional rival. Madcap adventure and love ensues! With gowns by Adrian and Art Direction by Cedric Gibbons.
Tickets to “Fly:”
$22.50: One person Car (member)
$45: Two person Car (member)
$67.50: Three person Car (member)
$90: Four person Car (member)
$22.50: One Adult Admission Add-On (member) If you want to add a friend or two into your car after you purchased a one, two or three person Car ticket.
$25: One person Car (general admission)
$25: One Adult Admission Add-On (general admission) If you want to add a friend or two into your car after you purchased a one, two or three person Car ticket.
$15: Child (12 or under) (available on site on the day of the event only. Cash Only.)
$20: Walk-In Only (bring your own chair, FM Radio & headphones. Seating is in a designated area)
Ticketing Details:
The number of parking spaces is very limited, but some may be available on the day of the event. All tickets at the door are $25 per person, *CASH ONLY. Individual adult general admission add-on tickets will be available for those joining a car or those who want to bring their own chair and FM radio (space permitting). We hope to be able to take credit cards, but it will depend on our internet connection. It is safest to bring cash, but we may be able to take a credit card.
You must have a working FM radio to hear the movie audio.
Each person attending this event must have their own ticket. You will be asked to provide a list of the names of all persons attending in your car. The entire party must be present, to enter the drive-in, in the car they are registered with.
No refunds available after July 23, 2021. You can transfer your ticket to a friend, or consider it a donation to the non-profit Art Deco Society of Los Angeles.
Members can access the member price tickets when logged into the Agile ticketing site. Yes, you can become a member and get the discount, but the ticketing site will need some time to refresh before recognizing your brand-new membership.
About the historic Naval Air Station Santa Ana Location:
FLIGHT’s legacy of service and innovation was further cemented in 1942 with the development of the Naval-Lighter-Than-Air-Station-Santa Ana. The two blimp hangar structures, which still stand today, were used to house the Navy’s Airship Patrol Squadron during World War II. They remain two of the largest structures to be built entirely out of wood, on the planet. More history >
Drive-In Movie History
The first drive-in movie theater appeared in New Jersey in 1933 and the concept quickly spread across the United States, reaching the height of its popularity in the mid-20th century. By the 1970s drive-in theaters were created with grade-Z exploitation and horror films and as the video market and cable TV emerged as driving forces in entertainment delivery, drive-in theaters began to demise. Just as they were heading toward extinction in the early 21st century, an unexpected health crisis gave them new purpose.
EVENT INFORMATION
WHAT IS A “WALK IN ONLY TICKET?”
This ticket does NOT include a parking space. You will be able to enter the drive in on foot and you will be able to sit on your own lounge chair in a designated area. You will need to also bring an FM radio and headphones to hear the movie.
CAN I ADD A PERSON TO MY CAR AFTER I BUY THE TICKET?
Absolutely yes. They need to purchase an adult individual ticket.
IF I HAVE A TICKET FOR MULTIPLE PEOPLE TO BE IN MY CAR DO WE ALL HAVE TO CHECK IN AT THE SAME TIME?
Yes. Your entire party must enter in the car at the same time. If you are meeting someone at the Drive-In and then sharing your car, you must check in, together in one car. Plenty of additional parking spaces will be available on the lower level if you are meeting a friend and sharing their car. After you park and are wristbanded, you may walk in and out.
WHAT CAN I EAT?
Buy your dinner there! Mess Hall Market is a world-class chef-driven market food hall, offering a wide assortment of food and beverage options. Immediately adjacent to the new Tustin Legacy Park, filled with walking trails & open space, Mess Hall also offers abundant parking, convenient access, and a truly one-of-a kind dining experience through 10 eclectic concepts.
You are also welcome to bring your own food.
The following restaurants will be participating:
– Big Parm
– Fowl Play
– The Little Greek
– The Lost Bean
– The Sandwich Society
– Slapfish
– Vaka Burger
We don’t imagine any of you would, but we have to ask that you don’t discard your trash out the window. (It’s happened…) That’d be a sure-fire way to ensure we’d never be welcome back — and we definitely want to come back to this venue! So please help us keep the grounds tidy!
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
No specific dress code, but vintage style is always appreciated! Get in the spirit with an aviation look! Masks will be required in common areas.
CAN I BRING MY VINTAGE CAR?
