Just posted on the BBC website.

Taking to the skies in a RAF Tornado - BBC News

I had quite a jolt when it showed the old workshops at Halton.
As for general PCness I thought it was quite twaddle free for a beeb programme. No LGBT or race issues shoehorned in.
Good to see the Squippers featured (if only as background). That Typhoon kits moved on since I worked on the EF2000 development kit.

The Tornado flight is to be described on BBC Radio 4 Today programme at some point before 9.00am.

add

For those that can replay the BBC Radio 4 Today from about 8.10am there follows 18 minutes about the Tornado and then a detailed discussion with Air Marshall Atha about the projected role of the RAF in space, under the water, the P-8 Poseidon and F-35 Lightning.

"Jesus Mary and Joseph" :D

I never had Martha Carnie down as a 'screaming girl' but that is just what she came across as this morning. One of the worst bits of PR (not to mention reporting!) that I have heard for ages. Why put someone with a total lack of aviation competence or knowledge in the back of a fast jet? First time I have known anyone scared by an airbrake.

Surely the RAF and BBC can make a better hash of a very important milestone.

GRRR!

For someone with no relevant experience, I thought she was remarkably coherent. The section of the programme was a good news piece for the RAF.

If one flicks back though the historical sections "flight" to an lengthy write-up in 1957, on the FEAF, the journalist describes being flown into Fort Langkap, a jungle strip, in a single pin. My dad, who was then flt cmdr of 267 Squadron in KL, was the pilot.

https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarch...fort%20langkap

Before they arrived at the fort my dad prepared (or rather tried to prepare) him for it, by telling him that on approach he would cut the power and they float down and then he would power-up just above the strip.

40 years later my dad was able to recall the "Oh my God" expletives from the journalist as it floated down.

Nothing changes.

Because that's 99.9% of the audience?

Sarah Montague? ;)
Yes, unfortunately very few reporters are capable of putting up a good performance in a FJ. Overall, her reporting was good I thought, although the description of Tornado GR1 being in it's operational element at 250' day VFR by Wg Cdr Heeps was lightweight. How about, Day/Night IMC 200', VFR 100' Strike/Attack.
As for AM Atha, he was shaky on the Space/Russia/Cyber stuff. What is wrong with clearly describing GPS jamming? It is widely understood, and that is why it is done! Methinks he was trying hard not to let some Int slip out, while making Joe public worried about WW3.

OAP

There was also OC 9 Sqn at 6.10am and Marham's Stn Cdr at 7.15am, both with clips of the Tornado sortie beforehand. Nice to hear the rivalry with 617 Sqn is still alive, an entertaining end to my drive to work. Apparently C2 was on at about 7.30 as well but I missed that.

Yes there was discussion about the F-35 later with one of the test pilots (I think), it was explained that the F-35 needed a bomb bay -- a novelty these days, because the bombs are not "stealth"

Poor old BBC, gets hammered if it doesn't cover the RAF and gets hammered when it does. What would be the point of putting a seasoned aviator in the back? Would likely be the dullest 20 minutes of TV/radio I ever saw or heard.

As an aside, re-read your book the other day Mogwi - now that was not a dull experience...!

Damned if you do...
 

My God, you lot are a tough crowd. I just watched the video and what the hell was wrong with it?

What I saw was a well spoken journalist who managed two hours in the back of a Tonka and still had a smile on her face. Most pax feel ropey far quicker than that and wouldn’t be able to talk as well as she did.

I’d say Heepsy did a great job of his sound bites as well.

I’m not really sure what else you could expect from a 2.5 minute news clip.

BV

You don't get it Bob- it wasn't Raymond Baxter, and for some, anything less is treasonable!

CG:ok:

I think the Jesus Mary comment should have been cut, out of respect to others. But what I found strange is a reputable BBC reporter interviewing a pilot while flying at low level at 250ft, there is nothing wrong will patter, but perhaps SM should have asked isn't very distracting having a conversation at low level in the same way as mobiles for car drivers. So much for a sterile environment Hopefully in the light of recent events the front seat had command over the rear seat. If SM didn.t throw up after two hous in a fast jet, she did better than most.

The SM backseat ride started off annoying me but by the end I thought it was good PR and good journalism.

The RAF has played this Centenary well. Bravo. Here’s to the next 100 years.


WWW

Anchorhold
 

If OC 9 Sqn can fly a Tornado and put up with the constant whining of a navigator I’m sure he can cope with the questions of a journalist.

That is banter by the way before anyone gets too upset.

BV

PS. The soundtrack is an overlay by the way. Who knows when she asked the questions? Could have been at ML.

More of a prayer than a blasphemy, methinks! :)

Good for them for doing it; mind you, an RAF officer referring to the F-35 as an airplane...? :eek: I can hear a certain Douglas Bader snorting profanely...:)

[QUOTE=treadigraph

Good for them for doing it; mind you, an RAF officer referring to the F-35 as an airplane...? :eek: I can hear a certain Douglas Bader snorting profanely...:)[/QUOTE]

He only referred to the F-35 momentarily ;)

I'm curious as to what the camera was that got all that 360 footage.