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In this exciting preview of The Baa Baa Black Sheep Book, Stephen "Chappie" Chapis shares a rare glimpse into never-before-seen footage captured by John Schafhausen. These home movies, filmed between 1976 and 1977, offer an intimate look behind the scenes of the iconic TV series.
If you’ve been following these pages for some time, you already know that we are big fans of Baa Baa Black Sheep. Over the years, we’ve published exclusive articles and never-before-seen photos, thanks to the tireless efforts of our own Stephen “Chappie” Chapis. As a young man, Steve, like many of us, was deeply impacted by the show and has dedicated a significant portion of his writing career to researching the history of the aircraft used in the series, as well as the stories and anecdotes surrounding the production.
The ‘Stars’ on the set of Baa Baa Black Sheep. (photo by Steve Guilford via Stephen Chapis)
Chapis is in the final stages of publishing The Baa Baa Black Sheep Book, which will be released in the Summer of 2025. To explore his other articles on the Baa Baa Black Sheep TV series, click HERE.Baa Baa Black Sheep Corsair lineup at Van Nuys, August 11th, 1976. (photo by Bill Curry)
In this exciting preview of The Baa Baa Black Sheep Book, Stephen “Chappie” Chapis shares a rare glimpse into never-before-seen footage captured by John Schafhausen. These home movies, filmed between 1976 and 1977, offer an intimate look behind the scenes of the iconic TV series. Narrated by Schafhausen himself, the footage features the roar of Corsairs and Tora Zeroes taking flight, along with radio chatter from the set. Chapis has set a brief but thrilling segment of this footage to an extended version of the Baa Baa Black Sheep theme music, building anticipation for the book’s release later this year. If you want to be notified and secure your copy, click HERE.
By Stephen Chapis
Among the hundreds of Baa Baa Black Sheep-related materials I’ve collected over the past 15 years, one of the most exciting finds has been the Super 8 home movies shot by John Schafhausen. In 2017, I connected with Mark Schafhausen, John’s son, who sent me dozens of incredible, never-before-seen photos he and his father took during the series’ filming. But that wasn’t all—Mark also sent me a DVD containing 48 minutes of home movies that he and his father shot at Indian Dunes, Van Nuys Airport, and in the air between the spring of 1976 and February 1977.
(photo via Stephen Chapis)
The movies aren’t silent, either. John Schafhausen fully narrates them and features the sounds of Corsairs and Tora Zeroes taking off, along with radio chatter from aerial coordinator James Gavin during an aerial filming sortie over the Pacific Ocean.
Baa Baa Black Sheep set, FG-1D on final, circa 1976- Photo James H. Farmer
To my knowledge, this footage has never been seen by the public, and it will largely remain that way until the book’s release later this year. However, to help build anticipation for the book, I’ve set three minutes and eighteen seconds of Schafhausen’s footage to an extended version of Mike Post’s Baa Baa Black Sheep theme music.
Chapis is in the final stages of publishing The Baa Baa Black Sheep Book, which will be released in Summer 2025. To be notified and secure your copy before anyone else, click HERE.
Born in Milan, Italy, Moreno moved to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His aviation passion began early, inspired by his uncle, an F-104 Starfighter Crew Chief, and his father, a military traffic controller. Childhood adventures included camping outside military bases and watching planes at Aeroporto Linate. In 1999, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to obtain his commercial pilot license, a move that became permanent. With 24 years in the U.S., he now flies full-time for a Part 91 business aviation company in Atlanta. He is actively involved with the Commemorative Air Force, the D-Day Squadron, and other aviation organizations. He enjoys life with his supportive wife and three wonderful children.
