Peter McKernan Jr.

Biography

Peter McKernan Jr. made aviation his route into filmmaking. A New Yorker who moved to California on the U.S. Pacific coast, he began with fixed-wing aircraft before turning to helicopters. He trained for years under his father, Peter McKernan Sr., and was working as an aerial coordinator on Airwolf in 1984. The following year he founded McKernan Motion Picture Aviation.

His work combined piloting with the planning and direction of aerial sequences. The company's account names Tour of Duty, Con Air and Collateral among productions featuring his stunt work. It also describes a substantial commercial career, including assignments that did not carry an on-screen credit.

Peter's professional roles have included second-unit director, aerial coordinator, stunt coordinator and technical adviser. His company biography lists membership in the Directors Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild and Motion Picture Pilots Association, alongside commercial qualifications in both helicopters and airplanes. It describes domestic and international production work involving contacts across aviation and the armed services.

The family record identifies him as the husband of Juliette “Julie” Walker McKernan and the father of Keelan McKernan. His own flying career is distinct from his father's: the years of training under Peter Sr. were the preparation for the younger Peter's separate company and filmmaking work.