SQUADRON: TV SERIES circa 1982

[GasFitter]

Someone mentioned this to me the other day, and I dragged it out from my sub-conscious. Does anyone remember this series and how good it really was?
BTW, I found this link under 'Action TV':
http://www.action-tv.org.uk/guides/squadron.htm

[Navaleye]

It was rubbish and had a very short life. I remember mostly Jags and an F4. Not good.

[Archimedes]

It didn't start out that badly if you were a ten year old at the tme...

Jags provided the opposition in the first episode. The Phantoms disappeared a few episodes into the series leaving Harriers, Hercules and Puma. The SH element was largely ignored, apart from a Puma being shot down (by an enemy fighter - actually a Jag) in the first episode, the Jag then being despatched by a Phantom (art imitating life...).

The link conjures up a few memories - notably the fact that when the eponymous squadron was required to despatch a Dominie after the crew died of hypoxia [sic] - which was, I think, episode 2, even the average 10 year old viewer was less-than convinced about the plot. ISTR that the flying sequences reduced over time as well (connected with a certain little problem in the South Atlantic?), and it wasn't exactly must-see viewing.

[Pontius Navigator]

The concept was probably quite good as we have evolved to force packages and it makes training sense, if not technical sense, to have them colocated.

Oh dear, and opening for WEBF.

Problem with true flying films is they are so b o o o o o o ring and professionals take all the drama out of it. If 'real' flying was like Hollywood I would never fly again.

When the action happens ideally it takes a few seconds or at best a minte or so then its all over. At least WW2 mission lengths of 8 hours gave them the chance of a good 20-30 minutes flight sequence.

[Top Bunk Tester]

Remember it well, was actually in a couple of episodes that were filmed in Akrotiri. Was a dead body in one, which goes to show the quality of my acting skills. Was also on board the C130 for a lot of the flying scenes. If memory serve the late, great, Chas Finn-Kelcey was the captain for those scenes. The filming was a welcome distraction from the boredom as all traffic was going south West at the time due the Falklands War. This also explains the lack of variety of a/c in the series. MOD had given it's full backing, and any a/c required but then recanted at the last moment and sent those a/c south.

[Arclite01]

it was filmed at Hullavington I seem to remember................


and didn't the squadron used to be called 'Ace Mobile Force' (or was that something else.....:} )

Arc

[anartificialhorizon]

I remember it as a keen plane spotting / RAF pilot wannabe...... Got to take into account the era, cold war , RAF Germany, Falklands War , etc etc....

Seen worse ! Anyone seen JAG ? :yuk:

The post reminded me of a series on BBC2 which followed some raw pilot officer recruits through from their aptitude tests to front line training with the obvious casualties along the way....

Inspired me to apply for Officer straight after school although was one of the aforementioned casualties along the way....Good series though....

Maybe with the so reported recruitment shortage they should do another series......:D

[chevvron]

I remember a really ridiculous episode where a yank was supposedly teaching RAF crews how to low fly!! Obviously the script writers never watched Red Flag videos.

[charliegolf]

I was in it too. Got stiffed for a Saturday's work. Pete Port, an Aussie (ok I know he was a kiwi, but It'll annoy him) flew all the stuff from the left seat so that square jawed and handsome actor could beam out the right.

GBH actually saluted Michael Culver- really annoyed him!

Annannuver fing, they chopped lumps out of one of the very few tight confined areas. Buggered it for the future.

CG

[Akrotiri bad boy]

I was involved in the F4 episode, filmed at Akrotiri which was supposed to be some backwater colony going through a coup.

During the post shoot p*** up the camera crew revealed their usual programme was Rainbow. They also mentioned a rumour concerning Bungle Bear's proclivity's.... but that's another story.:E

[flash8]

reminds me of that other "magnus opus".. "Friday on My Mind"...c1992
the RAF never seems to come out well in these series despite best intentions

[GasFitter]

Wasn't there some 'one-off' F3 thing at the late end of the 90's that they were hoping to rival 'Soldier, Soldier' with, but didn't get past the first installment?
:8

[small_dog]

I remember the F3 program pretty well, it centred around the formation of an elite group of pilots and navigators called "Strike Force" (I think, which was possibly the name of the program as well).
Bits I remember are:
-the young female pilot and old experienced navigator suffering from ricochet damage during a strafing run at a range
-the same navigator having a personal dislike of the station commander due to them being shot down together in Bosnia
-some unpopular rich pilot killing himself in a car crash.
I thought it was pretty good even though some of the plot twists did seem a little predictable.

