Fighter Pilot series 1982?

[flch10000]

Another post from me here...

When I were a lad (circa 1982) I recall this series, and remember out of the intake of 16? Only one guy managed to get through to FJ - and then on the Bucc.... is this guy still in the forces?

Just curiousity - sure many people here if not most recall the series...

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

My copy of the book that accompanied the series still sits on my shelf and was a large part of what motivated me to apply.

I too would be intererested to know what happened to the subjects of the documentary.

WWW

[Jambo Jet]

Last time I saw him he was on Grobs at Cranwell last year

[high spirits]

An age ago, but I seem to remember the episode "chopped" shows a QFI berating a stude(subsequently chopped) as to how not to fly a JP on finals. It is now shown on CFS courses as an example as to how not to teach, ie 'don't be so crap, I can do it why can't you' etc etc....
Those who can't do it.....

[Klingon]

I was on that OCTU intake and to my knowledge none of the Pilot chums are still in the mob. The last one I heard about was Martin O who left after a tour as a C130 captain. He was married to a Sqn Ldr caterer and they moved back up North somewhere when he left the RAF.:cool:

[Chairborne 09.00hrs]

Wasn't the programme we got to see actually the second one filmed? I seem to recall a rumour that the first time the Beeb tried it, everyone on the course failed!

[seetwoeye]

HIGH SPIRITS,

MMMMMM........I ponder prior to initiating my first response to this forum, or any other for that matter, (virginity has a shelf life), you indeed point out a valid example of "thank my lucky stars I never had to fly with him!"

However, remembering vivdly my own impression of that particular scene and taking into account my own experience soon after that series was televised up until the present, I can only conclude (with the very odd exception) that this was an unfortunate editing job aimed at creating a confrontational and pressure driven impression far removed from reality (well the frustration can really bubble over I know and few well placed snippets can form a strong impression).

[Strobin' Purple]

???

Sorry C2I, don't understand your banter.

In English please. Try using punctuation marks.

[Ali Barber]

The problem was they picked the no/little hopers to concentrate on because they thought it would make good TV. Several people from that course did make it all the way. A mate of mine (whose only claim to fame was drinking the yard during the closing credits) made it onto the Lightning. He's still flying but wears a tie to work and carries hundreds of passengers with him.

[Klingon]

Dear seetwoeye.

The first time is disappointing for most of us and when we reflect on our performance we re-evaluate our efforts and disdain.

Dont be afraid to get back in there and try again whilst the b**ch is still warm and this time try not to suffer from a premature event.

In other words "What the **** are you trying to say?":cool:

[high spirits]

Seetwoeye,
Chill. I was merely pointing out the fact that it is now shown on CFS a an example of how not to teach. TV Editing has nothing to do with you or I and it is no insult on the professionalism of the QFI concerned. (or the stude, who is probably making a fortune in the city as we speak!)

[MrBernoulli]

Correct me if I am wrong here but I am sure that the ranting QFI in Fighter Pilot was Martin Withers who later found notoriety as the Vulcan driver of the first (?) Black Buck bombing raid in the Falklands.

[Dunhovrin]

Strobin' Purple: Pay attention you ginga tw@t!! Wot he meant woz it was cunning editting to make the QFI look like a Nazi. We all know in the real case he was a deeply caring people-person. Like wot I woz.

Are you promoted yet mate?

A good mate of mine was John Thingy's first stude. A more relaxed and chilled dude you could not hope to meet.

[Broken Wings]

MrBernoulli

You are wrong! Martin was my Flight Commander when I was a QFI and a better Instructor and person you would be hard pressed to find. The QFI in question was Mike Jameison and his transcipt is on pages 95-97 of the Fighter Pilot book. Be very careful before publishing a damning comment on someone.

That series had a lot to answer for as it brought us the stupid rule that first tourists had to live in the Mess just because some of the Fighter Pilot students lived out and were having a good time. The RAF was always behind the times. I went through Brawdy in 1979 and just before I retired in 2000 I stayed in the Mess again - the only change I could detect was that they had double glazing installed!

Treat people like children and sure enough they'll behave accordingly!

[BEagle]

Correct - I was at Y-fali at the time they were filming. The 'commissioned milkman' and his ilk came across as rather bland 'trade unionists' - certainly not one of the better courses. There were far better candidates to film - you can see some of them in certain episodes - but the trendy-lefty producer wanted a 'working class lad makes good' story so they stuck with that bunch of no-hopers .

