It's been great to watch this again after 37 years! When this was aired I was in my 1st year in the RAF - I am about to enter my 39th!

@SuperMageo

4 жыл бұрын

What is your job in the RAF?

@Biggles2498

4 жыл бұрын

Were you Pilot or Navigator ?

@chipfire

Ай бұрын

Get some time in! 😂

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

@robd2184

6 жыл бұрын

Good call, series inspired me into aviation too, watching this as an 8 year old in 1980

@philohara2521

5 жыл бұрын

Yes I'm partial to that tune as well.😁

@jumb0j0ck

5 жыл бұрын

Vangelis, I believe. Inspired me no end and I ended up going Hercs like Martin Oxborrow.

@DrTWG

4 жыл бұрын

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 (?) .

@joeldiggle1891

3 жыл бұрын

Don't mind the theme, but the music used in this TWU phase was hardly dynamic for fast jet air combat, certainly not 'Too Gun' Sexy!

This series just gets better as it progresses; and all too soon, we enter the final episode. Thanks again. Thanks also to the veterans, for their service and comments. My late brother was RAF during the 1970s,, as Fire & Rescue, His postings included RAF Gan, Kinloss and Odiham.

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 a fighter pilot. i started with the hunter and then the lightening, then in 1983 the gr1. it was great.

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!

@davidhumphreys7035

3 жыл бұрын

If he's still in in 2006 he'll be spec aircrew or reserves.

@Nucleotide5313

2 жыл бұрын

You could have a look in the London Gazette. Promotions are listed in there.

@richardvernon317

2 жыл бұрын

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.

@digitalradiohacker

Жыл бұрын

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.

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!

@mrFalconlem

Жыл бұрын

What did they fly Piper Cubs?

@allybally0021

Жыл бұрын

@@mrFalconlem Not a big fleet....but high quality people.

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.

@as680783

3 жыл бұрын

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.

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..

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.

@24934637

3 жыл бұрын

40 years later, those same Tu-95s are still doing the same incursions into UK airspace, and the RAF is still going up to see them off LOL.

Thanks for posting.

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.

Cracking series. I remember this from when I was a nipper. Thanks for sharing

amazing stuff, enjoyed all the episodes, ty for uploading

Probably the best flying video I've seen on the web - was very interesting. Thanks, N-6395T

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)

Fantastic stuff remembered watching it as a kid convinced to take up flying as a career.

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.

The music gives me goosebumps.

Laarbruch spent 3 years there in the 80's.. great vid remember this from when i was a kid,

Very nice thanx for uploading....now I remember why I became an commercial pilot instead of military:)

@Biggles2498

3 жыл бұрын

I agree as I also find RAF Air Bases very depressing places !

Love to know what they're all doing now. Great to see this again - seems so long ago, yet so recent. Thanks, cybermega.

@wayneschenk5512

2 жыл бұрын

Martin Oxbra is on aircrew interview.

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.

Interesting, thanks

Ah Laarbruch! Had 2.5 wonderful years there.

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.

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.

That music......Christ.

@thunderpussy8956

7 жыл бұрын

I know.....up there with cats shagging, babies screaming and Katy bloody Perry!

@Scotscan

4 жыл бұрын

Diabolical.

Mad skills Respect

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!

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.

@Biggles2498

4 жыл бұрын

Adam W : As Napoleon once asked his Generals " Are you lucky" also helps Old Boy ! (En Francais)

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.

@grahams7697

8 ай бұрын

What do you know about military flying training? I assume from your comment, that you have experience in this World??

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. =)

@sicknote1558

Жыл бұрын

Funny I noticed that as well 🤣 😄

Not everyone cut out to fly like these guys very brave men.

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!

rob lowe,instructor on TWCU at honington during my time.

After 8 episodes, I think the film gets over the fact that McRea is a barrel of laughs and would defo be top of my party invitations.

@gsmdo8836

9 ай бұрын

🤣😂🤣

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.

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.

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.

@Biggles2498

3 жыл бұрын

What happens if a Student Pilot doesn't want to fly fighters but wanted to fly say C130 Hercules or in that day VC10 ?

I wonder if the chap at 22:17 is Gary Stapleton the same who flew tornados during the Persian Gulf War with 15sq?

What was the code for that door again. 514.

14:40 enjoying a smoke during brief time lol

@James-gf9jl

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, nice to see the tabs on.

How do you know if there is a pilot at a party? Wait two minutes they’ll tell you.

@James-gf9jl

3 жыл бұрын

What do pilots use for contraception? Their personality.

Fighter pilots in fast movers...A cut above!

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.

@ericmasaba9823

10 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this Adron.

@ericmasaba9823

10 жыл бұрын

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04d526s/the-worlds-war-forgotten-soldiers-of-empire-1-martial-races

@pwareham61

4 жыл бұрын

Should have done Vesta curry now and then.

22:21 uhm I now know the code to get into the op room in Germany

@as680783

3 жыл бұрын

What I thought too!

Clearly also one of the prerequisites to being a RAF fighter pilot, is to have a tash & side parting.

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

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.

At 3.01, good old "chalky" White, a top bloke, he was still at Brawdy 10 years later.

@allybally0021

4 жыл бұрын

Yep he was...with 234Sqn. Sound bloke.

Glorious where are the rest?

Did my Tucano FNT with John McRae - top bloke.

@pscary1

4 жыл бұрын

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!😊

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."

@as680783

3 жыл бұрын

Totally relevant points.

