Doco/Reality Show about Spitfire - ABC Sept 1st

[SkySista]

Hello all,

for anyone interested in this sort of thing, the ABC will be showing a part-documentary, part reality show about Spitfires. As well as showing some of the history of the aircraft and commentary from vets, modern-day pilots will compete to have a chance at learning to fly a Spitfire in "combat", with only 9 hours of instruction - the same as a pilot would have got during the war.

Sounds like interesting stuff, will run over four weeks i believe...

Check it out 8:30pm Thurs Sept 1st (or check local guide for time in your state) :D

SS

From the ABC website:
Spitfire Ace
First Of The Few
8:30pm Thursday, September 1, 2005


Not just a celebration of the iconic emblem of the Battle of Britain, Spitfire Ace, also has an element of reality TV.

While the famous fighter plane takes centre stage, the program also tests modern-day pilots in WWII conditions as four young aviators compete for a nine-hour training course in a rare two-seater Spitfire.

Nine hours of operational training is all a Battle of Britain pilot would have received before he faced the might of Hitler's dreaded Luftwaffe.

This glorious four-part series features dramatic footage of the mother of all aerial battles, but the real stars are the veteran pilots and their heroic accounts are compelling.

The modern-day pilots are instructed by Brian O'Brian, a dashing figure with flowing hair and a spotted cravat, and Carolyn Grace, who owns the two-seater training Spitfire.

Carolyn has her own poignant story and she is the only woman in the world qualified to pilot the fighter. "Learning to fly the Spitfire after other planes is like comparing a VW Beetle to a Formula One car," she says. "It is hard to handle and a major responsibility to fly."

The plane itself claimed the first Spitfire "kill" over the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. It made 176 operational sorties but always managed to avoid serious damage.

The four young volunteers (John Sweet, Ben Westoby-Brooks, David Mallon and Christian Baker) are first put through their paces in a Tiger Moth - the plane used for preliminary training by the Battle of Britain pilots.

The two strongest pilots then get the chance to fulfil every young boy's dream - to fly a Spitfire for themselves. The 21st-century Spitfire class is then narrowed down to just one pilot who goes on to learn how to fly a Spitfire in combat - quite a prize.


Documentary Subtitles CC PG

[Shiny Side Up]

This series ran in the US a while ago. Nice air to air and cockpit footage interspersed with PAINFULLY drawn out talking head stuff. My advice is to record it, and when watching it later FF through the waffle. I do not mean to take anything away from the vets featured in the series, those gents have my utmost admiration. It was more the OTT narration that grated on me.

[tinpis]

Yes its this sort of drivel that gives the game away.............


"Learning to fly the Spitfire after other planes is like comparing a VW Beetle to a Formula One car," she says. "It is hard to handle and a major responsibility to fly."

[prospector]

The measure of success as a fighter pilot in that conflict was the number of "kills".

Compare the number of "kills" the top luftwaffe pilots attained compared to the to Allies totals. In the hundreds. The top allied score, 38 from memory.

It would appear the luftwaffe pilots were not so much affected by "battle fatigue" and really built up much experience in air combat.

No wonder their "kill" rate was so high when pilots with as little as nine hours ops training were pitted against them, and then when the ones that survived were getting a bit of experience they were pulled from the line for a "rest".

Prospector

[NoseGear]

prospector, you have some errors in your claims there. The German pilots were more experienced from earlier campaigns, mainly the Condor legion in Spain, so initially they did have the upper hand. However if you look at the record of "kill ratio" in the Battle of Britian, the RAF had a slightly better record, even with the inexperienced pilots of the RAF.
The Germans were as affected by "battle fatigue" as anyone else, but their policy at the time was to keep flying combat until they were either killed, shot down or injured. That also explains why some of the Luftwaffe pilots had over 100 kills, I think the top guy had something like 328. Your right about the top allied pilot, 38 enemy aircraft, Air Vice Marshal J.E "Johnny" Johnson, who recently passed away. He was never shot down, never even a bullet hole in his aircraft, and all his kills were enemy fighters, which is another difference with alot of the Germans, who shot down allied bombers in great numbers.

The spitfire show sounds interesting, I personally would give my left one to fly a spitfire!:E :ok:

Nosey

[prospector]

Nosegear,

Was not my intent to make claims as such, the figures speak for themselves, many Luftwaffe pilots had scores of over 100, very few allied pilots had scores near 30, and even fewer more than 30. That is fact. The reasons that these figures are as they are would fill many pages and never come to a conclusion that everybody could accept!!!

