High Flight Movie

[SCAFITE]

Come accross this film on ebay for £2.99 called High Flight made in 1957 starring Ray Milland as a RAF Wg Cdr training young RAF Cadets to fly and become operational on the new Hawker Hunter.

Bit of a film of its time but some great flying shots and a bit of typical RAF drama. Released by Columbia and never really shown on UK TV but in B/W on US TV, but the copy I got was in colour.

Filmed on location at RAF Cramwell and RAF Leuchars standing in for an RAF Germany station.

over 40 mins of Flying shots which is quite a lot for a film, aircraft featured are Percival Provost, Vampire T11 and the Hunters of 43 Sqn.

link for more info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Flight_(film)

Also at the same time got hold of Captains of the Clouds made in 1942 starring James Cagney as a RCAF Fg Off instructor, again in colour and lots of great shots of Training Aircraft in Canada, Yale's, Harvards, Ansons, Oxfords, DH 82 (Tiger Moths with Canopy) Battles and Hudsons.

Captains of the Clouds - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captains_of_the_Clouds)

[sled dog]

I seem to remember that a link to this film has been posted on Prune before ( JB ? ). Rather weak story line, but interesting nontheless.

[Rosevidney1]

Any chance of a link to it please? I had no luck searching ebay.

[26er]

Parts of this film was made by the "second unit" at Nicosia. The Hunters Mk5 of the Tangmere wing performed for the cameras. That was my introduction to the expense of picture making, for apart from the crew of six or so chaps miles of film was taken and air freighted back to UK, nearly all of which ended up in the editor's waste basket. Though there is a two second shot of yours truly silhouted against a Nicosia sunset. We had film taken from a Sycamore as four Hunters in line astern flew beneath it (that was exciting as our leader had not considered the downwash) and in order to film an approach I took the cameraman up in the front seat of a Meteor 7. A block of wood was spread across the cockpit in front of him so his camera rested on it and pointed through the windscreen. I flew it from the back having started the engines etc and then strapped myself in. Neither of us could have escaped but as I didn't go above 1000ft it mattered not. And none of that film was used.

All in all it is one of the worst films made. But the second unit director was very generous with his expense account and we drank the Ledra Palace bar near dry! Several times! Someone in authority must have approved all this shenanigin as good publicity for the RAF but in my opinion it had the opposite effect.

[SCAFITE]

It looks as if both DVD are now sold

I have put the link to the seller I got my copy from this seller for £5.99 missed the £2.99 copy

No matter how bad folks say the film is, it is very interesting to view a slice of RAF life at the time of the Sands Report as this is mentioned in the film about no need for Fighter Pilots in the future. The striking colour footage of the aircraft are very good plus a look at equipment kicking round the airfields in the late 1950's. No awarded winner but more of a window into a time when we had a very large Air Force.

Contact the sellers thay may have them in stock

eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330713528014?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649)

[chiglet]

Search Pprune for "Cranwell Film" and download from the link. About 5 mins missing, but still watchable. :ok:

[PPRuNeUser0139]

Here (http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/475523-cranwell-film.html) it is..