Interview with Chris Bolton on the Royal Navy F-4 Phantom - Full 

Loved this interview Really interesting stuff

Fantastic interview

"You land with a 40 inch extension. On the aircraft, that is..." This man is a genius.

Superb brief Chris !

I was a f4 wso in the 80s, then did varks in the 90s...lv this!

Was absolutely riveting. What a character! 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👍🏿🇬🇧

Chris is a great narrator with a distinctive style! I have seen this video several times and never get tired of hearing it.

I was a Catapult and Elevator Technician aboard the U.S.S. Independence (CV-62) when we cross-decked RN Phantoms and Fairey Gannets (Odd ducks, for sure). Very interesting seeing the dark blue/grey RN Phantoms w/ their Omega symbols on the cats next to our white diamond backs. A treat for us to witness this... I also recall seeing our ship recover French Crusaders... All very exciting even for a seasoned 20 year old with a Med Cruise already under his belt.

What an entertaining way to hear about a first time carrier landing.

Another great RAF Phantom interview. Chris Bolton is a classic.

Brilliant interview, comes over as a pilots pilot.. A masterclass in how to use the F word properly with timing and skill.

Chris Bolton what a character, only in Britain, he's very colorful, genuine and a real human being doing a dangerous job, and living life to the fullest. Thank you for the interview and his entertaining and humorous stories.

What a great interview, he's so interesting and fucking funny! The 40 inch extension but on the aircraft had me pissing myself lol

Smashing interview.Thank you.

This was awesome. Really enjoyed it. What I find hilarious is the free and easy access of a bar on the UK ships. Unimaginable for the US - With a 5.5 pint limit (not a target :) )

Thrilling listening to his first carrier catapult and landing! Chris Bolton is a great story teller, more from him please!!!

Loved this one! Well done that pilot. 👍🍻

This was a great interview. I'd like to sit down and have a couple of beers with this man to hear more about his flying career.

What a legend.

Very interesting and also enjoy his wit and humor...Anyone flying Phantoms of the Ark Royal is deserving of our respect.

What a great character. Could listen to him all day.

That gent is a Legend! Great interview!

Very well documented of an aircrew experience in the RAF and RN and his visits to other countries including Malta. Cheers from Malta.

All the interviews are outstanding... But this one takes it to another level of great!!!

What a legend, they don't make them like this anymore!

Brilliant. What a great bloke!

I ACTUALLY LAUGHED OUT ALOUD..GREAT INTERVIEW, TOP BLOKE!

This man is refreshingly colourful. More from Mr Bolton please. He's as cool as a cucumber, and yet not stuck up. So very interesting. I really enjoyed that. 6 thumbs down so far, must be from those Russian "trawler" crews.

Once again a very informative and workman like effort! Perhaps the most humorous interview so far as well! Easy to forget these days that the F-4 Phantom was a naval multi-role fighter and that Britain operated them as such! Would be interesting to hear a French naval aviator talking about flying another classic, the F-8 Crusader!

I know Chris from way back. good to see the same sense of humour. We lived in the same block in Hong Kong. Great interview, Chris and very amusing with terrific anecdotes. Best wishes, Blair

Thanks Mike. Chris seems like a genuinely top bloke, would love to have a beer or two with him

Fantastic interview and what a great guy! Ark was my Father’s first ship so it was great to hear about life onboard. Thank you for sharing!

Outstanding interview could listen to this gent all day long, a plus for me his first flight in an Auster from my local airport👍

Outstanding interview! All of your interviews are great, but this was exceptional. He had quite a variety of experiences and was most humble. Wonderful choice for the subject of an aviation interview! Keep up the great work!

Dam if this isn't my new favorite interview I LOVE THIS GUY! Running F at at rollin doughnut I lost it right there.

Greetings from Brazil! One of the best aviation channels! Congratulations.

I recall one time when 892 were tasked with "Q" and a RAF equivelent friend of mine (from 43 Sqdn) asked me "Where are your Kites"? After the alarm went off! I informed him that "Our Cabs" were already in the air!! We had set a new record for launch speed! It happened that our aircrew were actually in the "Q" cab in the shed, setting the switches when the alarm went off! :-) Ahh! Crabs God Bless Em? And Protect us from them? ;-)

One of the best interviews given by a pilot I have seen

Absolutely love this guy. And the channel itself is a discovery!

He looks like an older Tom Skerritt in Top Gun

Chris is definitely a natural raconteur! I loved this one!

Wow,,, that was an amazing experience. Listening to such an amazing man.....

Many thanks Mr. Bolton- just a great interview.

really enjoyed hearing that perspective, the experiences of a young guy joining the RAF in the 60s and flying off carriers for the RN in the 70s. He tells it well and good on him for leading an interesting life, wish there was more detail but for a 1 hr chat that was great. Thanks

Heard a little from Chris yesterday at the unveiling of the ex RN RAF F4 Phantom at the Ulster Aviation Society in Northern Ireland. Very informative and interesting.

Very enjoyable interview, quite strange to see the airfield at Portimao.. my local! but haven't had time to investigate any flying opportunities there. Didn't know retirement was going to be so busy( villa renovating )43 years flying, difficult not to miss though. My airline career was in no way as exciting as yours though still loved it. Hopefully trip over you in a bar sometime ...in this little corner of paradise.

