Discovery Wings
 

Have many of you watched the excellent programmes shown on Discovery Wings. There are some real beauts but one gets on my tits something rotten and that's Flightline with Brendan (Far Out, Cosmic) O'Brien.

Is it just me or are there others out there that want to smash the screen everytime they see his supercilious face screaming 'far out' as he tries to stall an A340.

Personally I would rather circumsise myself with a blunt knitting needle than watch anymore of his drivel. As for Celia........

Well, if I had a chance to play with a real A340 I bet I would be grinning and dribbling like a kid :) I don't know the guy but I believe that he is an accomplished and respected pilot. What do you want anyway? A boring stiff-upper-lip Nigel presenting? (with apologies to all non stiff-upper-lip Nigels) :)

Bring back Raymond Baxter and the Ex Concorde pilot turned presenter. (I can't remember his name)

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You fly em we'll fill em!

The guy is a prize chiseller - I watch the show purely to see him make a cheese of himself. Out of interest, does anyone know what his aviation background is at all?
To be fair, the woman on the show is alright except for her flying suit with sodding collar turned up.
http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/darkvisor.gif

Brendan 'I love myself so dam much' O'Brien:

At an airfield he often frequents he swanks around in such a stupid manner, casually peering around to see if any of the mere mortals are watching him in amazement.

A true bell end through and through.

Anyone slagging of Celia has to get through me first :)

The guy gets up my nose a bit as well , but to answer a queery about his aviation background , (which was the subject of another thread a year or so ago) , he has been flying for 20-odd years , and is reckoned by those who know him(I don't) as a fairly good operator. I may have seen him many years ago in the bar of the old Skean D'hu(spelling?) in ABZ. There was a character there who used to fly Bandits and always wore flying gloves when he came into the bar. It might have been HE(HA!)

An excellent channel. Watched it for the first time just a few weeks ago. Terrific programme about the geebee racer replica just the other night. Yes, Brendan whotsisface is a pain, but there are plenty of presenters on other channels to match him.

Ah dear boy. Known him since he joined a club at Biggin I was a founder member of in 1969. Full of himself always. Has a definite way of getting peoples backs up by his superior demeanour. That's the kind of person he is.

There were a few people there in those days who were well into sport flying, and the Tiger Club was where the real stuff was at.
I am afraid he alienated everyone. He didn't stay.

As for his aviation background it started as above and he literally pushed his way through, and does have good flying qualities. But in my view, and it's in a book I am writing, he will one day be the eleventh person I listed as most likely to end up killing themselves - the other ten already have.

As for Flightline. Well it's time for changes and he and Celia must go. He gives flying a far too flamboyant nature. In real life it ain't like that!

I'm not sure if IFR meant "Bend'em" O'Brien alientated people at the Biggin club, or the Tiger Club. If the latter, I don't think that's quite fair.
He's always been a larger-than-life, flamboyant character, and although his "When I was ......" stories are best taken with a healthy pinch of salt, they were no less amusing for that, even the 27th time of telling! Like good wine, his stories improved with age.
I remember him as a good-natured guy, always ready for a laugh, and although he had a slight tendency to boast, and probably to fantasise a little, it was fun when he was at the Club - whether you laughed with him, or at him!
He's been involved in some good display routines over the years. One was a pair of motorised gliders doing a synchronised close formation "aerial ballet" routine to suitable background music (can't remember what it was.) Sounds dull, but it wasn't, and included the two aircraft only a few feet feet apart, one inverted over the other.
His "Trucktop Landing" display in which he landed a Piper Cub on top of a 40' artic as it drove along the runway was always enjoyable. Brendan's a natural showman and the crowd loved it as he built up the "Will he/Won't he" atmosphere - way off at the first attempt, only just missing the second time and then, to the roar of the crowd, always success the third time!
It's true that it was sometimes difficult to start the next display because Bend'em was still taking his bows from the top of the trailer as it drove back along the runway, but the crowd loved it - so did Brendan, of course!
I haven't seen him for years, but I don't suppose he's changed, or ever will. I can easily understand his imagine his style irritating professional aviators - but I bet Joe Public enjoys it! :)

Desk Driver: The Concorde Captains name was John Hutchinson.

dave_jones49: I believe the tune for that motor glider display was Albatross by Fleetwood Mac.