It is however a very good example of the value of experience, as many of these luftwaffe pilots were still alive at the end of the war.

Prospector

[tinpis]

...and we worked with a few (RNZAF types)in the dungdusting industry didnt we prospector?
They all had one thing in common....christ they could drink piss!
Remember old Tony Glwascki? (sp) they reckon the only reason he never got shot down was he couldnt fly straight and level..

[gsf]

Not quite true Tinny, he was shot down once by a 109.
He finished the war with a score of 8 confirmed, 3 probable, and 3 damaged.

Flying with Tony was an experience to be remembered, he certainly let the aircraft know who was the boss. :D

[El Oso]

"Apples and oranges" really.

I would never stick my neck out by claiming that either Allied or Axis pilots were generally any better than each other, most literature, and opinions I have had from those were involved suggests things were very close indeed.

To put it in perspective the large Luftwaffe totals were in most cases made largely from the Russian front - known affectionately as the "the meat market" by Luftwaffe fighter pilots in 42-43'. Experienced luftwaffe fighter pilots with every advantage were slaughtering inexperienced Russian pilots in obselete types such as the biplane Polikarpovs. As another poster pointed out, when faced with an equal enemy the ratios were very similar, and the Luftwaffe also suffered high loss rates later in the war when they too had mostly inexperienced pilots.

Having known a few who flew Spits, Typhoons etc, I remember they expressed respect for their adversaries and with the passage of time (and dare I say some maturing) wished only that they had met them in less aggressive situations. One decorated kiwi RAF Spit ace I knew made the point that often the difference between being an "ace" and dead was nothing more than pure dumb luck and claimed some of the best pilots he ever served with died without "kills" through lack of confirmation or misfortune, etc.

Still like to fly that Spitfire though!

:ok:

[Meeb]

tinpis....

Yes its this sort of drivel that gives the game away.............

"Learning to fly the Spitfire after other planes is like comparing a VW Beetle to a Formula One car," she says. "It is hard to handle and a major responsibility to fly."


You obviously have not got a clue who Carolyn Grace is, perhaps you should have before making such a dumb posting... :mad:

[gaunty]

You obviously have not got a clue who Carolyn Grace is me neever and I'm not feeling deprived, should I?
I do know a few Spitfire pilots who all speak of the aircraft in glowing terms but most would say "It is hard to handle and a major responsibility to fly." is a little OTT, but then if you have spent your life in VW Beetles anything else IS an F1.

[OH410E]

Tin says thank you gaunty.
He said if he was able to log on he would have said something similar but perhaps a little more colourful.:E

[Super Cecil]

Wasn't Carolyn Grace Australian? and wasn't he hubby killed in an ex Australian export Spitfire?

[OpsNormal]

http://www.ml407.co.uk/Graphics/mummyphoto.JPG

and this: The History Chanell version of Carolyn Grace. (http://www.spitfire.thehistorychannel.co.uk/site/competition/history.php)

Enjoy.;)

[Super Cecil]

I was half right, the bloke killed in the ex-oz machine was a developer or dealer type like Nick. He also had a collection of machinery.

[gaunty]

Well there you go, keeping the dream alive.:ok:

Still think it was a bit OTT, but then if you are trying to scare money out of the punters then I suppose a bit of showmanship doesn't go astray.

Cheers,
Dumber

[prospector]

tinpis,

Did you follow that link from ops normal?? The spitfire in question was John Houlton's machine for a time. He was working for Thames Aerial Topdressing, based at Dargaville, when I was at Kaipara Flats.

He was instrumental, along with Don Hutton, in setting up the first Agricultural Pilot"s Association. Had the first meeting at Wanganui 63 or 64 or thereabouts. Really put the cat among the pidgeons, nearly everyone that attended was sacked, but as it was the majority of the pilots we were reinstated quite quickly.

Prospector

[7gcbc]

my understanding is that relative to the types of the day the spit (marks II up to IX) were pretty nice to handle, The late Mark Hanna mentioned in an interview that it was a very harmonious and "talkative" aircraft to fly, letting you know well in advance of when it was going to depart _ the example spoken about was pulling a hard turn and accelerated stall. It is a given that it is a high performance aircraft.

