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In these scenes, Mark Futch was piloting the Maule, as the stunt double makes the leap from “boat” to “float”.

Mark says they had him running very slowly while the transfer occurred, then once the stuntman was on the float, the airboat pilot broke right, and Mark showered down on the throttle to get clear of the airboat quickly. The stunt was done in one take. Notice how close the airboat was to the rear of the plane. This was the trickiest part for the pilots to handle, and Mark gives a lot of credit to the ability and professionalism of the airboat pilot. The airboats are difficult to control in normal conditions, but it takes a real pro to drive one hidden in a compartment without having a mishap with the plane.

An alternate camera angle, shot during a different take, shows actor Nick Brimble actually hanging on to the side of the plane. He’s hooked to the plane with a safety harness. Those stunt guys sure make the actors look good!