Technical military question
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Surrey & Angus
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Technical military question
I grew up in a military family (RN/RM - father killed by IRA) but am not military myself. Am embarking on a second career, trying to break into screenwriting - and slowly getting there . . .
A production company are keen to utilise a short screenplay I've written, but I'm hoping to get the technical 'bit' correct, i.e., what would happen/be said within the cockpit (if what I'm trying to portray is even likely - or at least could be accepted for cinematic purposes).
Is it okay to ask you guys on here?
A production company are keen to utilise a short screenplay I've written, but I'm hoping to get the technical 'bit' correct, i.e., what would happen/be said within the cockpit (if what I'm trying to portray is even likely - or at least could be accepted for cinematic purposes).
Is it okay to ask you guys on here?
You can certainly ask here and you will probably get a set of reliable responses.
May I suggest first that you share with us the context of your screenplay. For example, what type of aircraft is it. What stage of flight are you trying to show, what is the crew's operational posture ie are they attacking somebody, flying an SAR sortie, descending to low level. How many crew are we dealing with, are they talking to air traffic or another aircraft?
Old Duffer
May I suggest first that you share with us the context of your screenplay. For example, what type of aircraft is it. What stage of flight are you trying to show, what is the crew's operational posture ie are they attacking somebody, flying an SAR sortie, descending to low level. How many crew are we dealing with, are they talking to air traffic or another aircraft?
Old Duffer
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Surrey & Angus
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Old-Duffer
Thank you very much for replying. The production company in question were basically looking for a screenplay in which Scottish scenery could be utilised as a cinematic back-drop. As a consequence, having spent a chunk of my childhood in Arbroath (45 Commando, etc.) and childhood memories of Lightning and Phantoms from RAF Leuchars overhead, I decided to combine the two, with aspects of my own first career.
"May I suggest first that you share with us the context of your screenplay"
This is probably best explained by posting part of the synopsis (below), the document which attracted the production company. The only aspect which is really relevant to my enquiry I guess, is the last few lines.
Could such an incident realistically take place? Could an audience accept such an event? If so, what would be said between the crew in such an emergency? Any help would be gratefully received!
Thanks in advance . . .
"Leaning against his car savouring a post-drama cigarette, MacDonald watches as first one pair of low flying jets, then another, roar through the glen; twisting and turning. In the distance, the thunder of more aircraft can be heard heading his way.
In one of the Tornados there is an emergency. An automated alarm is sounding. The navigator instructs the pilot to dump superfluous fuel and gain height to ‘buy’ extra time.
A torrent of high octane aviation gasoline cascades towards terra firma - down onto where MacDonald stands smoking. With a whoosh, he is evaporated.
Emergency under control, Flight Lieutenant Siân MacDonald requests her navigator plot a course for RAF Lossiemouth, and home.
She has a reunion later that day with her dying father – the man she hasn’t seen for nine years."
Thank you very much for replying. The production company in question were basically looking for a screenplay in which Scottish scenery could be utilised as a cinematic back-drop. As a consequence, having spent a chunk of my childhood in Arbroath (45 Commando, etc.) and childhood memories of Lightning and Phantoms from RAF Leuchars overhead, I decided to combine the two, with aspects of my own first career.
"May I suggest first that you share with us the context of your screenplay"
This is probably best explained by posting part of the synopsis (below), the document which attracted the production company. The only aspect which is really relevant to my enquiry I guess, is the last few lines.
Could such an incident realistically take place? Could an audience accept such an event? If so, what would be said between the crew in such an emergency? Any help would be gratefully received!
Thanks in advance . . .
"Leaning against his car savouring a post-drama cigarette, MacDonald watches as first one pair of low flying jets, then another, roar through the glen; twisting and turning. In the distance, the thunder of more aircraft can be heard heading his way.
In one of the Tornados there is an emergency. An automated alarm is sounding. The navigator instructs the pilot to dump superfluous fuel and gain height to ‘buy’ extra time.
A torrent of high octane aviation gasoline cascades towards terra firma - down onto where MacDonald stands smoking. With a whoosh, he is evaporated.
Emergency under control, Flight Lieutenant Siân MacDonald requests her navigator plot a course for RAF Lossiemouth, and home.
She has a reunion later that day with her dying father – the man she hasn’t seen for nine years."
Last edited by DuncanMac; 16th Dec 2012 at 09:34.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
To O-D's list may I also add the period for your screen play as patter also changes over time. In the early 60s it was normal on a multi-crew aircraft for hear "Nav to captain" whereas there was a general recognition that it was better to call who you wanted first hence "Captain - Nav . . . " became the pattern.
Amongst 2 seaters things were much less formal and that informality sometime applied between single seater pilots!
Amongst 2 seaters things were much less formal and that informality sometime applied between single seater pilots!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Surrey & Angus
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Old-Duffer
I did post a lengthy reply. It hasn't yet appeared. I don't want to fill the forum up with my tosh, so will leave it awhile, and see whether it does, before writing it all out again.
Thanks again . . .
Duncan
I did post a lengthy reply. It hasn't yet appeared. I don't want to fill the forum up with my tosh, so will leave it awhile, and see whether it does, before writing it all out again.
Thanks again . . .
Duncan
In one of the Tornados there is an emergency. An automated alarm is sounding. The navigator instructs the pilot to dump superfluous fuel and gain height to ‘buy’ extra time.