Not withstanding the ergonomic mess of the cockpit, Hanna mentions that it was not really all that bad, and was certainly better designed for handling forgivness than the 109's he had flown, easier to land, a no surprise stall and so forth, its all relative of course, but apparently the spit practically YELLS at you to ease off , where as the first you know about it in a 109 is you're on your back, or worse still flick you into a spin in the opposite direction you were going in.

I hasten to add, it is of course , all relative.

[tinpis]

Thanks for that prospector..er shucks thats goin back a bit innit?:\
Just as an aside I saw a little while ago another old Robbies duster pilot Brian Thornton belting around kiwi in his new P51 Mustang ?
Good to see someone made a quid :sad:

[Woomera]

tinnie me old, welcome back. :ok:

There's something I've been missing all these years that I've only just thunk out.

Most of the seriously good and therefore seriously expensive warbirds are owned by croppies or ex croppies.

Ergo croppies have made, are making a shovel full or two in aviation, which as you are well aware is against some several dozen laws, regulations, orders, CAAPs or the other.

Therefore the evidence suggests that the carefully crafted downhome 'n dusty, @rse hanging out of trousers characters, superbly maintained machines disguised as something out of an Alby Mangels spectacular being flown like they stole it image has worked.

1. Regulators are too scared/intimidated to go near em
2. Tax man can't find anyone on staff who can outdrink em.
3. They dont have to carry SLF
3. We get to see fantastic gear and we all win.

:ok: :}

[tinpis]

Yeh Woomi buggered if I know why more of these kids dont wanna have a go at it?

er...another thing occurred to me maybe old croppies can step into these old birds without being scared of the "Formula one" hoo hah :p :p

Har har the thought of a Fletcher to a Mustang.

[Horatio Leafblower]

Yeah its tough ennit??

And there is one "Dungy" teaching his LAME's to fly... right through... in warbirds!

Chippy for Ab Initio, Bird Dog for Nav.

And he needs someone to lend a hand on the nav....:E :ok:

[tinpis]

Well theres a challenge ....teaching a LAME Nav!...much harder than getting a bunch of hooray Henrys up to speed in nine hours on a Spit !

You could charge to watch that..:p

[gsf]

Meeb: Have you seen the June 2005 issue of Aeroplane ?

It has a recent quote by Alex Henshaw "...and all those hundreds of young boys who flew it; they hadn't any experience at all, and the Spitfire is so easy to fly."

Edited to ask, do you know who Alex Henshaw is ?

[tinpis]

Have a look at this blokes logbook.
Not a lot of hours here!



http://home.scarlet.be/~braf/350Sqn/images/131sqn/log%20book%20MENU%20021.jpg


And some nice old Spitfire guff.
Hmmm...P/O N.M.G de Hemptinne wonder if we were related?

http://home.scarlet.be/~braf/350Sqn/stories/131sqn.htm:hmm:

[Meeb]

gsf, I do not read spotters mags, sorry.

[Pinky the pilot]

Back somewhere around 1987 I was glider towing, flying a 235HP Pawnee (an ex Kiwi Cropduster actually) and a gentleman showed up for a weeks course.
Turned out he was newly retired from the RAAF and had flown them all. 'A few hours in a Hurricane' then Spitfires, Meteors,Vampires and Sabres with a few rides in Mirages and was lucky enough to score one ride in an F111, was his comment.
I asked him just what was the Spitfire like to fly, how difficult and what experience was required. He pointed at the Pawnee and asked,
"How many hours you got on that?"
At the time I had just over 500 hrs on type and said so. His comment was as follows
"I'd sit you in the cockpit of a Spit, run you through the checklists 'til you could do them with your eyes shut. Then get you to start it up and off you'd go. And you'd have no problems!"
And to paraphrase a previous poster, I'd give my left one to fly a Spit!! Once said that to my late Father too, who was a Sunderland Pilot in WW11.

You only live twice. Once when
you're born. Once when
you've looked death in the face.

[gaunty]

tinpis I keep dragging his wonderful book "Sigh for a Merlin" out and wandering through the pages.

The sheer number of hours he flew per year test flying them is only overshadowed by the number of flights, I haven't got the book to hand but something like 2,000 hrs pa and 5,000 odd flights comes to mind for many years

Meeb I can only assume your remark was in the mode of dry wit.:rolleyes: I doubt there is anyone in the world who has as many hours certainly not more landings, than this particular gentleman.

