| John Tamburro | |
|---|---|
| |
| Behind the scenes on Day 7: 11:00pm-12:00am | |
| Sibling(s): | Chuck Tamburro |
| Other family: | Michael Tamburro |
| Role: | 1. CTU pilot 2. CTU helicopter crewman (stunt pilot) 3. Ryan Chappelle (stunt pilot) 4. Fayed's pilot 5. Jack Bauer (stunt pilot) |
John Tamburro is a helicopter pilot and stunt performer who flew helicopters on 24. He also appeared in other different roles on the show.
Biography and career[]
John Tamburro studied at California State University, Northridge. He also studied at West Coast Helicopters Flight School. After that, he started a career as a commercial helicopter pilot in Southern California. Tamburro worked for several years as a news pilot, having a successful career covering major events like the O.J. Simpson arrest and the Los Angeles riots. He also flew the top organ transplant teams in Los Angeles.
Tamburro, who comes from a family of stuntmen and pilots, decided to dedicate his flying skills to the motion picture industry. As such, he has accumulated over 7500 hours flying in feature films, television, and commercials with a perfect safety record. He also enjoys aerial cinematography and likes to coordinate exact helicopter camera movement with his aerial cinematographer.
Tamburro is a member of the Motion Picture Pilots Association, a member of Screen Actors Guild and was nominated in 2001 for a World Stunt Award for best aerial work in the feature film Gone in 60 seconds. He is currently partnered with pilot Dan Friedkin under the name of Pursuit Aviation, providing a variety of aerial stunt and flying services for feature films and television shows.
Role on 24[]
John and his brother Chuck are both aerial stunt performers, and were the aerial co-ordinators from seasons 1-8. John also appeared in different roles on the show:
- He played a recurring CTU chopper pilot. In Season 1, he appeared in the chopper that Jack took to St. Mark's Hospital. In Season 2, he flew Jack to his undercover mission with Eddie Grant, flew the CTU chopper that rescued Jack from the Coral Snake commandos, and at the end of the day he flew the helicopter carrying the crackshot CTU sniper who shot Peter Kingsley. In Season 3, he flew Jack and Kim to Santa Barbara.
- In "Day 1: 7:00pm-8:00pm", he played one of the pilots of the prison helicopter that dropped Victor Drazen at the Saugus Detention Center.
- In "Day 2: 11:00pm-12:00am", he doubled for Morocco Omari in the role of the CTU helicopter crewman. In the wider shots of the helicopter landing, John was flying the aircraft alongside his brother Chuck.
- In "Day 3: 6:00am-7:00am", he doubled for Paul Schulze in the role of Ryan Chappelle. Although Jack Bauer was meant to be flying the helicopter containing Chappelle to the trainyard originally, Tamburro stood in for Schulze and flew the helicopter himself.
- In "Day 6: 2:00pm-3:00pm", he played the chopper pilot who flew Abu Fayed away from 4332 Florence Avenue and landed at the Union Conduit Dam.
- In "Day 8: 10:00am-11:00am", he doubled for Kiefer Sutherland in the role Jack Bauer during the helicopter chase.
In an audio commentary, director Jon Cassar noted that the Tamburro brothers always appeared flying helicopters throughout the series. John runs Blackstar Helicopters, which specializes in aerial stunt work for films and television. John also helped with aerial filming on the show.
Gallery of roles[]
(Season 1)
(Season 1)
(Season 2)
(Season 2)
(Season 3)
(Season 6)
24 credits[]
CTU pilot
- "Day 1: 5:00am-6:00am"
- "Day 2: 9:00am-10:00am"
- "Day 2: 6:00am-7:00am"
- "Day 2: 7:00am-8:00am"
- "Day 3: 7:00am-8:00am"
- "Day 5: 1:00pm-2:00pm"
Prison helicopter pilot
CTU helicopter crewman double
Ryan Chappelle
Fayed's pilot
Jack Bauer
[]
- Lock and Load
- Scenemakers, Season 7 Episode 14