It was that prat filmed deep frying his 'tea' (as they call it in 't whippet and ferret land oop Nawth) who said something like "At 't end of 't day, it's just a job like 'owt else" who was responsible for their airships bringing in that daft 'year inside' rule for first tourists - which amazed anyone who'd spent 3-4 years living out at University - particularly when any Plt Off bluntie was not so restricted.....

The JP QFI 'berating' his student was 'encouraged' to do so by the luvvies who wanted something more provocative than the normal CFS-patter and it was utter fiction.

[Stan Moore]

I think 'no-hopers' is a little harsh.... these guys had the extra pressure of telly luvvies whilst still trying to pass OCTU, FTS etc... which is enough on its own for most people. However, I remember at the time that the general opinion was that they could have picked a slightly more 'representational' bunch - these guys were too interesting!

Robbie L is now a fairly senior bod - albeit having made his carrier as a FJ nav/qwi - Rhod S was also a succesful FJ nav, asq, he took an option and, I think, is now a boffin at Boscombe. I thought both of them were top blokes and they were certainly very capable aviators.

[Strobin' Purple]

Dunbovrin' me old,

How apt. A perfect example of an ex-A2 QHI reviving his debrief technique - vicious ranting personal abuse.

Irony never was your strong point, unless of course the question about promotion was an attempt at it!

Could just about make out what C2I was trying to say, just wondered why he was torturing my language like that.

Back to the thread: Fighter Pilot was a perfect example of our early RAF PR amateurs getting a right royal shafting by cynical leftie BBC documentary producers creating a hatchet job on a worthy Institution. They do it to virtually everything we hold sacred and then charge us an annual tax of £110 to watch it. Or not.

BTW DH remarks like that will not help your chances to be Chief Pilot for Ginge-Air in the future. No beards allowed.

[Legalapproach]

I was at Brawdy when some of the filming for the low level Hawk sequences was done. From what I recall there were a number of students from the same course who made the grade and are to be seen on the periphery of the filming or in the book. Louis McQuaid (?spelling) was one I met on a few occasions and ended up on the F4 and, I believe, flying for OFMC at Duxford. Also don't remember 1st tourists all being restricted to living in although there was some talk of it at Conningsby after a 'shorts' party at Woodall Spa allegedly co-incided with deaths at an adjacent nursing/coffin dodgers home. Mind you, it was a good party from what little I recall of it.

Edited to because I have just noted that this is my 100th post - what a sad life I must be leading!! Well am off to open a bottle of shampoo

[Chris Kebab]

I've heard Rhod S be called a few things in his day - but a boffin!!

[scroggs]

I was at LOO during the filming for that programme, and it didn't half screw us around! The director was a plonker of the first water, and there were one or two RAF 'technical advisers' who weren't much better - but happy hours took on a novel dimension for a while.

I have to also stand up in Martin W's defence; he was a bloody good QFI and also a Bloody Good Bloke. I still have the mental scars from my experience of another featured QFI's 'instructional technique'!

It was most definately as a result of televised comments by one or two on the course while at Brawdy that resulted in CAS (Keith Williamson) imposing a 'thou shalt live in while at TWU, OCU and first 6 months on a Sqn' decree. I was privileged to hear his opinions at first hand! Not a happy bear...

[BEagle]

Louis McQ was one of the few good guys featured in that series - and did indeed run a most excellent 'shorts party' at Woodhall Spa! I remember it well..........how we got away without a toasting by 'nice-Mr-Bill', I can't imagine!!

[Legalapproach]

Gosh,

That means I have been in the same room as BEagle and never knew it.

[station calling]

The QFI in question was Mike Jamieson, who happens to be a good mate of mine.
His last "student" at Linton was the "trendy-lefty producer" who had never flown before, and he was given, by kind RAF permission, 14 hours to let him get "the feel" of what the real students were going through. He sent him solo in just over 13 hours! I`ll bet CFS didn`t know that.
And before any more of you want to slag him off, he`s a Captain with easyJet and he`s on the Pilot recruitment team.
He`s also changed sides, and has bit parts in the LWT series Airline.:cool:

[canberra]

john mcrea was at cranwell as a qfi on tucanos when i was there, in fact we were both at the same gulf medal presentation. he quite rightly got annoyed with the sgt who kept pronouncing his name wrong! as a final point the programme gave the impression that they were the only students on the course, ive never seen a course start with only six students. and now someone will come on and state that were on a course at linton which started with only 2 students!

[BEagle]

stillhaven'tworkedouthowtousetheshiftkeythencranberry?

[Whoosh]

Back to the original post. Robbie L is a top lad and ended up Boss of the Goldstars. I think you will find him as an FTRS Flt Lt on one of the Lossie sqns. I last saw John M on CFS Tutors, Cranwell in May.

Whoosh