As I have said previously, I also agree that some type of model must have been used, as it would not have been practical or logical to risk the life of a pilot, or an expensive airplane.
I believe that this stunt involving the plane crash was one of the better stunts of the show when considering realism and continuity. The continuity regarding the plane that was seen flying and the plane that crashed was particularly good. The paint scheme on the plane/model was identical to the plane that we see flying before it reaches Oahu. As we all know, continuity was never a strong suit of the show. As we have seen in dozens of episodes, TC's chopper often changed in mid-flight supposedly during the same flight sequence, i.e., skinny skids vs. fat skids; "V" Tail vs. "Y" Tail; tail rotor on the wrong side of the chopper; "MARINES" reversed on TC's Kiowa and Loach, etc.
Speaking of stunts that weren't as well done are the Ferrari explosion in "Did You See The Sunrise" and the car explosion in "Paradise Blues." The explosion in "DYSTS" was great in of itself, but you can clearly see that the car that was blown up was not a Ferrari. In the final scene of "PB" you see the car with the bad guy and Alex go over the cliff, and I'm sure it was set to explode on impact when it hit the bottom of the cliff. However, the problem with this sequence was that the car goes over, and as it's falling you see the car ignite and begin to detonate well before it hits the bottom. It makes me laugh every time I see it, because the car begins to explode in midair.
I still can't get the perspective right, even with the photo of the wahine in the tidal pool. Maybe that explains why I can never see the hidden image in those "magic pictures/posters." I'm like Mr. Pitt of Seinfeld when it comes to those darn things.
