Ahh, that old chestnut. RAF aircraft's Union Flags are painted as though 'flying' from an imaginary flagpole on the aircraft nose. This means that those painted on the port side appear correct and the starboard appear incorrect (or is it the other way round...?) anyway, the flags are not 'upside down' they are just 'viewed from the reverse' from one side. A top programme I thought. Very well put together and they should all feel proud of what they do.

Great programme although I thought the comment from the chubby pilot type wasn't particularly 'PC', something along the lines of "All these squaddies have known before army life was their council estates......." or somehing like that. Very Melchettesque!

Top marks to all.
 

Fantastic words from Flt Lt Phoenix, what a refreshingly modest man. He made the whole program. You can be my Cab driver any day!!:ok:

Unfortunately I missed it last night, is anyone aware if it will be repeated anytime soon ??

I thought his comments were quite thoughtful for a pilot.

Some of the footage highlighted the youth of the soldiers who are doing the brunt of the fighting. It is ironic that most would never yet have had the opportunity to vote.

Very good stuff, the one fact that said it all for me was that on average one of these sorties happened every 3 days in 2009 - bloody hell.

He said estates, council was never mentioned and most houses in the UK I would say these days are on some form of estate.

dionysius

It will be repeated as often as you want...

The Air Hospital - 4oD - Channel 4

:ok:

Nut Loose you said "He said estates, council was never mentioned and most houses in the UK I would say these days are on some form of estate.


Nut Loose - listen again. I have just watched that section again and can quote his words directly. "Their life experience has been limited up to joining the Army.....they've known their council estate or they've known their area and their school......".

Kinda spoiled the rest of what he had to say for me.

Having flown with Niv during his time on the J I will happily say he is one of the nicest guys you could hope to meet and someone is making a fuss about nothing :ok:

Have deleted the programme now so can't check whether 'council' was used or not... and who cares? Some people can be so picky it's pathetic.

The programme was excellent, the interviewees all very good.

Flt Lt Phoenix was exceptionally good in his candid interview - watching it for what it was and not watching it to try to pick up any inadvertent words that may or may not offend people, the compassion and respect that Flt Lt Phoenix felt was palpable.

I Felt particularly sad for the Guardsman who expressed guilt over having not killed the rogue policeman - even though he probably didn't have a chance to do so. I fear he may find it hard to come to terms with his perceived, but totally inappropriate guilt trip.

Was I alone in noticing the look on the young lads faces as they realised that they'd just touched down in Afghanistan?

With ref to the council estates quote - does it really matter in the grander scheme of things?

With regards to the tea/coffee/chicken lasagne - that was the only thing in the programme that irked the love of my life (cabin crew) who commented "ah so that's where they get that from then!!"

Overall an excellent programme and yes, the figures about the number of flights bringing wounded soldiers back was shocking - it appears that this is brushed under the carpet somewhat...

Absolute respect to the folks who operate these flights.

Yes it matters, he implied that all those who joined the army grew up on council estates. How narrow minded is that!
If someone said " All pilots went to boarding school and were regularly b***ered by the house master" maybe that would get some complaints but is that any different to his assumption at all squaddies grew up on council estates.

A good bloke he might be, according to some on here, but as I said, that comment sullied my opinion of everything else he had to say. I grew on a council estate but if someone tried to use that fact to judge me then they wouldn't get far.

I started life on a council estate - I don't take any offence to it whatsoever, not to what was or wasn't said/implied last night. If only life was so simple to be worried about such trivia.

I'm pretty sure that he wasn't judging anyone, you seem to be the only one doing the judging... can we put this to rest now?

It's detracting from the fact a very good programme was made that highlighted the excellent work our forces do.

galley
get with the programme.....:\
Respect to those carried, those carrying them and those tendering them.
The comments from the wounded soldiers summed it all up, a good reminder to joe public

Mr Angry I am "with the programme". I said I thought the show was excellent, other than that comment, which to me showed a lack of respect for the soldiers.

The fact that this is even being mentioned is pretty pathetic - who cares if its PC or not - it was a candid interview? Do you want everything to be scripted, PC, vetted and by the book? What a dull world that would be....

However it DOES NOT imply all squaddies grew up on council estates. It implies they grew up on council estates, OR went to school, OR haven't moved far outside the world they've known of their childhood / teenhood. Is he wrong? I'd say thats a pretty accurate assessment - Hell, hasn't everyones life experience been limited up to 18 / 19/ 20? When your first job invlolves putting you lives on the line on a daily basis, I'd suggest what he said was particularly apt and non-judgemental!

I'm a council house kid - I even come from a single parent household. I'm not insulted.

Postman Plod, what gives you the right to call my opinion "pathetic"? Its my opinion, just because it is different from others options it is still just as valid. If everyone agreed with what everyone thought this would be a pretty boring world.

GT - you make a fair point as valid as any other. No worries. Perhaps the following comment I just puled off the ARRSE thread says it all:

'For the first time ever I was impressed by the attitude and demeanor of RAF pilots. They came across really well... '

So I think you are right to mention the potential PC issue (after all, it got your heckles up) but it seems that no harm was done regarding disrespect to soldiers, which is appropriate as I know than none was intended.

GT, you're right, pathetic was the wrong word.

Its a shame that, given the content of the documentary as a whole, and given there was clearly no malice intended (and I don't know the pilot in question, or his background0, that this tainted it for you.