SkyWatch - Video (BBC 21/6/1974)

[TEEEJ]

Over the years I've noted posters asking about the SkyWatch programme from 1974. It has been uploaded on You Tube as of 22 July.

http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/278524-operation-skywatch.html

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/465224-bbc-military-documentaries-1950s-present-day.html

http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/249083-bbc-programme-skywatch-circa-1974-a.html

2VflzHApZ28

[BEagle]

Thanks very much for that, TEEEJ!

A glimpse of the RAF I joined...... On 21 June 1974 we were having dinner in College Hall when the Harrier flew over to take his photos spot on time.

Astonishngly, the entire programme was filmed and transmitted live!

[polyglory]

Excellent, many thanks for putting it up.

It brought back many happy memories:ok:

[chopd95]

Echo here Poly

Was there a better man than Raymond Baxter for such?

[Out Of Trim]

Wow! Thanks for that. It was also the RAF I joined in 1979. It was something to be proud of! :D :ok:

( Rant on )
Perhaps, David Cameron should be forced to watch this and then reflect on his and previous Governments cuts and how they have damaged and reduced our Forces to today's token effort. OK, the Cold War has ended for now, and you took far too large a peace dividend and have spent it on what! Hmm, Welfare scroungers that won't work and illegal immigrants chancing there arm from too soft UK.

New Nimrods bulldozed, Harriers given away, Millions of pounds wasted in poor procurement decisions. Can't decide what to fly off the New Carriers. Cat & Trap even if more costly gives more flexibility to operate with US and France. But U turns everywhere. This lot haven't got a clue! Apart from of course making as much money for themselves as possible. :ugh:

I used to vote Conservative, and hoped call me Dave would be different and right the damage Brown inflicted. But, all he has achieved is to add to the previous damage. Reneged on EU Referendum, Millions still wasted on useless EU club. :yuk:

I've learnt from his government though! U turn if you want to! This voter is now turning to UKIP.
( Rant Off )

[Hueymeister]

Fab video, the RAF I wanted to join.......

[BEagle]

21 June 1974 was a Friday, so we were already quite cheerful after Happy Hour at RAFC Cranwell and the Harrier overflight raised a cheer.

I see that the following week included an IF trip, 2 dual and 2 solo formation trips, a solo GH trip and a pre-night check. 7:10 JP5 time, including 3:05 solo, 2:05 hrs of IF, 8 IF approaches and 14 landings. Just one week of proper RAF flying training in the brilliant little JP5....

When once we had an air force......

[CoffmanStarter]

Many thanks TEEEJ ... I remember this very TV Programme fuelling my ambition to fly with the RAF. Not sure of exact dates now ... but I had a fantastic summer in either 73/74, just after O Level's, with ULAS when they held Summer Camp at RAF Manston ... and well remember Pat Plunkett along with Sandy Semple, John Prince and Phil Zarrager (hope I got Phil's surname right). As a very keen Air Cadet back then ... I pressed my uniform, polished my boots and hopped on the bus from Dover over to Manston ... did my best salute to their Boss and volunteered to make coffee, clean the pilot's crew room, run errands ... anything in fact to "earn" some Bulldog flying. I was richly rewarded ... as it happened, at the time, I believe the Bulldog Lycoming was prone to stopping during spinning ... so plenty of Air Test "sandbag" slots for me ! I still have my ULAS Badge which was presented to me by the CFI (Squadron Leader John Sewell I think) at the end of the camp ...

70's RAF the best :ok:

Best regards...

Coff.

[BEagle]

CoffmanStarter, it would have been Summer 1974.

I think it was Phil Zarraga, not Zarrager. I suspect that the boss was still Wg Cdr Maurice Foster and the CFI was indeed Sqn Ldr Jim (not John) Sewell.

JP was quite a character!

Glad to hear that your youthful enthusiasm and initiative paid off so handsomely!

[CoffmanStarter]

Thanks BEagle ...

Yes JP was certainly a character ! ... during the camp I helped him prep his civvy Beagle Pup for a spot of air racing ... all great fun a very long time ago.

Best ...

Coff.

[Tonka777]

Brilliant, thanks for posting the link! :ok:

[Dan Gerous]

Wow, I remember seeing this on TV, and what a joy, it is in colour. We only had a Black and White set back then. Thanks for posting that TEEJ, that was 45 minutes well spent.

[wub]

Excellent post. I watched this at RAF St. Mawgan and have always had the image of the Vulcan bombing the vehicles on Salisbury Plain in my mind. I later spent several years in the Air Defence environment and loved every minute of the RAF in this era. Nostalgia IS what it used to be.

[Al R]

Thanks TEEJ. I don't know what made me feel more crusty and nostalgic - seeing all that kit and hearing all those crisp modulated tones or watching a decent BBC outside broadcast.

Nice to see Raymond Baxter giving the SACs a name check. And a Nav running.

[Bertie Thruster]

Pity all the rotary bits were edited out!

[pacman1234]

Great video
When did the RAF stop bombing Salisbury Plain ?

[XV490]

...and the sun shone in June in those days, nigh on 40 :{years ago. Credit too to the BBC for such a splendid live OB - they'd do well to study it today.

[BEagle]

Pity all the rotary bits were edited out!

Were there any? I can't remember - but not many people were particularly interested in helicopters in those days, apart from yellow Whirwinds seen from a summer beach.

[Tankertrashnav]

Just checked my logbook for a look through 1974.

Two detachments to Luqa, two to Akrotiri, one to Gutersloh, one to Nellis to take the then new Jaguar for hot dry trials (weekend in Las Vegas - someone had to do it!) plus several bread and butter trips to Leuchars on Dragonflies - even they were enlivened by runs ashore to Dundee. On a routine basis, refuelled all of the FJ types seen in the programme.