Go google.

[Gnadenburg]

Sorry late on the debate on Luftwaffe & Allied victories.

The USAF did a study in the '50's as to why German pilots had such high kill counts- Rall, Hartmann etc over 300!

Most of which has been mentioned here but an important deduction was that in terms of kills per sortie, if Allied pilots had been exposed to a continuos aerial battle ( as German pilots were over Europe 39-45 ) there was mathematical liklihood of multiple Aliied pilots with 300 plus kills aswell.

Was there mention in the documentary of the dud Spitfires Churchill sent Australia in it's our of need?

[El Oso]

Gnadenburg. Appreciate the sentiment, but at least OZ got some "dud" spitfires.

When your Kiwi neighbours asked the UK for fighters they were told NO because "Britain comes first".

Given the thousands of Kiwis in the UK or North Africa helping dig the UK out of its own sh*t for the 2nd time in 30 years, and that the day WW2 started the NZ govt donated new squadrons of Wellingtons and their crews to the RAF (75 SQDN), it must be one of the most ungrateful acts in military history.

NZ turned to the USA, who supplied 424 F4U's and 297 P40's + transports, bombers, PBY's etc. When I hear people complaining about loyalty to the US, I remember that.

The so called "mother country" shat on NZ while NZ was defenceless and busy fighting their war for them - again, not to mention feeding and clothing them etc.

As I understand it the only airworthy Spitfire supplied to NZ was Kiwi AVM Sir Keith Park's (now in the Auckland Museum). And that was after the war!

:*

[tinpis]

LF Mk.XIVe, TE456 (c/n CBAF-IX-4590 or CBAF-23682) is on static display at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Taken on charge by the RAF on August 8 1945, the aircraft initially went into storage at 6 MU at Brize Norton. It was issued to 501 RAuxAF Squadron at Filton in March 1946 (coded RAB-J), and then to 612 RAuxAF Squadron at Dyce in May 1949 (coded 8W-?). The aircraft was stored from July 1951 until August 1953, after which it served with 3 CAACU. During this time it also appeared in "Reach for the Sky". On July 5 1956 the aircraft went to 47 MU, and was grounded on July 20. In 1956 after representations by Sir Keith Park, the aircraft was presented by the Air Ministry in recognition of New Zealand service during World War II. It was struck off charge on August 30 and prepared for shipping, being despatched on September 30. The aircraft was then put on display in the Auckland War Memorial Museum wearing the post 1951 silver scheme and the code 43 from its time with 3 CAACU. In 1997 the aircraft was refurbished (along with the Museum's Mitsubishi A6M3) in readiness for moving to new display areas. Interestingly, the work on the aircraft was carried out in a public gallery. Having been displayed in natural metal, the restoration team found evidence of camouflage having been present from its time with 501 Squadron. The aircraft is now presented in the colours of 501 'County of Gloucester' Squadron marked RAB-J.

[El Oso]

Marvellous detail Tinpis - thank you.

I have seen the Spit in question many times over the last 40 years or so. In Silver, and a few months back in its "new" camoflage. Used to be a well used drip tray under the donk and once saw 2 attendants pulling the prop through, I imagine its all but airworthy.

Nice to see that there is a small display of Kiwi RAF pilots adjacent - 485 SQDN, etc.

Sad to say all the ex RAF Kiwi spit pilots I knew have now passed on. All sharp as a tack to the last!
:ok:

[tinpis]

I liked it silver.
Shame they didnt keep it that way.

[tinpis]

Ok...ok I m gonna watch it in 16 minutes,

[7gcbc]

Ah good old BOB (sans cravat, cigar and monocle) as the instructor chekin' out the students in ACDC, flown her myself a few times, although I'm at wits end to understand how the RAF student described her as responsive ?????????? - Good job they sit behind BOB then :D

Wonder wher SKP was, and a noticeable absence was Gerry with his can of WD40 spraying the leads.............before start.

Spit looked nice, but Carolyn ain't letting them touch naught near the ground, spit classic bounce is really a tail first is it not ?

Good to see the mancunian PPL make it through.

