Thread: Flying soldiers documentry (1997) on DVD/VHS?

has anyone got any ideas where i could get hold of flying soliders on DVD or VHS? I ve tried the usual sources (Amazon/bbc) with no sucess

cheers

Originally Posted by Red-On

has anyone got any ideas where i could get hold of flying soliders on DVD or VHS? I ve tried the usual sources (Amazon/bbc) with no sucess

cheers

Museum of Army Flying might have a few in the shop. Failing that, I know a couple who were on 'Hollywood course' who may still have a copy or two.

http://www.flying-museum.org.uk/

Cheers TLF I ve emailed them to see if theyve got it

Is this the course in 93-94? I met up with one of the choppees after his posting out of MW.

Let us know how you got on. Wouldn't mind getting hold of a copy myself.

I think the course was 1997, havent heard anything from the Mueseum so if anyone has a copy of it i d be happy to pay to get a copy made etc

cheers

Originally Posted by Red-On

I think the course was 1997, havent heard anything from the Mueseum so if anyone has a copy of it i d be happy to pay to get a copy made etc

cheers

The course was 94-95 and was broadcast May 96-June 96. I was on a Lynx course at Wallop at the time of filming and remember most of the filmed course (APC 354) trying to avoid the film crew/director as much as possible. Some were getting thredders with the director because he'd want to reshoot debriefs when it didnt go too well for the student.

QHI - "Right Bloggs, that was a pants sortie. Your PFLs were shite, you didnt bother with HASEL checks and your radio calls were rubbish. Youre on review".

(Bloggs now sees his flying career is possibly only another 5 hours longer and is quite understanderbly under a crap load of pressure)

Director - "Right luvvies, can we reshoot that please? Geoffrey hadn't quite got the right lighting coming into the briefing room. Ok, take it from ..'that was a pants sortie' .....and action..."

QHI and Bloggs - "Fuck off nonce".

I turned up on the all arms P coy course just after the cutting edge crew (C4) had cleared off after filming the documentry, staff where still bumping their gumps about the sexual orientation of the director!

Having just completed my PPL in civvy world, my interest in sourcing flying soldiers is to see just how the flying training in the AAC marry's up with the civvy equivilent, it seemed from recolection of the documentry a lot more intensive based on the mod having to fork out for the training rather than the individual, with tight time constraints such as solo in the chipmunk after 11 hours?

Originally Posted by Red-On

I turned up on the all arms P coy course just after the cutting edge crew (C4) had cleared off after filming the documentry, staff where still bumping their gumps about the sexual orientation of the director!

Having just completed my PPL in civvy world, my interest in sourcing flying soldiers is to see just how the flying training in the AAC marry's up with the civvy equivilent, it seemed from recolection of the documentry a lot more intensive based on the mod having to fork out for the training rather than the individual, with tight time constraints such as solo in the chipmunk after 11 hours?

Yep, thats pretty much the long and short of it. Very early on in the pilots course, a student is expected to be able to fly almost as second nature. The majority of the course is geared towards using the aircraft and commanding it in a tactical environment.

You can teach a monkey to fly if you had the time and enough bananas but as you say, time and money are the contraints and we can choose the best candidate who is most likely to pass the course hence the strict selection process.

As for PPL v mil flying. I suppose you could compare it to driving a Nissan Micra to the local shops v operating a Chally II in its natural environment. Operating. Thats the key difference. An army pilot merely uses a helicopter as his platform to get his job done whether that be brassing up rag heads or moving soup around SPTA.

[quote="The-Lord-Flasheart"]

Originally Posted by Red-On

As for PPL v mil flying. I suppose you could compare it to driving a Nissan Micra to the local shops v operating a Chally II in its natural environment. Operating. Thats the key difference. An army pilot merely uses a helicopter as his platform to get his job done whether that be brassing up rag heads or moving soup around SPTA.

I was lucky enough in the later stages of my PPL to have an ex aussie AAC blackhawk pilot take me for the cross country Nav's, his approach to flying was in stark contrast to the civvy instructors. Less picture perfect manovures and more on the realities of flying, His view on landing was "get the bas**urd on the ground" don't fluff around with pretty flares! very workman like, must have delivered one too many range stews in his time!

I was one of the instructors on the course, I believe I could find you a VHS copy of the programme.

I don't think you could ever cap Marks 'TOP GUN' type commentary and cheesy American accent on his Chipmunk solo.

I'd still love a copy of this series too... :D

If anyone does have it on VHS and have the means to rip it to a digital format perhaps one day it might be distributed.... errr, ummm.... online somewhere for the benefit of the masses?! ;)

If you can't get the film (who has VHS these days anyway?) then there are plenty of copies of the book for sale on t'web.

Yup, been there, bought the book (off eBay) and read it... but would still really like to see the series again...

Part I remember best is the bollocking from one of the instructors to the course while at Llanbedr.
Amazed me really as the bolloking was about teamwork and how they weren't working together as a course.

Talk about black kettles and glasshouses, we were on the same APC a few years previously and if any one needs to be reminded about teamwork and 'course-manship' it was the person giving the bollocking.!