Oh yes and I'd recently bought my first house, started a family, and the sun did shine all summer! I wonder if I realised how good life was - probably not!

Al R - a nav running? Such ungentlemanly behaviour would never have been seen on tankers :=

[Whenurhappy]

Just watched this in the office (sound turned down in order not to upset some former belligerants!). Great footage and, significantly, no 'dumbing down' by Raymnd Baxter. The audience were treated as intelligent adults (cf the appalling Jubilee Pageant narration).

I note the reference to the industrial torpor of 1973 and the Oil Crisis when referring to the Red Arrows reduction of training. Wouldn't even make news, these days...

[Al R]

a nav running? Such ungentlemanly behaviour would never have been seen on tankers :=
TTN,

Ok, ok. Lets say then, that he ambled in an expeditious manner and with focus and a sense of purpose. Perhaps thats why there is now a fitness test.. perhaps a 15 year old saw him at the time and and thought 'Grr. When I'm making decisions there, they'll all be running much better and they'll thank me for it.. I know, I can call it a bleep test'.

What was interesting :8 was how they all played to the camera. The OTR team had no sense of cynicism and they all got stuck in because they knew the camera was on them not despite of it. CAS seemed stiff (gulp) without a klingon in sight and the Nav who handed the air fots to Wing Commander Warren even braced up for a second before turning away. Didn't anyone even wear coolio sunglases in those days???

I was back at Wittering last week and how 1(F)'s old hanger has grown. And Vigo Wood? Then, it was Vigo Copse. Where did they get that name from? Time to rest.

[Navaleye]

Absolutely fantastic! Made my day. Thank you for posting.

Navaleye

[Old Bricks]

A navigator running? I should think not. The reference to Flt Lt Derek Dunnachie being Wg Cdr Warren's nav was correct, but the man running and bringing the enlarged prints was one of the phots from the RIC - hence his overalls rather than a growbag. Whole thing caused great mirth at Laarbruch, with DD the butt of many comments.

[blaireau]

Yes it was indeed a good year. Just looked back at my logbook for '74. It includes:

F4K 230hrs including 66 deck landings.
Hunter 20hrs
Chipmunk 2hrs

Various riotous nights in Malta and Gibraltar and Tangier courtesy of GKXS (RIP).

Happy Days.

[Al R]

Wg Cdr Warren

He had great diction and poise, a beautifully modulated and calm delivery. Amazing if you consider the Mod probably didn't even have media handling courses then. How did we all survive? It baffles me, it really does.

[J.A.F.O.]

Thank you for posting the video.

Please excuse me, I seem to have something in my eye.

[Bertie Thruster]

Were there any? I can't remember - but not many people were particularly interested in helicopters in those days

RAF '74, a few choppers; Puma, Gazelle, Whirlwind, Wessex, (Wessex Royal Flight.)

[BEagle]

RAF '74, a few choppers; Puma, Gazelle, Whirlwind, Wessex, (Wessex Royal Flight.)

Of that I am well aware. But I don't remember seeing any in Skywatch, so don't know whether they were deleted from the video which has now been uploaded to YouTube.....

[Bertie Thruster]

I'm afraid my 'edited out' comment was an attempt at some sarcasm from the 'second class rotary' sector!

[BEagle]

Ah - I see.

Back in those days, students who didn't want to fly anything except Buccaneers, Harriers, Jaguars, Lightnings or Phantoms were viewed with deep suspicion and little sympathy by their QFIs.

At Brawdy in early 1976, after yet another hard day in difficult weather, our jovial Flt Cdr bounced into the crewoom to make himself a cup of tea. Seeing a bunch of rather weary students, he quipped "Well, if you think it's all too difficult, you can always volunteer for helicopters - I hear they're a bit short"....

Two of them took him at his word :rolleyes:. They were off the station the next day and on their way to their new postings within a few days......

To Finningley as U/T navigators....:\

[kokpit]

That's pretty much the Airforce I joined in 1980, but a shadow of its former self 25 years later, when I thought it was time to look to pastures new.

A great few minutes spent there watching that, thanks for bringing back so many happy memories!!

[Bertie Thruster]

My mentioning of 'Chuck' and 'PT' (Whirlybirds Section (http://www.bell47.net/WB/WBSection.htm)),
at OASC in '74, was met with stony silence, in the interview room!

[Alber Ratman]

Great to see it in colour, I do remember watching it in 1974, but on the parents black and white.. Always remember the Vulcan dropping the 21 stick, a TV image that happily seemed to have stayed similar in the episodic memory to the Youtube showing 38 years later.. I'm only 46!:8

Very much like the Airforce I joined 10 years later.. I did see 4 Vulcans flying together.. 50 Sqn disbandment flypast around Lincolnshire.. Tornados were starting to replace the Jags, but a lot of the aircraft types were the same..:ok:

[Bill16STN]

Fantastic blast from the past! - I used to live in Stamford (adjacent to RAF Wittering) & can remember jumping between the telly & the window, seeing airplanes take of on the telly & then watching as they flew over the house a few mins later. Have to love the diversity of the aircraft involved! :ok:

[BEagle]

Just think how things had changed in the 38 years before Skywatch, compared with the 38 years since.....:mad:

[UpShutter]

I'm sure the BBC could produce an updated version with today's kit, probably without the live weapons and VTOL element but I doubt if they'd bother. If they did I wonder if it would be viewed with the same nostalgia in 38 years time.

[STANDTO]

This got me thinking. In the theatres we have operated in over the last 30 years, right up to date, would any of those a/c types have been found wanting?

When we are talking about gen 5 fighters now being designed, one does wonder what imaginary threat they will be countering. It never seems to be the one they are designed for.