#CockpitGlobeTrotters: Chronicles of Kire

In our last Globetrotters blog, I promised we would soon be meeting Luca’s mother, to follow along on her adventures as she field-tests classic Cockpit USA styles in Africa and around the world. Kire Godal has spent her career filming Africa’s vanishing cultures, and documenting wildlife conservation projects. Most recently she produced her first TV series, Minjiba Entertains. Her most recent adventure, Skypaths, brought her from the deserts of northern Kenya, to the steamy jungles of the Congo. During filming Kire even lived for weeks at a time in a tiny pup tent amid teeming herds of wildlife in the shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Kire started her career in her teens as a Ford model, later making the transition to working behind the camera. She quickly made a name for herself as a brilliant filmmaker, writer and producer. One of the most endearing aspects of my friend Kire, is that despite such exciting and successful endeavors, her proudest accomplishment has been simultaneously raising her loving family. Kire Godal Filming Tribes: Archives - Behind the Scenes from Kire Godal on Vimeo.   Kire was the first friend I contacted as soon as the Cockpit USA team approved my idea of having real people living adventurous lives field-test Cockpit USA products in Africa. Reaching out to Kire was the most natural thing in the world for me, as not only have we been friends for twenty years, but have worked together on film projects and on safari. Kire has that rare ability to look stylish and beautiful while doing physically demanding work in some of the world’s harshest climates, most rugged landscapes, and primitive condition. Over our 20 year friendship, I have come to know some very reliable facts about Kire’s packing necessities. Kire’s specialty is taking her film cameras, including a RED Dragon, into remote locations and all that camera gear doesn’t leave much room for trendy clothes. Whatever clothes Kire choses to pack into her trusty old Land Cruiser must provide protection from the elements, be comfortable, low-maintenance and long-wearing – and of course should look amazing. Those are the qualities that exactly describe American made Cockpit USA jackets, and that is why Kire fell instantly in love with the Cockpit USA Amelia Jacket. When I first presented Kire with her new Amelia Jacket, she and her son Luca were in the midst of filming her new Africa Channel TV series “Minjiba Entertains” so the Amelia jacket instantly became part of Kire’s uniform on location. As Second Camera Operator on the shoot, Luca was able to take some still photographs of Kire and Amelia at work.  Immediately after wrapping the TV episode, Kire packed up to travel with her boyfriend and collaborator in their production company, Paulo Ares to Portugal for work on one of her documentary films ‘Skypaths’. Paulo was the photographer for this shoot, capturing Kire on her travels with Amelia. We are delighted to share the first chapters of what we know will prove to be a long and happy association between Kire Godal and her Cockpit USA Amelia Jacket! -- Don Young, Brand Ambassador for Cockpit USA   •   Newland Tarlton & Co. Follow Kire on social to see her latest adventures. Facebook: Kire Godal Filmmaker   •   Instagram: @kiregodal  •   Vimeo: Kire Godal Films