BBC fighter pilot series from the 80s

[BlackandBrown]

Fighter Pilots - Episode 1 - "Dreams" 1981 BBC documentary Series complete - YouTube

There are several others if you follow the side menu. Enjoy!

[BBadanov]

That introductory flying is, of course, a XV SQN Bucc in Germany.
The only guy to get through the Fighter Pilot series and CR on a squadron was FGOFF John McCrea, who arrived on the unit in 1982.

[Skeleton]

Done to death in at least three other threads.

[thunderbird7]

...but still an inspiration for many of us of a certain age....:D

I learnt about singly living from that...:}

[Courtney Mil]

Oh, yes. I seem to remember the AOC having a hissy fit when he saw in one episode that the studes had a tomato sauce bottle on the table. Officers with a sauce bottle on the table?!?! Standards!

[newt]

And not just a hissy fit over the sauce bottle but the chips as well!! All students back in the Mess in double quick time after episode 8!!

I did not remember our hair being that long back then! How times have changed.


Have to agree with Skeleton. This has been done to death now:bored::bored::bored::bored:

[Whopity]

Initially all the people they chose to film at Henlow were chopped so they had to go back and re-film that part with people who had graduated.

[Pontius Navigator]

This fits quite well with the OCU and training thread and also with the Wannabee thread. OK, 30 years ago now but given the modern education system is it any easier now?

I know that the output at Cranwell is pretty good but there are many hurdles after that.

[BEagle]

And not just a hissy fit over the sauce bottle but the chips as well!! All students back in the Mess in double quick time after episode 8!!

Having lived out for 3 years whilst at Sunny Scampton, I thought nothing of submitting an application to live out when I found somewhere to live near Wattisham after I joined 56(F). Although I was approaching the age of 31, 'Buzzy' told me that the squadron didn't let people live out until they were operational... "In that case, perhaps I should ask to go back to the more mature world of the V-force" didn't go down too well, but he did at least relent and allow me to move out of the OM....

A few years later, my boss asked my opinion of the 'must live in for the first year' rule which was being mooted. As property prices were booming at the time, I told him it'd be like fining first tourists £5000 as that was the likely increase in the cost of a house they'd be facing, if forced to exist in the Officers Mess for a year. He saw my point and the station Wg Cdrs then convinced the Stn Cdr that such a rule would be totally unreasonable. They won him over and the rule was quietly ignored......

[Pontius Navigator]

BEagle, good point. In the mid 80s my house was earning rather more than that and in fact more than my take home pay.

[360BakTrak]

I do chuckle in episode 2 where the candidates get taught how to iron! :E

[Busta]

My advice to convexees was "learn the jet, learn the job and don't buy a house just yet"

Nothing matters very much, most things don't matter at all.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Later '80s. I bought a house when posted to first OCU. Cost of keeping a mess room for appearances 200pm. Rate of increase of house value 5,500pm (sold it after 4 months for 22,000 profit).

On arrival at first squadron(11 Gp), bought another house immediately. Rule still in place but nobody even questioned my living out. I was the JP aged 26.

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

At BFT in 90/91, one of my team mates was a re-tread FJ Nav who wa stold to move back into the Mess (from his flat in Leeds with a live-in 'chum'). Hre elected to pay for a room in the Mess and continue to live in Leeds!

We were also banned from having beans at lunch - baken beans is not an officers' vegetable!

Duncs:ok:

[redcandle]

Ah, No 330 OMC Henlow, Oct 78 - Feb 79. We were the number two squadron for Red Squadron who comprised most of episodes 2 and 3 and who are shown graduating there. Jeepers, there's even a 5 sec clip of me in one of those episodes and I still recognise plenty of other faces 34 years on, students and DS.

I remember Robbie Low well. Some of the other members of that squadron went on to some quite good things. At least one, C***e B******w reached Air Rank and so far as I know still serves.

G*y S*******l was last ever OC Jaguar OCU at Colt. D***d M****n become Mr Chinook and Mike Hale has been mentioned on these forums before, in particular his "bouncing" of a U2 in a Lightning.

I wonder if any of them, or any other members of Blue Squadron lurk on these forums.

[WillieTonka]

Red Candle
If I remember correctly, they filmed at our graduation because the BBC technicians went on strike during their own graduation. If you look carefully at the copy of the 'London Gazette' from which the newly commissioned officers' names are being read (during the balcony scene) you can see that he is actually using a piece of paper 'cos the gazette contained our course's names. :hmm:

[Pontius Navigator]

Not only don't buy your house yet, don't sell and move either.

A particular nav, highly skilled in the slow, methodical and painstaking V-force ways was posted to the great Shacklebomber, not as a nav but as a scopie and well outside his comfort zone. He failed very quickly but now had a house at Lossie and no prospects.

Give Innsworth its due, they got him a slot in ops so at least he didn't have to up sticks again so soon.