As for Flightline, good show. I shall not pass judgement on Brendan as TV rarely shows a person in true light.
I didn't know he was that nutter who did the truck thing or that glider display though....

When will your book be ready IFR? Sounds interesting.

VFE.

The Discovery Wings program I enjoy is Flightdeck.

I've just watched the BAe 146 program (again...). The bit that always makes me smile is seeing the Captain tell himself off after landing on a 1200m runway with a 50-degree xwind at 18G29 knots and not greasing it on.

And the part of the programme which makes me laugh is the comment saying that he's just landed on a 1200 foot runway http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif

---Mik


[This message has been edited by mik (edited 21 January 2001).]

That is Dave Rees Mik. Ex Navy pilot and a bloody nice guy. Can fly better than anyone I know. Also another ex Dan Air pilot.

Yes yes, IFR, but when is the book ready ?

About September I hope. But limited edition only. I originally did it for my grandson but have been 'persuaded' I should.....well we'll see.

I.F.R.
Put me on the list. You have my attention now.

Thanks to all for contributing to this topic. I didn't think it would evoke so much comment when I posted it, it just goes to show.

Slightly off topic but very funny all the same was the Extreme Machines programme featuring Jeremy 'Understeer' Clarkson bringing up his breakfast, dinner and tea whilst taking a rear seat ride in a F15 Eagle. I could watch that again and again and.............

Ditto Evanalpus!!

What I'd give .....blah blah.

A bit harsh Stoppers, but probably fair. Brendan O'Brien does have the face I would never get tired of smacking, but the Kench woman annoys me even more, not for her manner but because she knows f&&k all about flying or aviation in general and is presenting a programme on something she knows nothing about. Her poncing around in a flying suit doesn't help either, but then I suppose we have the producers to balme for that. Personally I would rather see John Hutchinson present the programme, at least his is a POV I can respect.

When I saw Brendan O'B do the display with the synchro motor gliders (Super Falke's, I think), they were called the "Unipart Duo", after their sponsors.

The music was "Shine on you Crazy Diamond" by Pink Floyd.

For a quiet display with low-powered aeroplanes, I thought it was very impressive.

For a high-powered display with music, you couldn't beat the Vulcan with the "Theme from Harry's Game", by Clannad - fantastic.

[This message has been edited by Wycombe (edited 22 January 2001).]

"all music available from Napster"

Apparently , Bendum No Brains AKA Brendon O'Brian is doing his ATPL Groundschool at this time. I heard of a rumour from someone he has a job offer from Virgin at the age of 51...

He is a bloody good pilot in a handling sense but me no fink he much of a coach driver!

So no one else would take Celia round the back of the hangars for a bit of one on one personal tuition in the use of a dump valve lever ?

Just blagged another c1 renewal so officially I can see, and I usually watch the program sober. So...... have you guys all missed something or do I need to buy a larger TV ? :)

The Bone

Wouldnt you just like to..T-BONE- her..!?
4g

IFR
As you say, "As for Flightline. Well it's time for changes and he and Celia must go."

I can't stand to watch the show because of that show-off, big-mouth fella, with the "...and I'm a pilot" **** .

Look forward to your book IFR.

Brendan O'Brian is a funny character. I don't quite know how to take him. He was at PPSC when I was (I think he's finished doing his ATPLs by now). There was certainly no malice in him, but he did have an inclination to boast a little. He does have a tendency to launch into the "When I was..." banter... but then again, if I had 20,000h I think I would too.

Guys,

I don't know O'Brien personally, but do watch his Discovery Wings programme regulary. My question is how does a man, who from what I understand, didn't serve in the RAF and isn't a commercial pilot amass 20,000h of flying time???

Some of you who know him a bit more may be able to answer this!!

Cheers,

Cuban_8

On the subject of music and aero's...I've always thought that Mike Oldfields 'Fly right in' was designed for a superb high energy display.
Something like an Extra, or Sukhoi, would really look great in synch to that piece...especially if the guitar solo's were exploited to the max.

