Whofan Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 Apologies if this is repeating news, but I've just seen a trailer on BBC 1 for a programme featuring Ewan Macgregor and his brother celebrating the RAF at 100. It's on Sunday March 25th. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junglierating Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 35 minutes ago, Whofan said: Apologies if this is repeating news, but I've just seen a trailer on BBC 1 for a programme featuring Ewan Macgregor and his brother celebrating the RAF at 100. It's on Sunday March 25th. Cor thanks for the warning only joking 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweeky Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 Ewan's brother was a Tornado pilot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumber Posted March 19, 2018 Share Posted March 19, 2018 His name is Colin. And indeed he was a Tonka pilot on 617 at Lossiemouth when I was there. Before that he was on 14 Sqdn at Bruggen and after 617 an Instructor and Tornado Display Pilot on 15 (R) at Lossie. He is also an extremely nice man and friend !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted March 19, 2018 Share Posted March 19, 2018 12 minutes ago, Scootsah1 said: His name is Colin. And indeed he was a Tonka pilot on 617 at Lossiemouth when I was there. Before that he was on 14 Sqdn at Bruggen and after 617 an Instructor and Tornado Display Pilot on 15 (R) at Lossie. He is also an extremely nice man and friend !!!! Isn’t it true that his ‘handle’ was Obi Two Kenobi?! Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whofan Posted March 22, 2018 Author Share Posted March 22, 2018 On 19/03/2018 at 7:18 PM, Scootsah1 said: His name is Colin. And indeed he was a Tonka pilot on 617 at Lossiemouth when I was there. Before that he was on 14 Sqdn at Bruggen and after 617 an Instructor and Tornado Display Pilot on 15 (R) at Lossie. He is also an extremely nice man and friend !!!! I believe he is in the programme with Swan. Amazing, isn't it, the things you find out about people! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whofan Posted March 22, 2018 Author Share Posted March 22, 2018 (edited) Further to this programme (at least one), if anyone fancies another BBC celebration of 100 years of the RAF, Masterchef has been trailing a segment where - please don't laugh - John Torode and Greg Wallace are seen striding out man fully in full flight suits and helmets - no, don't laugh, they are trying - oh go on then! In the programme, the budding masterchefs have to prepare a meal for about 100 RAF personnel. I'm not sure when the actual programme will be broadcast, but I intend to post the details when I see them. Edited March 22, 2018 by Whofan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whofan Posted March 25, 2018 Author Share Posted March 25, 2018 Did anyone watch this programme? I thought it was reasonable, picking out things that gave an illustration of how the service evolved, using Ewan and his brother where possible. They showed what I think was the Boultbee 2 seat spit Ced had a flight in last year, and a fair few other planes, one or two WW1, no interwar, Spit, Hurricane, Lancaster, Lysander, then Dakota (Berlin Airlift) Vulcan and Typhoon post war. Interviews with a number of lovely people from WW2 and Vulcan crew, 2 delightful ladies who delivered aeroplanes in WW2, and finally a Harrier pilot who shot down an Argentinian A-4 in the Falklands. Ewan was allowed to take the controls of a Typhoon he was taken up in, though I did say to my wife I bet the real pilot's hands are a fraction of an inch away from his! All in all, a brisk, sympathetic, and interesting, but sad to see that one of the ladies and one of the Lancaster crew from WW2 interview died before the programme was shown tonight. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Just seen a trailer for this http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09xyvdm Certainly a different slant on things. Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wafu Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Have to say, and this is only my opinion, that I was massively disappointed. The RAF is people and the people depicted where all pilots, I didn't see every second of the programme but from my point of view the BBC depicted the RAF as a bunch of pilots and no one else, the RAF I saw was much more than this. ATC, Engineers, Logistics, Transport, Chefs, this list could go on and on. Not one of these trades was mentioned or even given credit. The RAF Reg didn't ge a credit for service in all parts of ever conflict the UK has had since the end of the First World War. Like any of the armed services, the RAF is proud of its VC holders but just to focus on the pilots was an opertunity well missed by the program producers, shame on them. These are only my opinions as the grandson of an WWII RAF Sargent. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieNZ Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 I would love to watch this, unfortunately I can't stream it from the BBC site as it is only available to people in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 I have to agree with wafu above, it wasn't a full on 100 year history. I enjoyed the flying sequences though. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyf117 Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 (edited) Content withdrawn - I will NOT be threatened by a moderator, simply because I queried the actions of another... Edited June 27, 2020 by andyf117 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arbrownra Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 I guess that its difficult to cover an entire century of history covering two world wars and countless other conflicts (hot and cold) in only an hour. I thought they made a pretty good stab at it. I agree that more could have been made of the contribution of the non-aircrew elements, but my major observation was that more should have been made of the significant maritime patrol contribution made by the RAF over the years, especially during the Battle of the Atlantic. A lot could have been made of how science and operational analysis was used to help defeat the U Boats for instance, which would have supported the argument made in tbe programme that the RAF was the most innovative and forward thinking of the three services in the war. Overall though, a good programme aimed at the general public and good PR for the RAF. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NG899 Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Film of the Tornado flight over RAF bases featured in this morning's today programme on Radio 4 may be more widely available than in the UK... http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p062gmp3 Cheers Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
