A lot of people hate the theme tune, I love it. Reminds me of watching this with my dad all those years ago when, as an ex-airman, he inspired me to join up! Miss you dad. x
The tune is great and so appropriate with it's ethereal intro moving into the anthemic and hymn like phrases . It would have sounded so modern , synthesizer music hadn't been around that long . I wonder if it was done by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop / Ron Grainger (?) .
I served 30 years in the RAF, for 8 of those years I worked at a Tactical Weapons Unit (TWU). During that time I witnessed many pilots under training, many I met again further on in my career. I had nothing but admiration for these highly skilled aviators who worked very hard to complete this phase of their training.
I was at Brawdy 1977 - 1982 and as a Cpl I was part of a small team that was tasked to travel to RAFG for a week to maintain a single Hawk that was fitted with a rear-facing BBC camera (where the Aden gun would normally be fitted). A lot of the aerial footage was taken by the Hawk. RAF Brawdy, happy days! I went back to Brawdy, Eng Ops after a seven year absence due to postings to Valley, Coningsby and BAe Dhahran. During my handover "walkround" I knew more people at the base than the guy I was replacing...…..they'd all managed to stay there! Oh yes, Arc Light, I had a divvy moustache too.
I spent two weeks at RAF Brawdy in the summer of 1983 or 1984, as an ATC cadet. I remember a USAF F1-11 squadron being based there and flying every day.
This was fascinating for me, my brother joined the Irish Air Corps in 1978 and was a commissioned pilot in 1980, so was going through something similar at the same time that these guys were. He is now a Lt Col. and is in charge of the military flying school in Baldonnell. Very proud of him!
Thank you John McRae for taking us in this 'capsule of time' back in the days! This is the second time I'm watching this. First in 2013 and again in 2020. Fascinating! Hope you are fine and doing well..
Took a little time, but I found out that John McRae fought in the first Gulf War in 1991 as a Flight Lt in Buccaneers. When Tornadoes were being shot down rather regularly on low level sorties against Iraqi airstrips, the Buccaneers were brought in as laser guides so the Tornadoes could fly higher. McRae flew several of those sorties. Rumours are that he was still in the RAF in 2006. I don't know if that's true and can't find any references to his career after that. Well done him!
He was instructing on a University Air Squadron a few years back so he would have been in the Reserves. Robbie Low retired as a Wing Commander and CO of a Tornado Squadron. My Brother met him at a function at RAF Lossiemouth's Officers Mess a few years ago where he was an Instructor on the Tornado simulator with Colin McGregor, Obi Wan's Brother!! My Brother said Robbie was a really nice bloke.
Imagine being able to visit your old employer: "The tornado chaps were taking a bit of a walloping see, so the brass had them stay nice and safe up at high altitude, and we went in with the lasers, what?" What an absolute boss.
I probably walked past the chap who got posted to RAF Laarbruch many times when I was a kid. I was an RAF brat at that time and lived on that camp for 3 years looking up to the sky watching Buccaneers fly every day. Then later Tornados.
Thanks for posting this series...I remember it as a kid for the fighter jets, now looking at this, understanding the 'human' face of the service. Respect! When this came out, the RAF really did have a defined enemy in the USSR, so different now.
At 13.15. The George pub in Solva where JM shared a house. We used to drink in there and chuckle to ourselves when the student pilots used to try and impress the local girls with their tales of derring-do and their demonstrations of the pilot's "hand -jive" (re-creating the pre-sortie briefings (but without the aircraft training aids), as shown at the start of this episode)
John McRae was my hero when I was a kid. He was a cool guy. Absolutely loved this Series especially the RAF Brawdy episode. I spent many occasions watching those Hawks fly over our West Wales village. Cheers John. Hope your keeping well Sir. By the way- Chalky White's Hair is awesome. Cheers. 80's RAF tashes- those we're the days.
I missed this series first time around.. I’d have been 8 in 1980.. John McRae drives a TVR. Proper pilots car that 😉 I had 7 TVRs in my time.. Blackboards, OHPs.. brilliant 👌🏼😄
Cor! RAF Brawdy, my first ATC annual camp in 1986. 28lb Practice Bombs going on there too, five years after my camp and into my apprenticeship I was doing the SEM to our CBLS 100s to remove all the 28lb fuzing and wiring after the RAF binned them of in favour of the 14kg.
Don't speak shit abut them until you realise what they've been through to get where they are. My uncle was a fighter pilot from this era. He lived on an army base on benefits. He didn't go too a grammar school or private school, but he slogged his guts out and learned and trained to get where he did. And i can see both sides of the picture. My other uncle was a para. I have a huge amount of repsect for the both of them, so think before you speak.
Of all these guys I only bumped into Rhod Smart who was back coursed at Henlow IOT. He obviously passed and went onto to fail flying training and ended up as Nav!
Wasn’t there another series where they had video inside the cockpits of Jet Provosts & the instructor’s gave the students absolute hell . One of the main Students shown went to Hercule’s I believe.That was a fantastic series of programs, but I found the instructors over the top.
Me encanta el Hawk, es uno de los mejores aviones de entrenamiento básico avanzado del mundo, además de ser muy versátil, se puede usar como caza, y aunque no sea supersónico,, si que es un avión bastante maniobrable y ágil, con lo que puede poner en serios apuros a otros cazas, además de este fenomenal aparato, existe una versión monoplaza, que está equipada con radar, sistema de navegación inercial, la variante monoplaza del Hawk, recibe el nombre de Hawk MK 208.
I've always maintained technical ability is only 40% of what you bring to the table. The rest is guts, determination and the absolute will to succeed through adversity.
