BBMF prog "Flight" on BBC2 tonight at 7pm

[PPRuNe Pop]

A 30 minute film following the pilots as they prepare for the 50th anniversary fly-past of the BBMF.

[Max Shutterspeed]

Oh Bollox! Missed all but the last five minutes. Looked a good programme. Anyone know if it's going to be repeated?

Max

[_Quiet_Mason]

same here lol

[It's Not Working]

Congratulations to all involved, brought a tear to my eye.

[BEagle]

Saw the last half of it - very good indeed.

On my way back from Germany today, I was cosily ensconced in 1A reading Jack Currie's Lancaster Target - something of a coincidence. Actually I only had the last chapter to read and had toyed with the idea of finishing it off before I left and leaving it in the hotel library. Then thought again - perhaps they wouldn't be very happy......















....the hotel was in Dresden.

[Wycombe]

Very well put-together, great cinematography and good that they just let the guys describe what they do/how they feel to do it - just shows what the Beeb can do when they try :ok:

[Al R]

Well done Mr P and the Flt. We're proud of you.

Lest we forget.

[Tiger_mate]

I expected an ego overdose, and found the team quite humble and very respectfull. It was a breath of fresh air.

Big tick in the box fellers :ok:
....and you will always be appreciated by your public.

[eastern wiseguy]

Best thirty minutes of TV in ages.Now THAT was worth paying the licence fee for:ok:

[Navy_Adversary]

Typical BBC, a great programme and they only gave it 30 mins instead of an hour:ugh:

[Cremeegg]

Great photography but why spoil a programme featuring eight of the finest sounds on earth with loads of music. Had to strain to hear the glorious Merlin. The narrative even mentioned that the BBMF love to bring the sight and sound to the public. Cue for a glorious Merlin flypast but no, just more music. Such a shame.

[Droopystop]

What a great tribute to so many people - the fundraisers, the maintainers, the pilots and of course most importantly to those who gave their all. It brought a tear to my eye as the flight timed to perfection their fly past on Her Majesty's Birthday.

Proud to be British.

[stiknruda]

So - - - - when is it scheduled to be repeated?

Stik

[Snapshot]

Am aware it wasn't really appropriate to the theme of this excellent very emotive and moving program that I sat through with my 8 year old Son. However, it would have been just so fitting to have mentioned Alex Henshaw who passed away in February!
I true British Gentleman and friend AND one of the finest aviators and test pilots our country has ever known! Can never hear a Merlin and not think of him! RIP Alex
(in the unusual event that anyone reading this doesnt know who Alex was? He was the Cheif Spitfire Test Pilot at Castle Bromwich in Birmingham during the War! They tested the Lancs here too)
Hats off to the BBMF
AB :D

[Mike7777777]

As previously mentioned, a multitude of Merlins, a Griffon and a couple of those strange radial things, and the soundtrack is ...... musical instruments.

Defies belief.

Excellent photography though.

[windriver]

why spoil a programme featuring eight of the finest sounds on earth with loads of music


It's the broadcasters disease.. but at least we were spared the statutory "Calls Cost A Pound - Lines Close At Midnight But We'll Still Take Your Money" quiz.

Otherwise as interesting as they could make it in half an hour....

[kms901]

The programme was produced by BNT productions and will be available on DVD in a few months as part of a longer programme "A Year With The Flight"
Mine is already on order.

[EyesFront]

What a super little film. Stunning photography, and such pride and humility from the pilots - very conscious that they are lucky enough to have the best job in the world.
It brought to mind the experiences of all those 18-20 year old pilots making their first flights in a Hurricane or Spitfire after a few hours training in something much slower.
It was interesting to see that even pilots with "3000 hours on fast jets" found them hard to fly!

[Legalapproach]

Excellent programme, but did I hear correctly that when learning to fly the Typhoon you have the advantage of an instructor "alongside you". That would be in echelon port or starboard?:ok:

[Evalu8ter]

It was interesting to see that even pilots with "3000 hours on fast jets" found them hard to fly!

Not really surprising after 3000hrs of using footrests instead of rudder pedals!