At Sea Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 4 hours ago, NG899 said: Film of the Tornado flight over RAF bases featured in this morning's today programme on Radio 4 may be more widely available than in the UK... http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p062gmp3 Cheers Nick Poor old Tornado. The first of the Iconic aircraft I remember being 'new'. One of the many aircraft that adorned my bedroom walls. The fact that they are leaving RAF service makes me genuinely sad. Will make an effort to see as many as possible over the next year. Enjoy them while they last. :-( 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
At Sea Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 As regards the 100RAF programme I thought is was okay. Agree that more could-have-should-have been made of the trades but it's telly land. It should have been a 4 parter. 25 years an episode or a conflict an episode and then there would have been ample space for the full function of the RAF to be shown. The lives of ground crews in WW1 & WW2 were not a picnic. And the role of the ground crews in the desert wars has been very under-reported. Still, a light skim show about aeroplanes is better than no show about aeroplanes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnT Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Given the impossibility of getting 100 years of an organisation with the breadth of the RAF into 60 minutes TV I think the programme makers made a decent fist of what they did. More coffee table magazine than history perhaps but worth a watch. Interesting to hear that Arthur Harris ordered aircrew to restart their tour from the beginning regardless of the number of operations completed if they, er, ahem, acquired a certain anti social disease. 😨 I had not heard that before! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisTheBear Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 I saw this program here in Oz, on SBS tv, a few weeks ago. As someone observed in a previous post the RAF is not just machines but people, and one thing that was obvious, to me at least, is how much a famous and fine actor with a worldwide reputation admired and in a way looked up to his brother even now. This is the essence of all the people who served with the RAF (and the preceeding RFC), the family and friends who became like family. The aeroplane (come now, we all know the right word) bits were great too! DennisTheBear 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Bunker Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 16 hours ago, arbrownra said: I guess that its difficult to cover an entire century of history covering two world wars and countless other conflicts (hot and cold) in only an hour. 9 hours ago, JohnT said: Given the impossibility of getting 100 years of an organisation with the breadth of the RAF into 60 minutes TV 90 minutes, surely? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junglierating Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 17 hours ago, arbrownra said: I guess that its difficult to cover an entire century of history covering two world wars and countless other conflicts (hot and cold) in only an hour. I thought they made a pretty good stab at it. I agree that more could have been made of the contribution of the non-aircrew elements, but my major observation was that more should have been made of the significant maritime patrol contribution made by the RAF over the years, especially during the Battle of the Atlantic. A lot could have been made of how science and operational analysis was used to help defeat the U Boats for instance, which would have supported the argument made in tbe programme that the RAF was the most innovative and forward thinking of the three services in the war. Overall though, a good programme aimed at the general public and good PR for the RAF. Hmm I thought it was ok and a great PR feather for the RAF....the RN has a lot to learn...looking forward to crab master chef lol. Meanwhile i did take umbridge with that chap Bishop....ive read his books .....v good but to say that the RAF won the war ......grrr 'just makes me mad '.....monty python voice. As the chap above has mentioned there is of course the battle of the atlantic.....which i do believe the RN and the merchant had no small part in ....and pretty sure that had a major part in winning the war.....else we would have starved.I could go on. Meanwhile go RAF 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arbrownra Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 2 hours ago, junglierating said: Hmm I thought it was ok and a great PR feather for the RAF....the RN has a lot to learn...looking forward to crab master chef lol. Meanwhile i did take umbridge with that chap Bishop....ive read his books .....v good but to say that the RAF won the war ......grrr 'just makes me mad '.....monty python voice. As the chap above has mentioned there is of course the battle of the atlantic.....which i do believe the RN and the merchant had no small part in ....and pretty sure that had a major part in winning the war.....else we would have starved.I could go on. Meanwhile go RAF The RAF definitely pulled off a PR coup with this. Just to make clear about the RAF winning the war (or the Battle of the Atlantic for that matter) I didn't mean to infer that I agreed with his argument just that including Coastal Command would have supported his point! And I was a soldier so feel that the army contributed just a little bit to eventual victory too.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junglierating Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 Yeah i knew that mate....no worries. Im looking forward to masterchef now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnT Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 (edited) 10 hours ago, Nigel Bunker said: 90 minutes, surely? Must have been so good I didn't notice the time passing - aeroplanes you see !! What happens when us old folks get too excited 4 hours ago, junglierating said: Im looking forward to masterchef now Now that the navy had a minor role and the army too I will concede - but if that's an oblique reference to the catering corps I think that's a sarnie too far Edited March 29, 2018 by JohnT authors stupidity 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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