Wish I could do it. All I need now is a Sukhoi and a few hundred hours upside down.

For the Aussie subscibers, a new program on the Discovery Channel called "Airborne" begins Feb 19th - Feb 23rd. It '...looks at every aspect of an air journey, from its preparation and time in the air, to the landing and subsequent debrief....' or so is advertised. It seems to be a fly-on-the wall documentry covering sim sessions, in flight (re)planning and pax hassles.

Should be interesting, I hope.

Earlier this year he was upgrading his CPL to a JAR ATPL. So, in answer to your Q., Cuban 8, I should think that he ammassed the hours on his CPL. I think he's done ferrying and corporate charter work, if I remember correctly.

[This message has been edited by Rowley Birkin, QC (edited 03 February 2001).]

He would have to do a HUGE amount of ferrying, charter work etc. to get to 20k!
I detect a lot of BS.

http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/tongue.gif

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'Keep the Stress Down'

Bend-em Brendan has always been a pain and as for landing on the truck, try the time he wrote off the truck cab by hitting it. Ford were not pleased as it was nice new one.
Yes he can fly but not as good as his mouth says he can.
I heard that he was going to be flying as F/O on an Icelandic registered 74' so they might need avoiding.
And please keep him off of the TV!!

The dreaded Brendan can empty any bar in seconds. I Love Me O'Brien!!
He also bent the Ford truck when he hit the cab. There was also the matter of the Stinson that ended up on its back on a Scotish island while the master was in charge!!
The last I heard was that he had joined some outfit with Icelandic registered 74's so I will keep clear of them when I see or hear one.
The guy can fly but not half as well as his mouth tells you.
Why the TV has him instead of a professional like John Hutchinson is beyond me.

Anyone got a copy of the 146 landing in the crosswind? Would like a copy in VHS format and will pay for your trouble.

This is ridiculous. All this slagging off of a bloke that it sounds like few, if any of you, actually know.

Contrary to what IFR says, Brendan did stay at the Tiger Club and is still there regularly. I've known him for a few years via the Tiger Club and I think he's a great bloke.

OK, so he tells a lot of "There I was.." stories - what pilot doesn't, and he's a flamboyant, larger than life character. So what? Life would be very dull without people like Brendan around. Personally, I've always found him very friendly and approachable. He doesn't suffer fools gladly - I wonder if that might have something to do with some of the comments about him on this thread.

Fair enough, he looks a prat in that lifejacket on the Flightline prog, but believe me, he suffers a lot of piss-taking over it, and the script, at the Tiger Club. On the other hand, through Flightline, he gets to fly a lot of sexy aeroplanes - and he gets paid for it!

He's been flying for donkey's years on all sorts of wierd, wonderful and exotic planes and, IMHO, he's damn good at it.

He's also bloody good value in the pub!

Vmike

Please do not send me the application form to join his fan club.

I stand by my original posting, I find the guy boring and want to kick the screen everytime I see his smug face. Sorry but that's the way it is.

Vmike

You are beginning to sound like the secretary of his fan club.

I stand by my original posting. I've never met the guy but loathe his style and want to kick his a** everytime I see his smug mug on the box.

That's life.

Well, Evanelpus, you sound very miffed at poor old Brendan. What's a guy you've never met done to piss you off so much? Jealous, maybe? I'm not trying to run his fan club, just saying why not be reasonable and reserve judgement until you've actually met the bloke and had a beer or two with him. He really is a nice bloke.

I dare say that, if he were aware of your existence, he would speak very highly of you, though!

I can imagine that a lot of the cheese and appalling scripts are inflicted on poor old Brendan as well.

If, however, he can pass on Celia's phone no., I will sign up for his fan club and buy a large round ;)

Vmike

I've got no chance of meeting BB (nor would I want one). I judge the guy on what I see and he's a windbag of the first order. Surely he must have some say in how he comes across on the programme. Is he really that thick skinned he can't see what a big 'blowhard' he looks.

Oh, and by the way, next time you're drinking with him tell him to register and get him to read what everyone thinks of him.