Great programme though. Had a morning with "the flight" a couple of years ago after the TypHoon we were supposed to be fighting went "tech". Had the immense privilige of being invited into the Bomber as she was towed into the hangar after some engine runs, I can remember standing up out of the amidships escape hatch looking along those wonderful wings....and grinning like an idiot!! And as for the crewmen, well, we had to crowbar them away from the Brownings!

[aviate1138]

Snapshot
Do any of Alex Henshaw's Spitfire aerobatics exist on film? I gather it was breathtaking stuff. What a Man. :)
Aviate 1138

[Snapshot]

There is film but its usually clips thrown in to other programs!
There was a regular one on some channel that appeared over the years and at the end of the programs they would show in the titles a Spitfire flying low past some hangers and then low over a steam train on a bank! That was the flight sheds at Castle Bromwich! And of course the time when Mr Churchill came to Brum to see Alex display and told his entourage to hold his train that was waiting so he could talk with him afterwards! Apparently, that sort of thing never happend!
http://WWW.AVCOLLECT2.CO.UK/buccaneer/pprune/churchill02.jpg
Alex with the PM after the display outside his office at Castle Bromwich
AB

[Dr Jekyll]

There was a reference to new pilots being expected to fight in Hurricanes and Spitfires with only 30 hours on type. How many hours training on Moths and Harvards would they have received before flying fighters?

[MadsDad]

Dr. J.

I think that was 30 hours total (including ab initio, Tiger Moth) before they were sent out to fight. Maybe 8/10 hours Spit/Hurricane for some.

[stevef]

Some figures for the Arnold Scheme (WW2 RAF cadet flying training in the USA) are:
Primary Flying Training - 60 hours.
Basic Flying Training - 70 hours.
Advanced Flying Training, for example, took Jack Currie's (Lancaster, Halifax & Mosquito pilot who wrote three books on his wartime experiences) total to 250 hours, including 31 Night and 35 Instrument. Then, on return to Britain, conversion training would be required for whatever types the newly-qualified pilot had been selected for.
Flight training carried out in Britain was fifty or sixty hours less than the Arnold syllabus.

[Al R]

Pre order now.

http://www.bntproductions.co.uk/html/index.html (http://www.bntproductions.co.uk/html/index.html)

Does anyone know if any proceeds will be going to the Flt? I have the prog recorded on my hard drive for anyone, if they're not.

[BattlerBritain]

Great programme. Could have done with more Merlin sound as well.
I had to laugh when they showed the 'new' pilot trying to land the Hurricane. He bounced it a bit on the runway and his 'instructor' was shown talking to him from the Tower. I almost expected him to say "You can teach monkeys to fly better than that!" :ok:
I was worried that the newbie would bend the prop. He did seem to be tail high coming down and the spinner looked a bit close to the asphalt.
I had the priviledge to attend a Royal Aeronautical Society lecture at Boscombe given by Charlie Brown on flying Spits, Hurris and 109s etc. Charlie said that landing old warbirds was a 'bit tricky', especially on concrete. Ideally they do need to land on grass to allow the main wheels to skid or else they have a tendency to ground loop. Locking the tail wheel is also mandatory, especially on the 109.
Look forward to the repeat.

[SamCarter]

Hey all,

With regard to the Typhoon training, they initially start with the two seater T1 version, in order to get basic handling squared away, and after a first solo they move on to formation flying with multiple single seaters, usually one instructor at point with between one and three "students" in an arrowhead behind him, depending on their stage in the training programme, whom he then instructs over the radio to perform manouvers / checks / scout and returns etc. This all happens at Conningsby so that there can be anything up to 8 Typhoons in the circuit with a BBMF aircraft, flying at a fraction of their speed - daunting to say the least!

As for the programme on BBC2 - I was only told it was on *after* it had aired, and the link above - excellent though it is - is not the whole programme. Does anyone actually *know* if it will be repeated, or if that DVD mentioned actually carries the whole programme shown? I show a particular interest in this minutiae as I was told I featured briefly in it - anyone who was at Duxford or Biggin Hill may remember me trying to sell them BBMF anniversary booklets!