[Stitchbitch]

Top Bunk tester, you are correct mate, Chas was the C-130 pilot and you can see him in some episodes. He was a legend and a real influence on my choice of service, I think I managed to bore him silly by replaying the entire series one afternoon (and had a few cold ones at the same time) in Oman whilst he was trucking for SOAF. :}

[GasFitter]

I remember the F3 program pretty well, it centred around the formation of an elite group of pilots and navigators called "Strike Force" (I think, which was possibly the name of the program as well).
Bits I remember are:
-the young female pilot and old experienced navigator suffering from ricochet damage during a strafing run at a range
-the same navigator having a personal dislike of the station commander due to them being shot down together in Bosnia
-some unpopular rich pilot killing himself in a car crash.
I thought it was pretty good even though some of the plot twists did seem a little predictable.
If my memory serves me right, there was some aerial shots of (supposedly) the same ac, but the Sqn badges and ac number kept changing! Continuity man must have got a shoeing .... or am I too close, Maverick? :hmm:

[DummyRun]

Sorry chaps but this might be the saddest post ever!!

The music to 'Squadron' was composed on my parents piano Xmas C 1982,
even sadder, the 'B' side was titled 'Hercules' !!

Sadder yet, I think I have the only signed 7" picture sleeve single.....

The composer was called Tony Issac and unless any IT boffs have any better ideas I'll just have to put it on my gramophone player and get Mrs D Run to record it on her mobile phone and then do somthing posty-webby with it, just wish I could plug all 7" into the side of my laptop.

Sadder still....

He shot himself just after, or was it the 'Old Man' Who shot him that Xmas night after hearing the theme to 'Squadron' for the 97 th time when he smashed the bottle of Remy XO on the keys.

PS

The sleeve notes read;

"Squadron is a new drama series about the present day RAF,concentrating particularly on the world wide operations of a Rapid Deployment Force"

C1982.

Tony would be proud that we've come on a long way since 1982 and that the Rapid Deployment Force exists as a formed unit. The people making these "pie in the sky" programmes never imagined that the 'Joint Helicopter Force' or the 'Joint Force Harrier' would ever exist. Sadly the 'We'll muddle through and make it up as we go along nearly deployable Hercules Force' is still borrowing tents, wheels, any chance of a go on your JAMPA mate!.

Any chance of getting David Archer as a Sqn Cdr???

[BluntedAtBirth]

[quote=DummyRun;2939754]Sorry chaps but this might be the saddest post ever!!

just wish I could plug all 7" into the side of my laptop.

quote]

Thats not sad that's illegal...

[GasFitter]

[quote=DummyRun;2939754]Sorry chaps but this might be the saddest post ever!!

just wish I could plug all 7" into the side of my laptop.

quote]

Thats not sad that's illegal...

No 'HARD DRIVE' and 'Dongle' gags!

[thing]

I bet most techies remember it for the ludicrous hanger scenes, where Jengo and the Sqdn WO actually came out of their offices and made engineering decisions........'No Chief, you can't unblock the thrunge filter like that, let me show you.....'....much hilarity all round...:) :) :)

[TrenchardsLoveSock]

My personal favourite was watching the CT and FS doing the crew ins. :bored:

[BEagle]

Some wag once asked to be posted to the fictitious RAF aerodrome involved - because at least he would be able to have a beer in the bar at lunchtime whilst wearing a flying suit.

Which we actually did in the early 1990s!

[Talking Radalt]

Wasn't there some 'one-off' F3 thing at the late end of the 90's?

You mean Typhoon? :E

[splitbrain]

I bet most techies remember it for the ludicrous hanger scenes, where Jengo and the Sqdn WO actually came out of their offices and made engineering decisions........'No Chief, you can't unblock the thrunge filter like that, let me show you.....'....much hilarity all round...:) :) :)

I remember it for the horribly patronising depiction of the one solitary SAC who appeared in the thing :rolleyes: They characterised him as some fick as pig**** street urchin with a glint in his eye and a scam up his sleeve getting a rollocking off the SWO.
Someone did a cartoon for the Wittering View, 'Squadron's idea of an RAF Station'. It showed Sqn Ldrs manning the gates, squads of Wg Cdrs and Groupies marching about, not an erk in sight.

[Talking Radalt]

the one solitary SAC who appeared in the thing :rolleyes: They characterised him as some fick as pig**** street urchin with a glint in his eye and a scam up his sleeve getting a rollocking off the SWO.

Ah, so it was a documentary then? :}

[splitbrain]

Ah, so it was a documentary then? :}

Ahhhh touche, a predictable riposte ;)

[fod_plod]

Does anyone else remember BBC's so-called comedy 'All Along the Watchtower'?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/a/allalongthewatch_66600110.shtml