Cloud Dancer is a 1980 aviation drama film directed by Barry Brown. The film stars David Carradine, Jennifer O'Neill and Joseph Bottoms. Cloud Dancer follows a competition aerobatics pilot throughout his show season.

Brad Randolph is the world champion aerobatics pilot but now, in his early 40s, he faces many challenges to maintain his position. He begins to have nosebleeds during his competitions, is diagnosed with hypertension, and the doctor recommends he not expose himself to strong G-forces anymore.

Intertwined with Brad's professional struggles is his relationship with photojournalist Helen St. Clair, who suddenly reappears after a year. He makes clear to her his intention of not getting married due to his dangerous profession and above all, of not having children, without explaining why. Helen is wary of telling him that while she was away she gave birth to his son. Brad's problems are compounded by the presence of a young competitor, Tom Loomis, whom Brad himself had encouraged to try aerobatics and quit drug smuggling.

So, Brad faces difficult decisions. There are some vicious drug dealers using a fighter airplane to ground down drug-smuggling planes to take their cargo, will he do something about it? Will he continue to compete despite his failing health and the death of a colleague due to G-LOC, something he risks himself? And, what will happen with Helen?

Director Barry Brown met aerobatic pilot Tom Poberezny in England, during the 1970 FAI World Aerobatic Championships, where he had the idea for the plot. It took several years for him to get financing and resolve the technical problems of filming with cameras that could withstand more than 3 g for actual competition-level maneuvers.

The film had a budget reported as of $3.5 million dollars, crediting the cooperation of organizations like the Experimental Aircraft Association, Piper Aircraft, Goodyear, and Narco Avionics.

Director Barry Brown, who also produced the film, co-wrote the story, and designed the aerial sequences, is a pilot and aeronautic engineer. Therefore, he wanted to ensure a film on aerobatic flying was authentic. Cloud Dancer's stunts were performed in real airplanes by real pilots, without the use of models or the still rare CGI. Two Pitts biplanes were specially built by Aerotek-Pitts in Afton, Wyoming, to include lightweight built-in cameras, able to resist up to 12 g, invented by Brown. The camera mounts were built into the primary structure of the airplanes: a tripod mount on the top wing, another on the handhold of the top wing of the S-2, wing mounts, side fuselage mounts, a tail mount, and one between the cockpits of the S-2 for close-ups of the rear seat occupant. These airplanes alone flew 160 hours for the filming. The shooting of the movie was in April 1978.

The technical advisor and chief pilot for Cloud Dancer was the former world champion aerobatic pilot, Tom Poberezny, who appears in the film as himself; together with Charlie Hillard, also named in the film, they made most of the flying for the film. The third member of the "Red Devils" Aerobatic Team, Gene Soucy, is also named in the film. Crowd scenes were shot at actual air shows in the Phoenix area, specifically, the ones at Falcon Field ("First Annual Arizona Festival of Flight," April 2), Chandler (April 5), and Deer Valley ("Festival of Flight," April 8–9). The film counted with the appearance of famed air show announcer Sonny Everett as himself.