RAF Buccaneer - 12 Squadron Training Film - NATO OPEN GATE - 1978
 

Found on YouTube

I remember this as a War Studies lesson on IOT in 1980 - along with Andy Sodditt and his half brick in a gladstone bag.

I remember seeing this as a CCF cadet shortly after it came out. The HQ Officer who brought it down to show us was bubbling over because it was a new, cool movie - not the usual "The cross-flange is mechanically connected to the steel widget by four 6BSF screws and...:zzz:"

I even bought the Vangelis album with the music on it.

Ten years later, I was flying sweep for 12 Sqn out of Gibraltar. Result!

radar - is the guy you refer to a Chinook driver with "L"s rather than "D"s. If so I will be having a meal with him and his wife sometime in the next couple of week. PM me if you want to pass on a message

W

I first watched this as a ATC cadet in the late seventies and it inspired me to join. That, and a poster on the wall of a Phantom crew walking out to their jet in sh** weather with the caption "if Met is right, we should be above this at 20000 feet" or words to that effect. Brilliant video, and like F3WMB, I bought the album!

Ah, Spiral. Good album. Early days for Evangelos.

But that's not important now. Cracking old vid. Look a the shots, aft facing angles, cockpit and formation views that weren't really seen again for a long time. Shots that these days command accolades when we see a clip of the Thunderbirds or the Reds on You Tube. My point is that this was a ground-breaking vid that took a lot of people a lot of time to catch up with.

And, let's face it, the Bucc was a great subject.

Outstanding. Haven't seen it for years so thanks so much for posting.

I was on this exercise in Gibraltar - but doing the disport bit with the Buccs from the Nimrod. Some faces I recognise, but the names have faded now ... though the admirable Ian Leckenby appears at the eraly briefing ...

I remember 'racing' a Bucc 2 ship in my F3 from Madrid to Gib, via Portugal obviously. There was a barrel involved as the prize, maybe two.


Anyway, we trailed the Bucc's until feet wet from Portugal (for some strange reason they thought their Navkit was better), dropped down and then they started to slow down!! Not understanding this part of the game I hit the burners overtook, turned left, left, then left again and landed. Some 20mins later 2 Bucc's slowly crept into Gib.


The very sheepish crews (Yes Bat, you) finally revealed that they had 'forgotten' to refuel the bomb bay tank and were fuel critical the whole way.


Great bunch of guys who were always fantastic to work with.


Same exercise, (Linked Seas?) we were following a B52 dropping chaff. The chaff had frozen over the Atlantic (GPPM) and was bouncing off the canopy in golf ball sized chunks!

Try Phil Leckenby . . . . .

He was on my Nav Course at Finningley (though he didn't need it . . . ) after his accident. Never forget him taking off his own pilot brevet before marching up to the Reviewing Officer (Air Commodore Austen?) to receive his single wing.

;);)

Phil Leckenby
 

Who I was talking to yesterday. He was the airborne cameraman to boot.

ACW

Such an evocative video! I saw it at school......my mind was made up! Alas, I ran out of talent at OASC! :-(


Dare I say it, but we actually had an Air Force then.....all those types! Apologies to anyone currently serving. No offence intended. It just seems that way.


Anyway......great post....and I'm about to get started "Buccaneer Boys".


MD :ok:

Director for the film was Hugh Hudson. His next film that had a Vangelis soundtrack won 4 Oscars and was called "Chariots of Fire". My all time favourite RAF PR film, seen as an ATC cadet in 1979. Did a Bucc detachment as well as a Klingon from Lossie, shame it was not Gib. "To the Unknown Man", My body will go into the fire with that tune playing.

aah, yes ... well 50% fade :O

I first saw this on the Weapons Employment Course at College of Air Warfare in 1980 - shown by Dave Herriott who was an 12 Sqn at the time. Mal Grosse I recall as a QFI at Valley in 1974, the Boss, Peter Harding, I recall from his refresher course at 79 Sqn RAF Brawdy. Mike Rudd I flew with in '73 when he was a QFI at Cranwell and I was a stude. I also spotted Andy Young who had been on the same UAS as me and whom I later came across on Tornado in the 1980s. Jock Frizzell I flew with on 14 Sqn in '85 -'86.

Ditto seeing it at ATC, loving the music and failing OASC (though my ambition was only as Eng Officer).

Anyway, the point of this post is, that video is also available on DVD (I cannot recall the title and it's 160 miles away at home) with a load of very interesting extra Buccaneer stuff. It all went down very well at a flying club film night a couple of years ago.

Great Film, great music - trouble is it just reminds me of IOT as clips were played very regularly as we waited for the next dreary instalment in the RAF's biggest sleeping bag that was Whittle Hall!

Pirates of the Mediterranean was I suspect the parts of the filming that they did not dare put in the original film. Was on you tube but has since been removed.

Reminder (as if necessary) Minor BuccFest here also:
 

Saw the film during Flight Safety course in '79. I too went out and bought the Vangelis album with the music. It seemed a great aircraft compared with the delicate rubbish turned out by the planemakers of today. I also recall our BFTS course from Leeming visited the Brough factory where the 'frames were hewn from the solid billet, marvelling at the strength and simplicity of the landing gear, later the same day we adjourned to Holme-on-Spalding Moor airfield whence the finished articles were flown out for delivery. Halcyon days, when we had an aircraft industry and if I recall correctly we also had an air force, a navy and an army..........

12 Squadron Buccaneers
 

Brilliant!

Haven't felt the inclination to log in for ages. However, lovely to see old friends showing how to operate the Old Girl with panache and passion.

GW