Flying Soldiers episode 1 - BBC 1997 documentary about trainee army pilots in the uk - sitting on my pc for some time now so i thought I would share this great insight to helicopter pilot training in the army.
Your father was a Corporal while he took on the selection to become a pilot. Is his promotion to Major just a general progression in the army or did he go to University which allowed him commission to become an officer?
Good for your Dad, that's quite an achievement. I did a similar thing in the Australian Army, went from Private and the applied for a Commission. Finished up as a Major (SSO) after having served my time as a Rotary Wing Pilot. Well done to him! Cheers!
I believe Major Hitch was a WO in Kosovo and was given a substantial amount of responsibility for his Squadron. I't good to see guys like that rise up the ranks. They've earned it.
I had the privilege of meeting your Dad once...at the time his girlfriend was a school friend of mine called Brit King and he was out with her at a club. I recognised him straight away from the program and he was the nicest chap to speak too, not atal up his own arse ...just a real blokes bloke and we chatted alot about his flying of lynx helicopters. I was envious of him. I'm sure you are ,as you say very proud.
If I remember correctly the BBC interrupted screening of this series originally. Remember watching it having been told that the Army Air Corps was the best way into civilian flying as post-service employment. In 1997 more pilots were succeeding in joining BA from the AAC than the RAF. Also in the AAC you do not need to be a Commissioned Officer to fly.
17:14 . Anyone that knows Mark back then would never of "questioned" his motives, he always wanted to fly. A great guy to work with, and as it appears years later, a good flying career, it just goes to show how sometimes "opinions of instructors" can really be off the mark , but given so little time its not surprising they do so.
Can so relate to Mark Hitch, I was talking myself through my checks in the same giddy fashion when I first went solo - sharp contrast to the serious nature you do it when there is an instructor watching you. It happens because you realise your in charge, and for the first time whatever you say goes! Exciting stuff!
Thank you for uploading this, I read the book in South Africa about 15 ago and then agian about 5 yrs back and have been looking for the documentary ever since. Once again many thanks
The 'Chippy' is a nice airplane. Although slow, it doesn't seem so. Also, throwing it around is a bit scary at first! I remember going upside down for the first time, and my straps dangling up [down being up when you are upside down] and my staring at the cockpit floor! I think the most challenging thing was to fly with ease.
I keep expecting to see Tim Peake in this. It must have been about the same time he went through. Would have been a nice 'before they were famous' moment
This came out just as the RAF ditched the Chipmunk and my ATC mates and me missed the bugger so much we forced ourselves to watch a series with green people in it. 😉
During my flight training for a civvy licence I had an ex-RAF instructor, a real stickler for accuracy in flying. For instance, if you were not at the assigned height in the circuit, say 1000 feet, he would, after a couple of verbal warnings, whack the back of your head with a rolled up newspaper saying "I said 1000 feet, not 1010! - do it!" You learned to fly with precision quite quickly.
There was me learning to drive wagons that year while these Rupert's and plastics were jollying about like biggles!! Not even a child holds a fork like hitch did in the cookhouse!!
That (summer balls etc) is exactly how an officer and a gentleman behaves (when not in the public eye) I love the story of the invention of ping-pong (wif waf), two cigar boxes, a champagne cork and copious pints of beer.
Nothing more fun than flying a helicopter than landing on a ship's helopad in rough seas or picking up wounded whilst being shot at by hostile bearded men with minimal education and personal hygiene.
