Planespotting Live on BBC Four
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Solihull
Age: 38
Posts: 161
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I didnt think it was tooooo bad, though agree completely that Messrs Snow and Peters were irritating within about 15 seconds of the start. I thought having an actual pilot on to give some actual facts, one who happened to be a very experienced woman having flown all sorts (of boeings), was a great decision.
The problem, as with so much that is done on 'documentaries' these days is the need to dumb it all down as much as humanly possible. But some of the pre-recorded segments were interesting.
Also, wonder how they got away with broadcasting data from flight radar without providing the source.
The problem, as with so much that is done on 'documentaries' these days is the need to dumb it all down as much as humanly possible. But some of the pre-recorded segments were interesting.
Also, wonder how they got away with broadcasting data from flight radar without providing the source.
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Hampshire
Age: 76
Posts: 821
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Why has nobody told John Snow he is dead? Well, at least that was the impression I had of him, a dead man walking and talking!
And I know I will get some stick over this but....
I can imagine the pre-production meetings that went along the lines of:
Personnel:
Doddering old fart who is a well known face on telly? Check
Ethnic minority component? Check
Disabled person? Check
One apparently androgynous subject expert? Check
Check for alternative location at Heathrow in case the wind is not favourable? Ooh Aah! Forgot that boss.
Well, OK, you forgot that but you did manage to find the worst place to see aeroplanes from at Heathrow.
(I will probably be going there later to photograph the Oriental arrivals but it certainly will not be at Myrtle Ave!)
Having said all that, I shall probably watch it again tonight. There may be aeroplanes to see..
And I know I will get some stick over this but....
I can imagine the pre-production meetings that went along the lines of:
Personnel:
Doddering old fart who is a well known face on telly? Check
Ethnic minority component? Check
Disabled person? Check
One apparently androgynous subject expert? Check
Check for alternative location at Heathrow in case the wind is not favourable? Ooh Aah! Forgot that boss.
Well, OK, you forgot that but you did manage to find the worst place to see aeroplanes from at Heathrow.
(I will probably be going there later to photograph the Oriental arrivals but it certainly will not be at Myrtle Ave!)
Having said all that, I shall probably watch it again tonight. There may be aeroplanes to see..
Oh you rotters. I recorded last night's as I was engrossed with Easties. Now, I think I'll just wipe the recording. But in terms of narration, there was someone worse than Snow; the ex Concorde fella with the squeaky John Major voice who replaced Raymond Backstairs.Now, he was really awful. Settling in to Leeds Bradford revisited ( Where I started as a Viscount co-jo) has been an equal disappointment. Absolute worthless. Bring back Jane Bolton of Easy !
Controversial, moi?
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
Age: 79
Posts: 7,806
Received 135 Likes
on
63 Posts
Gentlemen (and ladies?), I thank you all for proving that PPRuNe can provide better entertainment than the BBC. 
Some comments are priceless, if a little dodgy in this PC world.
Meanwhile, we then watched the programme on LBA, to where we will be flying tomorrow. Oh dear. Duty Manager seemed incompetent and disinterested, the baggage manglers carefree and careless and ATC could barely see the manoeuvring area for the battery of flat-screen displays. I have just become a nervous flyer!
Some comments are priceless, if a little dodgy in this PC world.
Meanwhile, we then watched the programme on LBA, to where we will be flying tomorrow. Oh dear. Duty Manager seemed incompetent and disinterested, the baggage manglers carefree and careless and ATC could barely see the manoeuvring area for the battery of flat-screen displays. I have just become a nervous flyer!
Why has nobody told John Snow he is dead? Well, at least that was the impression I had of him, a dead man walking and talking!
And I know I will get some stick over this but....
I can imagine the pre-production meetings that went along the lines of:
Personnel:
Doddering old fart who is a well known face on telly? Check
Ethnic minority component? Check
Disabled person? Check
One apparently androgynous subject expert? Check
Check for alternative location at Heathrow in case the wind is not favourable? Ooh Aah! Forgot that boss.
Well, OK, you forgot that but you did manage to find the worst place to see aeroplanes from at Heathrow.
(I will probably be going there later to photograph the Oriental arrivals but it certainly will not be at Myrtle Ave!)
Having said all that, I shall probably watch it again tonight. There may be aeroplanes to see..
And I know I will get some stick over this but....
I can imagine the pre-production meetings that went along the lines of:
Personnel:
Doddering old fart who is a well known face on telly? Check
Ethnic minority component? Check
Disabled person? Check
One apparently androgynous subject expert? Check
Check for alternative location at Heathrow in case the wind is not favourable? Ooh Aah! Forgot that boss.
Well, OK, you forgot that but you did manage to find the worst place to see aeroplanes from at Heathrow.
(I will probably be going there later to photograph the Oriental arrivals but it certainly will not be at Myrtle Ave!)
Having said all that, I shall probably watch it again tonight. There may be aeroplanes to see..
Wasn't it just. It might have been better if they'd had a couple of presenters who were a) not massively over-excitable and b) actually had a clue. Peters apparent inability to distinguish a 727 from a 737 was the biggest Facepalm moment (before I switched off) but Snow repeatedly asking if the 767 was a 'big' aircraft wasn't much better.
As a volunteer at the Aeropark it's great to see the site looking so good, even if only in the background shots.
As for the programme, the less said the better. When will presenters ever learn that the programme is not about them, and that their job should be to be as unobtrusive as possible whilst providing accurate information for the viewer. 727 or 737 - words fail me!
I believe Andi Peters used to present Blue Peter, did he think this was to be shown on CBBC?
As for the programme, the less said the better. When will presenters ever learn that the programme is not about them, and that their job should be to be as unobtrusive as possible whilst providing accurate information for the viewer. 727 or 737 - words fail me!
I believe Andi Peters used to present Blue Peter, did he think this was to be shown on CBBC?
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
Age: 79
Posts: 7,806
Received 135 Likes
on
63 Posts
FYI >>> https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/faqs/forms
One thing which struck me about last night's programme was the piece they did on the tower. Only one person on duty? All night? What about calls of nature or if they suddenly take ill? Do they phone downstairs and ask for a radar controller, or is there only one of them as well?
I once arrived at work early one morning at EMA to find the apron covered in aircraft that should have landed at Heathrow. One imagines that dealing with a host of diversions, in addition to the regular traffic, would be somewhat challenging for a lone ATCO.
I once arrived at work early one morning at EMA to find the apron covered in aircraft that should have landed at Heathrow. One imagines that dealing with a host of diversions, in addition to the regular traffic, would be somewhat challenging for a lone ATCO.