Are you kidding? YESSSSS!!! If you think she might give up some oil, bring some cardboard to put underneath so we can leave the rooftop as pristine as when we found it.
WHAT TIME CAN I ARRIVE?
The ROOF TOP opens at 6:30PM! However, you can park at 6:00 PM on a lower floor of the lot, to have a pre-movie supper. Please note that we cannot place any cars on-site prior to 6:30PM. Cars will be placed on a first-come, first-served basis, one car at a time, and in sections based on size of car and desired style of viewing (i.e. open hatchbacks, etc. – more information below).
WHERE IS MESS HALL AT FLIGHT IN TUSTIN?
Mess Hall at FLIGHT is located at 1705 Flight Way, Tustin, CA 92782. The screening will take place on the 4-level Parking Structure between Flight Way and Airship. Click here for map and directions. Please note that due to the venue being a multi-level parking structure, the clearance level for vehicles is 7’0″ (7 feet and 0 inches) so plan your ride accordingly!
HOW DO I REDEEM MY TICKET?
Upon purchase, Agile will confirm your ticket via email. We will have a list of ticket buyers at the door. Please present your photo I.D. to enter.
DO I NEED FM RADIO IN MY CAR?
YES! This is a “silent-style” Drive-In event, with no speakers. The film’s soundtrack will be accessible exclusively through your car’s FM Radio, for maximum social-distance safety. We will provide you with the FM station upon arrival. Make sure your car has an FM radio so you can hear the film! You can also pick up the station via a portable radio.
WILL YOU HAVE RESTROOMS?
Restrooms will be available at Mess Hall Market. As our approval of this event is based on our assurance of safety, we ask that folks wear protective masks when leaving your cars for any reason, including to use the restroom.
REMEMBER TO TURN YOUR ENGINE ON EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE…
As you will be running your battery non-stop so that you can listen to the film on FM, you run the risk of killing your battery. We are always ready to go with the jumper cables for those who need them!, but to eliminate the risk of your battery dying, remember to turn your car on every once in a while.
…BUT MIND YOUR HEADLIGHTS!
Some cars have headlights that automatically turn on when the engine is turned over. There’s generally a setting to eliminate that — please make an effort to switch that setting so that your headlights don’t beam on when you power on your car, as headlights wipe out the image on the screen. We will have cardboard and tablecloths on hand for cars that may need help with this — let an attendant know if you need materials to cover your headlights.
MIND YOUR DOME LIGHTS AND BRAKE PEDAL
We understand that sometimes you have to flick on the dome light to look for something in your car, but please don’t have your dome light on for a stretched period of time — and certainly, not through the entire film. Any light proves very distracting to the audience around you. And lastly — we understand that it sometimes feels instinctual to do so, but please make an effort to keep your foot off your brake pedal. In a dark environment, brake lights provide quite the surprising glow.
CAN I SIT IN MY TRUCK BED?
– OR –
CAN I PUT MY CONVERTIBLE’S TOP DOWN?
– OR –
CAN I THROW THE HATCH OF MY HATCHBACK UP AND SIT IN THE BACK TO WATCH THE SHOW?
– Please note that tall cars / SUV’s / trucks will be parked in parking areas to the sides of the middle area, or along the back rows, to minimize obstruction of rows behind you.
– Guests are allowed to sit in their truck beds, so long as they keep their protective masks on.
– Guests are allowed to put their tops down, so long as they keep their protective masks on.
– Raised hatches proved quite obstructive to rows of cars behind them in viewing the screen. If you’re absolutely set on sitting in your hatchback with your hatch up, you will be asked to park either to the sides of our car staging area, or along the back rows. And — like truckbeds and convertibles — if your hatch is open, we ask that you keep your masks on. Again, our approval of this event is based on our assurance of absolute safety, with folks keeping masks on when not inside their closed cars.
– For trucks: Please keep in mind that the soundtrack is coming in through FM radio. As such, either have a low-volume FM radio in your truck bed with you, or you can slide open the little window to your truck bed and play through your car stereo at a reasonable volume. Please note: The clearance level for the parking structure is 7’0″ (7 feet and 0 inches). If your vehicle is taller than this, you will not be able to enter the parking structure.
WHAT IF I NEED TO LEAVE IN MY CAR BEFORE THE EVENT IS FINISHED?
You will be able to do so. Please approach event security to tell them of your needs.
Enjoy vintage music from DJ Professor Watson in our pre-show starting around 6pm.