Fascinating, thank you very much for the upload. I would have been in my early teens when Mr. Bolton was attached to the RN on HMS Ark Royal but because my old man was on the MoD Police launches at HMNB Devonport and we lived in SE Cornwall (RAF St. Mawgan wasn't far away) I can remember my fascination with RN/ RAF F-4s, Buccaneers, Nimrods.

What a man. I envy his abilities.

What a great career. Definitely had the best of times. Always loved the Phantom. Ours were faster & cleaner than the yank ones. We shoehorned two RR Spey 202s into ours.

if you had 12 hours of this i'd be watching the whole thing. This man is my hero. And I'm pretty sure could still kick my ass and steal my girl.

What an interesting guy,i could listen to him all day!

What an interesting Guy. Great interview.

Just discovered your channel. Really superb, good detail, anecdotes and a lack of hyperbole. Great!

What a belting interview and what a fascinating chap to listen to.

Very good story teller.

"Fit like a robber's dog". It doesn't get much more British :P

mouth of a sailor, fabulous storyteller!

Had to go ashore with a 40in extension, the airplane of course......hahaha what a character :D Love it, great interview :)

I think I've found my new phrase when things are difficult to do.

Respect to him. I was on Ark Royal from 1971 to 1975 in two assignments down in the Boiler and Engine rooms. I would spend most of my off time on the Goofing Deck on the Island watching the flying. Phantoms for me are the sexiest looking aircraft EVER built. Watching a jet on re-heat at night was awesome. Watching them hit the splash target.I was always in awe of the Pilots. I wonder if he remembers us pushing a Buccaneer off the back end as the airframe was condemned. I wonder too if he remembers us in Barcelona when some idiot drove a tractor off the back end. I was part of that as I was being taught how to drive one and the guy showing me how to do it properly drove it off the back end. I never did see Barcelona we were in BIG trouble. LOL Those were the days my friend.

Watched this several times. I think it's one of your best videos together with your Roy McIntyre collaborations. Any scope for a live Q&A with Chris Bolton on the cards?

Superb, superb video. Many thanks for this interview.

Running fuck at a rolling doughnut.That could be the funniest analogy I’ve ever heard👏🏻😂

I'll never look at a doughnut the same again. Yet another great interview. Setting new standards on the Web.

One of the very best, would love to buy him a pint!

Great interview! I can attest that the Brits really like to drink. When station in Germany (me USAF) we had a sq exchange with the Brits. Great fun.

Bloody gorgeous Chippy behind him.

excellent as always, especially the Navy aspect.

Really enjoyed watching that. Keep up the good work

Hearing how hard it was to get bombs on target back then makes me realize just how advanced CCIP bombing is in modern aircraft. Let alone laser guided bombs.

What a wonderful man!

Chris is a great story teller , brilliant interview. My father, Colin Griffin , passed away 4 weeks ago. I’m guessing he was in 892 at the same time as you ? Let’s hope you’ve got more stories to tell.

Talk about master class, what a bloke

It's nice to see that tradition is being upheld - all film of British military aircraft built prior to 1980 must contain a ladder and a bicycle. Obviously the bloke with the flat cap and the bucket is off screen, together with the boffin smoking a pipe :)))

Outstanding, great character and some great stories.

Fantastic interview, very interesting and funny pilot. I could listen to his story all day 👍😁

they´re all good, but this one was great. thanks.

There,s a saying in the Royal Navy...never volunteer, I broke that golden rule only once when I volunteered to be fire suitman on the "Ark" 71/73. Having known then what Ive heard here, I probably wouldn,t have bothered. Great interview.

Great video, what a marvellous life he's had.

Great interview of a true character, thank you both! The topic of cross decking makes me wonder though, landing the USN Phantoms on the British carrier may not be a problem, but how would they go being launched from that carrier without that extra nose wheel height? Would it just be a case of reducing take off weight?

Thoroughly enjoyed this. My father was a Fleet Air Arm pilot and I wonder if their paths crossed. Bob Northard was Commander Air of Ark and later Yeovilton where he returned as Captain in the early 80s. I met Sheppard as a kid!

Best interview yet.

Every now and again I interact with him on Twitter about various aircraft stuff, lovely guy who i'd love to meet in person one day. Defo would buy him a beer or two

Very interesting, congratulations, its great 👏👏

Pure charisma.:)

Great interview mike.

Great interview as always. Thought I recognised the backdrop, this is at skydive algarve. I’ve done a lot of skydiving there and work for their sister dropzone in Lincolnshire!

Brilliant...really interesting guy

I'm going to use, "Like taking a running fuck at a rolling doughnut" in everyday conversation from this point on.

Really good interview Mike 😎👍

Great video,thanks

Absolutely brilliant character Z0

aircrew interview gets better and better

Such a gentleman...

Most likely "caught" him a few times I was operating the arrester gear(DAX) on the Ark during this period. Recognised most aircrew by their boots, my windows were at deck level. Wonder who the guys were with Shamrocks on their boots. Cross decking was a pain for us, Americans would hit the deck and go on afterburn just in case they missed a wire. This led to a lot of "overstrains" requiring the wire to be taken out of service for checks. Best job I ever had. Ex Badger.

Quality as usual Mike

What a fantastic guy. I don't drink but I'm sure he could turn me into a hard-core alcoholic in a village pub in no time at all.

"close and open watertight shutters a bit" - I'll remember that next time I'm worried!

Outstanding!!!

Who can not like this.