@thomasbrowne4115

2 жыл бұрын

I was hoping it wasn't just me who saw this, nice to know I'm not hallucinating!

And a couple of years later was the Falklands war, where the highly trained pilots of the RAF shone through.

@adiedonoghue1

6 жыл бұрын

HollomanUFOLanding RN pilots you mean....RAF were at Asi other than Blackbuck mission

@markwilson8299

6 жыл бұрын

That might come as a surprise to the Pilots of No 1(F) Sqn RAF who were providing Harrier Gr3's from HMS Hermes. :-)

@sabre22b

5 жыл бұрын

Mark Wilson wow. Did not know that. Good point. Well made.

@garethmitchell8140

3 жыл бұрын

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.

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.

@SKYLANDBAK

7 жыл бұрын

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...

@welshparamedic

6 жыл бұрын

he is nearly 60 now!! lol

@adamw2911

6 жыл бұрын

Unless you have done ten weeks of basic military training then you've no right to judge any of these guys.

@stewartw.9151

4 жыл бұрын

Jobsworth!

@davidhumphreys7035

3 жыл бұрын

@@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.

EARN! your wings.. You don't WIN your wings.

@allybally0021

6 жыл бұрын

Its all down to luck.....just like Bingo. Hence win. Flying is extremely easy.

Wanna bet :) For years most doors in the RAF had this code which was the default out of the box.

Just here for the sound track

their jobs are big responsibility for them,very serious jobs,specially if they assign at war,probably all of them are not smiling

what did they become now ?

I bet the combination to the door is still 541

@sicknote1558

Жыл бұрын

😆 lol

are there any fast jet pilots on here willing to talk about their time / experiences on fast jets?

@allybally0021

4 жыл бұрын

......I think you need to talk about mustache wax...that might start some dialogue.

No. Some are but most join as Navs

Not a bump cap on in sight. The days.

Based on this doc it seems McCrae can fly but his negativity makes me surprised that he made it.

4:22 - Hawker Hunter!

@Biggles2498

4 жыл бұрын

I flew one(under supervision) as a PPL and they are easier to fly than a Beech 33 !

Everyone knows the code for the door now 😮

more lika a comb-over!

11:18 sportscar TVR Griffith 400

the milkman done good! i wonder if he ever went on to tornados?

@sabre22b

5 жыл бұрын

I don't think his personality would fit in the cockpit.

@Biggles2498

3 жыл бұрын

A Milkman who had 11 "0" Levels ! I scraped 8 !

so the door code is 541!

@phill633vgs

6 жыл бұрын

I used to just pick the three shiniest buttons...

@epowellrob

4 жыл бұрын

And we keep all the keys for the planes in the kitchen drawer (the one under the kettle)

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...

Yes, free the farmers!

OHP slides ....you gotta smile 😂

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

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah and then flare about 700m above the runway. Genius.

@Biggles2498

2 жыл бұрын

@@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.

@archerry6457

2 жыл бұрын

@@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.

@Biggles2498

2 жыл бұрын

@@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 ?

@Biggles2498

Жыл бұрын

@@archerry6457 THEN Reset QFE before joining Circuit is what I thought would have been common sense.

@SpitfireSir

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!

@mjspice100

3 жыл бұрын

That’s not the first time I’ve heard that particular individual referred to in that way…

@Biggles2498

3 жыл бұрын

@@mjspice100 He treated Ladies like shit ! The War Films with Kenneth Moore portraying him as a Gentleman is BS !

@ryandewar7440

Жыл бұрын

Met Bader when I was very young. Complete tosspot. Absolute shit to the majority of people around him. Arrogant twat.

LOL :-D

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 =(

@markp5737

4 жыл бұрын

He's a real estate agent now days

@tonkerdog1243

4 жыл бұрын

markp5737 where

@pinopino1086

3 жыл бұрын

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.

@paulmaggs3212

9 ай бұрын

I reckon smarter people do get to be a bit cynical as they see through a lot of the bullshit.. I can see why that could lead to depression…

Ah, but for Hitchhiker's Guide, really, really cheesy synth music was just right!

'We're in the quality versus quantity game'. Wow. Fast forward to 2023 and the numbers we mow have in our armed forces. More true than ever!

so all navigators are failed pilots.....

@allybally0021

4 жыл бұрын

Not true......some Navs retrain as pilots too.

@Biggles2498

4 жыл бұрын

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.

That's exactly what I thought too! It should be rock & roll - not a church organ! :-/

Ha ha Welsh extremists!

Chip pan

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.

@davidhumphreys7035

4 жыл бұрын

Utter bollocks, they would take their planning pack into a locked room and regularly study the strike package.

@ProfessorPesca

Ай бұрын

My old man was on Buccaneers in Germany in the 70s and absolutely knew his target.

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).

@SKYLANDBAK

7 жыл бұрын

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...

4.24 Some of these Pilots need a bloody haircut !

@TarnishUK

3 жыл бұрын

1980 enough said.

plotting a bombing raid on 'Welsh Extremists' Plaid Cymru lol! Do you think the RAF have updated their mission sets since then??

24.31 caught me

we farmers?

Hehehe welsh extremists. The fashion back then was bad!

You've got a massive chip on your shoulder mate.

The sanity of the English is at stake!

They all have mustaches.

Sigmas don't care if you think they have a personality or not

John obviously had a natural flare for flying jets. However, in this series he comes across as the most boring bloke in NATO.

Ugh viewfoils.... the bane of every lesson 🤣