A more reasonable sequence of events would be a catastrophic loss of thrust resulting in an emergency jettison and our man on the ground getting hit by the falling drop tank. This is still in the realms of improbable fiction but at least it *could* happen.
A torrent of high octane aviation gasoline cascades towards terra firma - down onto where MacDonald stands smoking. With a whoosh, he is evaporated.
Emergency under control, Flight Lieutenant Siân MacDonald requests her navigator plot a course for RAF Lossiemouth, and home.
With a critical emergency you describe above a PAN call would have been issued and D&D would have given the crew a steer to the nearest suitable airfield.
I agree with most of Stuff's post. Hit by a drop tank is highly unlikely but at least credible. It takes ages to light kerosene (I've tried it at a fire drill; took 30 seconds with a burning brand in a pan full of fuel)
The in-cockpit dialogue might go something like
(ba-bang)
Pilot "We've lost power, pulling up"
pause (Nav would wait till climb established - some crews might have the pilot say "ready for checks" or the nav might ask this).
Nav "Check rpms" (no rpm gauges in rear cockpit)
Pilot" zero on the left - seized, the right is at 90%, unstable"
Nav" suggest we jettison"
Pilot "roger, punching the tanks off"
(Thunk as tanks come off)
Nav "Safety altitude is 6,300 ft. Steer 050 for Lossie, 52 miles"
Pilot"Roger, coming starboard 050. Get the cards out for the drills"
etc.
You could, of course, have one of the drop tanks hit the car, which then blows up. In the movies, around 98% of cars blow up - the audience expects it. In reality, according to a California policeman I used to know, about 2% of cars actually blow up in crashes.
The in-cockpit dialogue might go something like
(ba-bang)
Pilot "We've lost power, pulling up"
pause (Nav would wait till climb established - some crews might have the pilot say "ready for checks" or the nav might ask this).
Nav "Check rpms" (no rpm gauges in rear cockpit)
Pilot" zero on the left - seized, the right is at 90%, unstable"
Nav" suggest we jettison"
Pilot "roger, punching the tanks off"
(Thunk as tanks come off)
Nav "Safety altitude is 6,300 ft. Steer 050 for Lossie, 52 miles"
Pilot"Roger, coming starboard 050. Get the cards out for the drills"
etc.
You could, of course, have one of the drop tanks hit the car, which then blows up. In the movies, around 98% of cars blow up - the audience expects it. In reality, according to a California policeman I used to know, about 2% of cars actually blow up in crashes.
Last edited by Fox3WheresMyBanana; 15th Dec 2012 at 21:28.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Surrey & Angus
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"You could, of course, have one of the drop tanks hit the car, which then blows up. In the movies, around 98% of cars blow up - the audience expects it. In reality, according to a California policeman I used to know, about 2% of cars actually blow up in crashes."
Again thanks - I understand the predicament.
I know from my background that Met Police ammo fired into a cars fuel tank has no effect. Fired at a tyre, you've got more chance it'll come back and hit you (and has done in the past). The Home Office are scared you'll shoot an armed blagger during a robbery and it'll go through them and hit others standing at a bus stop. Hence Steven Waldorf surviving five shots to the body in about 1983.
Again thanks - I understand the predicament.
I know from my background that Met Police ammo fired into a cars fuel tank has no effect. Fired at a tyre, you've got more chance it'll come back and hit you (and has done in the past). The Home Office are scared you'll shoot an armed blagger during a robbery and it'll go through them and hit others standing at a bus stop. Hence Steven Waldorf surviving five shots to the body in about 1983.
Last edited by DuncanMac; 15th Dec 2012 at 21:42.
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: London
Posts: 1,256
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Fact : Fuel has been dumped at 500ft over fires in tests and had no effect whatsoever. It is dissipated so rapidly in the air that it has no potential for ignition. These tests were done in the US to examine fuel dumping in civil aircraft.
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Canada
Age: 77
Posts: 142
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Interesting plot
Further to jet fuel not wanting to burn too badly (it doesn't) and tank jettison-
-maybe jettisoned tanks burst spewing fuel- just the impact of many gallons of AVTUR coming from a tank moving pretty fast could do a person some damage. I've seen water, dropped in fun from waterbombing floats catch one's attention and do damage.
-maybe jettisoned tanks burst spewing fuel- just the impact of many gallons of AVTUR coming from a tank moving pretty fast could do a person some damage. I've seen water, dropped in fun from waterbombing floats catch one's attention and do damage.
How about an emergency which results in the unintended release of a live weapon (they were on their way to a night range detail) and this explodes nearby fatally injuring MacDonald. An alternative might be that he is hit by falling wreckage after the daughter and her WSO are forced to bail out - uncontained engine fire at low level. Pilot and estranged Dad are both flown by Lossie SAR to I/Ness hospital, where connection between the two is made by medic and couple are reunited before clogs are popped by Dad - cue lots of weeping etc, roll final credits!
Whatever, you decide needs to be plausible but some may recall the TV play: 'Friday on My Mind' which was screened circa 1991. RAF brass got upset because 'implausible' plot suggested 'Visiting Officer' was - how can I put this delicately - being over zealous in his attention to the widow of an accident victim. However, this actually happened.
Old Duffer
Whatever, you decide needs to be plausible but some may recall the TV play: 'Friday on My Mind' which was screened circa 1991. RAF brass got upset because 'implausible' plot suggested 'Visiting Officer' was - how can I put this delicately - being over zealous in his attention to the widow of an accident victim. However, this actually happened.
Old Duffer