Filmmaker Todd Hewey is a national award-winning Producer, Director, Writer and Cinematographer of live and prerecorded long and short format television productions, and has over 17 years of broadcast and cable television experience at the national, regional and local levels. He has extensive field, studio and post production experience with 16mm film, 1-inch video, Beta and Sony High-Definition video formats.

Some of Todd’s major television productions include: Honor Squadrons (“HS”), a Public Television documentary about the people and organizations that restore and fly WWII aircraft; Tiger Cruise, a Public Television documentary about the U.S. Navy’s dependent cruise program (the first documentary production ever allowed by the Navy to cover this event); and Computer Workshop, the first live Public Television broadcast series on home and small business computing, seen in several PBS broadcast markets across the United States.

Honor Squadrons received several awards and honors including: The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Max Karant Award for Excellence in Aviation Journalism (’95). Media professionals on the judging panel for AOPA—the largest pilot association in the world—called Honor Squadrons, “...a masterpiece. We have never seen a work of video with such extensive aerial photography, such skilled editing, and such brilliant selection and use of music.” HS also received First Place, Documentary, Press Club of Houston Awards (’95); and the PBS National Development Award for Innovation (’96), for fundraising in Tampa, Florida. In addition, a cut-down of HS was featured by the Shell Oil Company-hosted Houston black-tie fundraiser to help raise over $200,000 in one evening for the American Air Museum in Britain Campaign (’95).

In addition to his television work, Todd served as Content Producer and Media Relations Coordinator for Tom King’s CompuTalk, a weekly 3-hour live talk radio show on home and small business computing, heard coast-to-coast in over 30 broadcast markets. Todd also served as CompuTalk’s official guest host and quarterly on-air computer gaming reviewer.

Todd received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Gordon College in 1981, and his Master of Arts in Communication: Film and Television Production (summa cum laude) from Regent University in 1996. Raised in an aviation-oriented family, Todd has avidly studied historic aviation (particularly military) in great detail for over 30 years.

The following aircraft are
Todd's sentimental favorites:
Supermarine Spitfire Mk1-Mk-9. In 1969, at age 11, Todd and his dad saw "The Battle of Britain" on the big screen. Todd immediately fell in love with Spitfires, which are the most beautiful fighter aircraft ever designed. It's a perfect 36x24x36 from any angle. Todd is not biased, it's just the truth; period, end of story! This photograph of a Spitfire Mk9e, was shot by Todd's friend, the world-renowned photographer Phil Makanna of Ghosts: A Time Remembered. Todd has the original cebachrome, signed by Phil, that was scanned to create the front cover of the 1994 calendar.

© Philip Makanna

B-24 Liberator (models D - J). Todd's dad, Calvin Hewey, was assigned by Pratt & Whitney Aircraft as the official Field Representative to Wendover Air Force base at Salt Lake City, Utah from 1942 until the conclusion of WWII. The primary aircraft assigned to that training base was the Consolidated B-24, which is the unsung workhorse of WWII, and the most produced aircraft in American history. Todd is a B-24 Evangelist, and will bore you for hours about why it should be treated more fairly by historians, the media, and those within the restoration movement.

His favorite B-24 is the only one flying today, the gorgeously restored Collings Foundation B-24J "All American." Oh, and don't get Todd started about the Confederate Air Force's LB-30. It's not a "real" B-24, but carries people and PX for the CAF's awesome B-29 Superfortress "FiFi". Once again, proof that the B-24 family doesn't get any respect! Photograph courtesy of Patrick Bunce and The Collings Foundation.

Photo © Patrick Bunce

Vultee BT-13 Valiant "Vibrator". This Army Air Corp basic training aircraft from WWII is not recognized by many people, but it is Todd's sentimental favorite, because his father washed out of the Army Air Corp in August 1940 while flying the BT-13. It was a disappointment for Calvin at that time, but the irony is that the BT-13 saved his life. Calvin's class graduated soon after and was assigned to the Philippines. Of the 122 graduates, only 1 survived the war (Calvin's bunk mate). The outstanding Japanese Zeros and Oscars killed some of the American pilots, who were flying obsolete P-36s, and P-39s. The rest died during the Bataan Death March, or in Japanese prisoner of war camps. So you can see why Calvin and Todd owe their lives to the BT-13. One of Todd's dreams is to one day sponsor and fly the BT-13.

Photo courtesy of BT-13 Crew Chief Steve Rumel

This beautifully preserved BT-13 is owned by the Confederate Air Force, and maintained by the West Houston Squadron of Houston, Texas. Photograph courtesy of Steve Rumel, BT-13 Crew Chief.