I wonder if he noticed that it was harder and harder to fit into the cockpit with the amount of chips he was putting away. Should of gone to fly Hercs straight away, a lot more room in the cockpit for expansion :D. Thanks for posting, this brought back a lot of memories.
So the code for the door is 541, so the access won't be so restricted then then ha ha ha!!! I bet they changed that soon afterwards!! Seriously, thanks for posting up this series I really enjoyed it. =)
John left school and had a job as a milkman, much to the amusement of his school masters. John applied to the RAF as a pilot (the cheek), much to the subdued chortles of the selection officers. John gave zero F's, mincing around in his sports car and chinning the mess off. John recieved a decent pass and went on to Buccaneers, and had the world stage been different, would been on its preferred alternative, TSR2. Up yours doubters. Up yours.
1TWU and Hunter FGA9s, and Paul Field; there're a few memories. How was your first trip in the Lightning Paul? This was of course the episode that had all single officers confined to live in the Mess for their first 18 months rather than living out in this totally un-officer-like manner, hurrumph, hurrumph. Happy days!
Richard Allison He was one of our flying instructors at the Elementary Flying School at Barkston Heath back in 2011/2012! Really nice guy and an absolute pleasure to fly with!😊
Great video - thanks for sharing it. Shows you need an aptitude to fly in the air force, more than anything else. You can't buy your way in - if you can't fly there's no disguising it.
You can't be a decent fast jet pilot in the RAF without a really bushy moustache, preferably with little curls at the ends. Something to do with aerodynamics.
Adie...don’t be a plank. Besides flying the GR3 Harriers, several RAF pilots also flew Sea Harriers attached to naval squadrons. It only takes a little research before making such remarks.
6:42 "I would point out the social advantage because we farmers can be freer particularly at the weekend and in summer we can take a few weeks holiday."
Yay for the Milkman flying fast jets(what a legend really the guy has just determination and hard work maybe if he was some type of grad/profession people be like yeah no probs goes to show that will and belief 90% of the battle is in the mind
At 3.35 that Gentleman closest to Cameraman is he Mark Pead I served my Cadetship with at Sea ? He always wanted to be an RAF Pilot ? I got accepted as Navigator but said no.
The milkman's a bit of a moaner. First not enough holidays and now he works harder than everyone else. Wish he'd have driven his milk float to the greener field.
LiveSteamLMS - From milk float to high tech fighter jets, you've got to give him some credit for the huge leap of self belief...From delivering gold top milk to bombs & missiles is a huge career turn around...I think he successfully found the greener field...
@@adamw2911 10 weeks? They were Officers and undergo significantly longer basic training and then there's almost 2 years flying training. 10 weeks is the modern RAF Basic training for the Other Ranks, back then it was 6 weeks.
I would point out the social advantage because we farmers can be freer particularly at the weekend and in summer we can take a few weeks holiday. Aparrently...
Wow. A Hawk becomes a Jet Provost! I was stationed there 75/79 and NEVER saw that! What I DID see was a "Hero" namely Douglas Bader fly in as a Civilian and become an arsehole!
I did a google search and first link to come up was "John Macrae was a pilot in the RAF until depression forced him to give up flying and eventually his 19-year RAF career altogether." first hit on the list if u type in "john mcrae raf". Very sad if thats actually him thu but i suppose you could see traces of it in the doco in terms of his pessimistic attitude =(
Linked in says Colchester! It's him because on his CV is mentioned RAF pilot until 1997. John if you read this.....I hope your doing well! I enjoyed the series back in the eighties.
In high terrain would it not help to set QFE to zero at highest point within 20miles for safer terrain clearance ? Forgive my naivety but it was just a thought !
@@archerry6457 I think that is somewhat unfair as a Fighter Pilot would reset his terrain clearance by QFE as informed by Controller at Military Airfield being landed at ! For Civil Pilots like me (retired) this is essential at Airfields for example Bogota which is a staggering 2640 metres above sea level made worse by high terrain just behind them or in the negative sense landing at Rotterdam or in that vicinity thereof -4.6 metres with a negative Sea Level correction. However you sound like a very experienced Fighter Pilot or Navigator so I will withdraw my comment soon.
@@Biggles2498 so you're naive in your first post but a retired civil pilot in your second. Make your mind up, sir. 😉 Edit: why would my not being a pilot necessarily preclude me from understanding this? Your messiah complex doesn't wash. Pilots don't have the monopoly on atmospheric pressure.
@@archerry6457 I did both Navigator Military and Pilot Civil plus was a I Ship's Navigator prior to both so I do have a thorough working knowledge of atmospheric pressure. I was taught in the first place by a top Meteorologist so can you draw on paper a picture of how a Precision Aneroid Barometer to show how it works too ?
Btw, the statement near then end of the film about a pilot knowing one word of Russian - his target in Russia - was, of course, a joke. The pilots would be the last to know the destination of their weapon, for obvious reasons.
They most certainly are NOT ! It's suitability that's all ,many Navigators DO become Pilots ! Some Pilots are not allowed to fly without a Navigator as they can't cope. The highest ranking Navigator in The RAF is an Air Chief Marshall assuming he is still alive.
BBc Radiophonic Workshop at its worst!! It did incidental music for virtually everything in those days - and it all sounded the same (awful!). The best example of its work is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1981).
ludocrat - The music was atrocious & had no correlation to fast moving jet aircraft whatsoever, which would have been the best approach....I think the composer was trying to capture the spirit of the RAF, but failed miserably...They should have expanded their budget & hired Jean-Michel Jarre...The music would have been memorable...
