Fighter Pilot (TV series)

Last updated

Fighter Pilot
Genre Documentary
Reality television
Created byColin Strong
Narrated byMichael Dean
Theme music composerDon Percival
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes8
Production
Running time30 minutes
Release
Original network BBC One
Original release9 September 1981 (1981-09-09)

Fighter Pilot is a BBC television documentary series that was broadcast in the UK on BBC One, from 9 September to 28 October 1981. [1] It was about the training of fast jet pilots in the Royal Air Force and followed the progress of six candidates as they went through the three-year programme. The BBC and the RAF first agreed to work together on a documentary in 1978, when there was a poor level of recruitment and a shortage of pilots in the service. At the time it cost £1 million to train a pilot (£4 million in 2011 [2] ). The training process, from selection to operational service has a high drop-out rate and only one of the six original candidates went on to fly fast jets.

Contents

Three of the candidates were airmen who already served in the RAF, while the others were from civilian backgrounds (qualified nurse, zoologist and milkman/farm worker). The series was produced by Colin Strong, who closely followed the candidates for three-and-a-half years. To gain a detailed insight in to the process, he undertook the RAF basic flying training course himself and flew solo in a Jet Provost. The series was nominated for a BAFTA award in 1982 for Television Factual Series.

Candidates

CandidateAgeBackground
John McCrea22Coalman, farm worker, milkman
Robbie Low21 State registered nurse
Martin Oxborrow25 Weapons technician at RAF Marham
Alistair Stewart22 Zoologist
Trevor Lewis19 Technician at RAF Odiham
Rhod Smart20Air fitter on Lightnings at RAF Binbrook

Episodes

EpisodeTitleOriginal Air Date
1"Dreams"9 September 1981 (1981-09-09)
The series begins in May 1978, when thirty-one applicants arrive at the Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre at RAF Biggin Hill. Six of the candidates are offered pilot training.
2"Officers and Gentlemen"16 September 1981 (1981-09-16)
In September 1978, the candidates arrive at the RAF Officer Cadet Training Unit at RAF Henlow for their 18-week officer training course.
3"Graduation"23 September 1981 (1981-09-23)
Five of the candidates graduate from the Officer Cadet Training Unit.
4"Going Solo"30 September 1981 (1981-09-30)
In March 1979, the five officer cadets move to the Basic Flying Training School (BFTS) at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, where they learn to fly the Jet Provost.
5"Chopped"7 October 1981 (1981-10-07)
All of the five candidates make their first solo flights.
6"Fear of Failing"14 October 1981 (1981-10-14)
The candidates progress through the basic flying training course.
7"Wings"21 October 1981 (1981-10-21)
In March 1980, the remaining candidates move to the Advanced Flying School at RAF Valley for 21 weeks of advanced flying training on the Hawk T.1.
8"Sport of Kings"28 October 1981 (1981-10-28)
In October 1980, the remaining candidates moves to the Tactical Weapons Unit (TWU) at RAF Brawdy, to learn the art of aerial warfare on the Hawk.

Book

A book of the television series was produced by Colin Strong and co-written with the author, Duff Hart-Davis. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloster Meteor</span> Britains first jet fighter, 1943–1980s

The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turbojet engines, pioneered by Frank Whittle and his company, Power Jets Ltd. Development of the aircraft began in 1940, although work on the engines had been under way since 1936. The Meteor first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with No. 616 Squadron RAF. The Meteor was not a sophisticated aircraft in its aerodynamics, but proved to be a successful combat fighter. Gloster's 1946 civil Meteor F.4 demonstrator G-AIDC was the first civilian-registered jet aircraft in the world. Several major variants of the Meteor incorporated technological advances during the 1940s and 1950s. Thousands of Meteors were built to fly with the RAF and other air forces and remained in use for several decades.

The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of African American military pilots and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). The name also applies to the navigators, bombardiers, mechanics, instructors, crew chiefs, nurses, cooks, and other support personnel. The Tuskegee airmen received praise for their excellent combat record earned while protecting white American bombers from enemy fighters. The group was awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations.

Peter Duff Hart-Davis, generally known as Duff Hart-Davis is a British biographer, naturalist and journalist, who writes for The Independent newspaper. He is married to Phyllida Barstow and has one son and one daughter, the journalist Alice Hart-Davis. He lives at Owlpen, in Gloucestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BAE Systems Hawk</span> Military training aircraft family

The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, jet-powered advanced trainer aircraft. It was first known as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk, and subsequently produced by its successor companies, British Aerospace and BAE Systems. It has been used in a training capacity and as a low-cost combat aircraft.

de Havilland Vampire Fighter aircraft; first single-engine jet in RAF service

The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter which was developed and manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was the second jet fighter to be operated by the RAF, after the Gloster Meteor, and the first to be powered by a single jet engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangladesh Air Force</span> Air warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces

The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The Air Force is primarily responsible for air defence of Bangladesh's sovereign territory as well as providing air support to the Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Navy. Furthermore, the BAF has a territorial role in providing tactical and strategic air transport and logistics capability for the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Lossiemouth</span> Royal Air Force main operating base in Moray, Scotland

Royal Air Force Lossiemouth or more commonly RAF Lossiemouth is a military airfield located on the western edge of the town of Lossiemouth in Moray, north-east Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Valley</span> Royal Air Force training station in Isle of Anglesey, Wales

Royal Air Force Valley or more simply RAF Valley is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey, Wales, and which is also used as Anglesey Airport. It provides both basic and advanced fast-jet training using the Beechcraft Texan T.1 and BAE Hawk T.2 and provides mountain and maritime training for aircrew using the Airbus Jupiter T.1 helicopter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trainer aircraft</span> Aircraft designed for training of pilots and aircrew

A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristics and a simplified cockpit arrangement—allows pilots-in-training to safely advance their skills in a more forgiving aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Linton-on-Ouse</span> Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England

Royal Air Force Linton-on-Ouse or more simply RAF Linton-on-Ouse is a former Royal Air Force station at Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire, England, 10 miles (16 km) north-west of York. It had satellite stations at RAF Topcliffe and Dishforth Airfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 33 Squadron RAF</span> Flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

Number 33 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Westland Puma HC.2 from RAF Benson, Oxfordshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 133 Squadron RAF</span> Defunct flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

133 Squadron RAF was one of the famous Eagle Squadrons formed from American volunteers serving with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Weald Airfield</span> Airport in North Weald

North Weald Airfield is an operational general aviation aerodrome, in the civil parish of North Weald Bassett in Epping Forest, Essex, England. It was an important fighter station during the Battle of Britain, when it was known as the RAF Station RAF North Weald. It is the home of North Weald Airfield Museum. It is home to many private aircraft and historic types, Essex & Herts Air Ambulance helicopter and is an active flight training airfield.

<i>The Tuskegee Airmen</i> 1995 American Television film

The Tuskegee Airmen is a 1995 HBO television movie based on the exploits of an actual groundbreaking unit, the first African-American combat pilots in the United States Army Air Corps, that fought in World War II. The film was directed by Robert Markowitz and stars Laurence Fishburne, Cuba Gooding Jr., John Lithgow, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoffrey Wellum</span>

Squadron Leader Geoffrey Harris Augustus Wellum DFC was a British fighter pilot and author, best known for his participation in the Battle of Britain. Born an only child in Walthamstow, Essex, Wellum was educated at Forest School, Snaresbrook before serving in the RAF. After the war he remained in the RAF until 1961, and later ran a haulage business. In the mid-1980s he retired and moved to Mullion, Cornwall, where he wrote down his wartime memoirs. In 2002 these were published as First Light.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">410 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron</span> Military unit

410 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron, nicknamed the "Cougars", is a Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft squadron currently located at Canada's primary training base for the CF-18, at Cold Lake, Alberta. The squadron was formed during the Second World War as an RCAF squadron under the Royal Air Force (RAF), at RAF Ayr, near Prestwick, in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 57 Squadron RAF</span> Flying squadron of the Royal Air Force

Number 57 Squadron, also known as No. LVII Squadron, is a Royal Air Force flying training squadron, operating the Grob Prefect T1 from RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire.

<i>Red Tails</i> 2012 war film directed by Anthony Hemingway

Red Tails is a 2012 American war film directed by Anthony Hemingway in his feature directorial debut, and starring Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. The film is about the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) servicemen during World War II. The characters in the film are fictional, although based on real individuals. The film was produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and released by 20th Century Fox, and would be the last film Lucasfilm released before being purchased by The Walt Disney Company nine months later. This was Cuba Gooding Jr.'s first theatrically released film in five years since his starring role in 2007's Daddy Day Camp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 4 Flying Training School RAF</span> Military unit

No. 4 Flying Training School is a Royal Air Force military flying training school, which manages Advanced Fast Jet Training (AFJT) from its base at RAF Valley in Anglesey, Wales. Its role is to provide fast jet aircrew to the Operational Conversion Units for the RAF's jet attack aircraft, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.

<i>Death by Moonlight: Bomber Command</i> 1991 Canadian film

Death by Moonlight: Bomber Command is an episode of the 1992 Canadian The Valour and the Horror television documentary miniseries, and was a co-production between the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and Galafilm Inc. The series investigated three significant Canadian military engagements from the Second World War with Death by Moonlight: Bomber Command dealing with the experiences of Canadian pilots in the RAF Bomber Command.

References

  1. "Fighter Pilot – Episode 1 – "Dreams" 1981 BBC". YouTube . Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  2. "RAF fast jet pilots: £4m training scheme selects only the most talented airmen" . Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  3. Strong, Colin; Duff Hart-Davis (1981). Fighter Pilot. Queen Anne Press. p. 167. ISBN   0-362-00578-8.