10 Small Details That Make John Carpenter's The Thing Perfect
9. The Helicopter Wobble
In the film, both the Norwegian and American bases use a Bell 206 Jetranger Helicopter. Now, that is for a simple reason - it's the same machine with different decals.
Kurt Russell's MacReady is the pilot for the American base. He is a Vietnam veteran with, if not a drinking problem, then certainly a fondness for the stuff, as shown in his face off with the computer chess game - played by Carpenter's then-wife, Adrienne Barbeau.
In the scene where MacReady is flying to the Norwegian outpost with Dr. Copper to investigate what happened, there is a noticeable wobble mid-flight. In-film, this is suggested as a side-effect of his hard drinking and possible PTSD, left over from his time overseas.
In reality, that's actually Kurt Russell flying the Helicopter. He was assisted by another pilot and the wobble was created at the moment when the pilot turned over control of the craft to Russell, creating an accidental moment on film that adds a deeper layer to the character.
They then pilot that same helicopter back to the American base, carrying with them the terrifying split-face Thing.