[OZBUSDRIVER]

Nice aerial footage. Gives me the impression of no more reality than a joy-flight. Still, would give over both the jewels for a ride.
Now if I am realy nice to my lovely wife, I could convince her that $1300 is money well spent for a flight in BOB.

[kookabat]

WOW!!! Some great air to air footage on that...
Would be awesome to have the opportunity to do that!!! Just to have 'Spitfire' in the logbook... :p


Looks like great fun... Top stuff.

[7gcbc]

Quote:


"Now if I am realy nice to my lovely wife, I could convince her that $1300 is money well spent for a flight in BOB"

careful what you wish for.........:)

[Buster Hyman]

Those were good models weren't they Dr O...very realistic!

[Hempy]

LOL Tinpis, you could have at least used quotes or just post the link

LF Mk.XIVe, TE456....... (http://www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/spitfire.html)

:}

[tinpis]

Just watched it last night.
Carolyns giving dual from the front seat???
:p
After all the "HANDING....OVER....ROGER...ROGER ! " palava ,our hero is encouraged to engage in a few spine tingling rate one turns with a reversal.
Geezaz.
The old geezers made it worth while ..."couldnt have the blighter gerry coming over here and flattening mothers cucumbers..."
This while sat in the drawing room of his mothers 300 acre property....
Nice old plane Carolyn, ditch the carnie come on.

[PLovett]

tinpis

Think you may be making a few assumptions about the size of the garden. ;)

As regards the difference in scores between the German and Allied pilot, apart from the reasons already mentioned, another factor was that after 1940 the combat between fighters took place over occupied territory. If an allied pilot was shot down and survived he was most probably in captivity. When you read the histories of of the German pilots it is quite astounding how many times some of their highest scoring pilots were shot down but survived.

I realise that statement is a generalisation so please no flaming about specific incidents that took place over allied territory.

Anyway, given the comments from the veterans in last night's episode, it appears that on the allied side at least, personal scores were a very private thing.

What came through was the tremendous courage (even if they would deny it) these men showed when day after day they would be fighting for their lives against an enemy that at that time had much better knowledge and tactics for aerial fighting. My gratitude for that is endless. :ok:

[tinpis]

And another thing....wasnt it pretty well the Hurricane that took the load in the BOB?

The Mark XVI spit they started to get a few things right by putting in a reliable Packard Merlin

A Packard powered Spit

http://www.nzfpm.co.nz/images/large/31.jpg

[Buster Hyman]

Which version had the 5 bladed prop?

[Hempy]

And another thing....wasnt it pretty well the Hurricane that took the load in the BOB?

http://www.users.on.net/~drew.dickson/Work/Order%20of%20Battle.jpg

Which version had the 5 bladed prop?

The XIV, Griffon 61 powered

http://www.air-and-space.com/20040516%20Chino/Dsc_0491%20Spitfire%20Mk.XIV%20N54SF%20right%20front%20in%20 flight%20l.jpg

[gaunty]

Last night was the best yet, with the old timers reminiscing about their luck and the cannon fodder side that isn't talked about much.

Alex Henshaw the factory test pilot was a welcome surprise with a gazillion hours and 4 gazillion landings per year acceptance test flying, there's few who would know as much about the aircraft.

Later that night there was a Discovery programme with many of the same chaps and some brilliant footage some of it used in the the above.

The World War 11 poem "Naming of the Parts" by Henry Reed always put it in perspective for me.
Lessons of the War Parts I thru VI (http://www.solearabiantree.net/namingofparts/namingofparts.html)

It certainly was their finest hour

[tinpis]

They had a Griffon powered Spit (Rolls Royces) based at Castle Don when i was there.On a nice summers day the then Rolls royce pilot would roll it out for a few curcuits.
Major disappointment was the sound not the nice crackle of a Merlin at all but a sort of pop pop pop dont know why maybe the supercharging and the prop?
It pranged a bit later.

[OZBUSDRIVER]

Would be interesting to see how much horizon you can see from the back seat.

[Ultralights]

i have never flown in a tandem seat aircraft, but isnt the instructor usually in the rear? as they were when they were in the tiger?

[gaunty]

Usually but these converted single seater fighter types usually use the "room" for the extra bod down in the fuselage behind the original cockpit.
The real pilot sits up front coz he gets the best view, which I understand is what keeps em alive in combat.

