Bbc Fighter Pilot

[Babaleka]

The blurb states that : Figher Pilot shocked the RAF ....those in charge were outraged ......... The programme aquired deep mythical stature within the RAF leaving a deep-seated distrust of television , especially as colleagues of the pilots featured 25 years ago are now in charge , and remember the spat clearly.

Apologies in advance : The last entry (as far as I can make out) in this subject was May 2007 but after watching the DVD all these years later I have to ask - "What was / is the fuss all about ?"

Aside from the excritiatingly painful theme music and cheesy 70's moustaches and hairstyles I thought it was pretty good although Test pilot is much much better.

[Wensleydale]

I believe that the fuss was about the instructional techniques of a QFI who was talking his student through an approach...

[Maxibon]

I recently got a copy on dvd and also found it tame. The QFI bit was remarkably reserved although my QFI given nick name of 'f***ing spastic' may have been peculiar to my own brand of stick and throttle control.

Probably much like the issue of modern day recruits and how we can no longer shout/swear at them in case their mothers object. Tchhh kid gloves, eh?! Wasn't like that when I was..........................

[Wander00]

My memory, which may be imperfect, was that the scene that exercised the then CAS the most was the sight on prime time TV of an RAF officer scoffing baked beans (always questionable, I am told, as an officer's vegetable) from the can.

[Maxibon]

He (JMcC) was cooking scampi and chips in a chip pan for the evening's supper. Can't see the problem there given the mess at Brawdy's standard of cooking and the cockroaches in the kitchen. I think it was the reasons for not wanting to live-in and his forthright views on the job of being a 'fighter pilot' that probably peeved some senior bods off whilst drinking in the Cambrian/Harbour Inn in Solva.

[danieloakworth]

Yep, that was it and that was why all first tourists had to 'live in' for a few years after. One of the other issues was that so few actually got through to be a FJ Pilot.

[liam_1]

you can view the controversial approach here

YouTube - FIGHTER PILOT Landing Instruction - TV Series 1981

[NutherA2]

I believe that the fuss was about the instructional techniques of a QFI who was talking his student through an approach...

IIRC the QFI whose patter was, admittedly, just a shade non-standard was trying to get his student to improve his line-up with the runway on final approach. His chat was on the lines of “(Expletives deleted) Come on, get in line with the grey bit, the green stuff is no good to me”. The CFS would probably not have used this as a patter guide in the AP3225, but if my (admittedly fading) memory is correct, while at an earlier stage in his career this QFI was on the Gnat course at Valley; he was my student and was having trouble lining up, I used just this line in chat to improve the situation. It worked then, and (again IIRC) it seemed to work for him with his JP stude.

[Runaway Gun]

Maybe we should only accept married pilots.
They are used to much worse daily banter than that !!

[60024]

The quote from the Valley DCI of 'You don't want to go to war with a W****r on your wing' probably didn't help. The Beeb even put the word in the glossary at the back of the book. Apparently it means someone who is untrustworthy!

[Willard Whyte]

The quote from the Valley DCI of 'You don't want to go to war with a W****r on your wing' probably didn't help.

I don't know which would be worse, a w****r on one's wing or a w****r as one's boss. Can't speak for the former, but there's certainly plenty of the latter about.