[Pinky the pilot]

Tinpis; I remember once talking to a gentleman who had worked on many Merlins and Griffons over the years and he made the comment that the Merlin was by far the 'sweetest sounding' of the two. Also, that the Griffon, unlike the Merlin which when running perfectly was a smooth running engine always seemed to run roughly.
He further stated that if a Griffon suddenly started to run smoothly like a Merlin it was generally about to have a catastrophic failure!! There was once an article in the British magazine 'Aeroplane Monthly' which expressed similar views.


You only live twice. Once when
you're born. Once when
you've looked death in the face.

[tinpis]

Tiger Moth instructor flew front seat coz the rear is where you fly solo from.
Same as Pitts.
I dont know what the thinking behind the T9 was the Spit being a very simple type .
Perhaps it was considered a better way to train advanced tactics?
The P51 had a dual conversion but I m sure it was only the Cavalier conversion that was done in the 60's to the 51H model.

[7gcbc]

well Pete Brothers flight in that spit last Thursday brought me close to tears, wonderful stuff........

the rudder trim trick is an old one, as the germans did it also, but whatever works works I guess

[SkySista]

True I thought it was a nice way to end the program... admit I got teary as well... I wonder if they just put him in as seen on camera or whether he did some flying beforehand... either way I can imagine he felt just like a young bloke again...

Unfortunately I missed a lot in between for various reasons, but it was also interesting to see the men in hte 'guinea pigs' club, the surgeons in those days did some amazing stuff and it's got me interested to read more about those guys...

The only thing is, for the pilot who ended up flying out of the four, someone joked to me it's a little cruel letting him fly that bird because now he's addicted and will cost him a fortune to keep up with it!! :}

[OZBUSDRIVER]

I gave up watching the show two weeks ago. Did they finally let the guy into the front seat? If it wasn't for the aerial footage and the interviews it would just be a contrived joyflight if it didn't end with at least a circuit with "SELF" in the logbook.

[gaunty]

The look on Bob Does face when he got flying in the Spitfire again was worth sitting through all of the "training, left hand down a bit" schlock.

He looked like he had been flying it only yesterday, the expression "happy like a dog with two tails" comes to mind.

I'll bet a couple of hours famil and he would have been flying it like an ace.

One can only imagine what was going through his head, remembrance of horrors and mates past and the sheer joy of it. I hope Carolyn had the good grace to just shut up and let him get on with enjoying it.

[UnusualAttitudes]

Gutted that I missed the last episode.

Dont suppose anyone in the Melb area has a copy do they???

[AerocatS2A]

The Mark XVI spit they started to get a few things right by putting in a reliable Packard Merlin

A Packard powered Spit [picture snipped]

Ah yes, the Packard Merlin.

Q, What's the difference between a Packard Merlin and a Rolls Royce Merlin?

A, The Packard has the oil on the inside :)

And that picture is quite special for us Dunnunder & Godzoners, an Australian Spitfire owned by NZer Tim Wallis and flown by NZ born Englishman Ray Hanna.

[tinpis]

the rudder trim trick is an old one, as the germans did it also, but whatever works works I guess

Ach !...zere vass nein rudder trimmin in zer vun oh nine

[pall]

:{

We can't get the ABC, so i missed the whole series.

Will it come out on DVD?

I hope so.

[Woomera]

AerocatS2A yea and just look at the amount of "bite" on those propellers.:ok:

[b_j_a]

Which version had the 5 bladed prop?



The XIV, Griffon 61 powered

Mks 21 through to 24 also had 5 bladed propellers and were powered by Griffon engines. Some of the Mks in between had 2x 3 bladed contra-rotating propellers.

I think a couple of Seafires had the 5 bladed propeller also as well as the successor to the Spitfire, the short-lived Spiteful

Mk22 Spitfire:

http://home.att.net/~david.pride/Aviation/images/Osh_17.jpg

Spiteful:
http://www.ww2incolor.com/gallery/albums/British/The_494_mph_Supermarine_Spiteful.jpg

[Buster Hyman]

Finally got to watch it last night. It was great to see the old boy up there...I wonder if they just let him do it, or if they sought permission for him to fly as I imagine his "Spitfire" licence might be out of date! ;)

I thought that monument they showed at the end was brilliant. So understated, yet conveying so much meaning. A fitting tribute.
:ok:

[tinpis]

Geezaz was that it?
:uhoh: