BBC Four – Aviation Season – Ideas Wanted

Arm Waver, that documentary about the Spitfire is called ‘The Perfect Lady’, the title coming from a quote from RNZAF pilot Johnnie Houlton about his Spitfire I believe.

Cheers Dave, I thought it was something along those lines – I don’t think I’ve seen it since it was originally broadcast all those years ago.
ATVB
Gary

Well, as they would have time to commission and shoot it, how about this.

On September 15th 2010, it will be 70-years since “The Battle of Britain”.

Now would be the time to get any last surviving pilots, German and British to discuss their memories of the events, and maybe also to get them in the same room and show, using models etc or getting guys to re-create battles in Combat Simulators, to show the tactics they used to defeat or get the advantage on the enemy.

To hear this from both sides would be superb.

The series could run over 12 Episodes and be made up of the year 1940, each episode covering month of the year, or 6-episodes with September being the final one?

To have an in-depth documentary, recreating battles from the memories of the pilots still living, and also famous ones from books like Stanford Tuck, Wellum, Bader, Mölders, Galland and Wick, to be honest that would be an amazing tribute to all who flew and possibly the final chapter to show the legacy they have left behind.

I also like the idea of getting the surviving pilots to talk about and maybe sit in the planes that they flew to re-live their experiences and talk about advantages and disadvantages that the planes they flew in faced.

Finally to have them visiting their airfields (even if they have been re-developed) would be quite poignant as it would bring home the fact that it was so many years ago that they flew combat in the skies.

Just my honest thought.

However, if there was ever a chance to commission a new series, I think a “Band of Brothers” style series, focusing on one Fighter Group for each side (as an example No.92 (Stanford Tuck)) for British and JG 26 or 51 for the Luftwaffe.

It’s just an idea, but Aviation has been sadly forgotten in so many schedules, with only the History Channel showing any interest with “Dogfights”.

Cheers, MP.

Arm Waver, that documentary about the Spitfire is called ‘The Perfect Lady’, the title coming from a quote from RNZAF pilot Johnnie Houlton about his Spitfire I believe.

From memory didn’t the beeb make a documentary about Nick Grace and his rebuild of ML407?

There was indeed a documentary on ML407. IIRC it was called “Portrait of a Lady” They did a follow up covering Carolyn’s conversion on her following Nick’s death.

Kee Bird was indeed a cracking programme although a very sad outcome.

For me I would like to see that early The World About Us documentary on the CAF filmed in 1980/81.

Do you mean “Colonel Culpeppers Flying Circus”? Great programme!

That documentary series on aviation broadcast in 1988.

Would that be ‘Reaching For The Skies” narrated by Anthony Quayle? That is a super series too. When it screened here in NZ in 1989 there was an additional episode made to fit into the series though locally made here that covered New Zealand aviation.

I thought that there was a rumour doing the rounds that the Beeb were contemplating filming Len Deightons ‘Bomber’, the radio play was excellent.

John

A “Then and Now” theme using archive film of wartime USAAF Eighth Air Force bases in East Anglia.

From memory didn’t the beeb make a documentary about Nick Grace and his rebuild of ML407?
There was also the documentary about Darryl Greenamyer and Kee Bird although I must admit it breaks my heart to see her burn at the end.
It seems to ring a bell that in the late 70’s early 80’s they also made a documentary about Sir George Cayley and I think it was Derek Piggott test flew a replica Cayley Flying Machine. I know this may not be of interest to all the warbird enthusiasts but I love the pioneer machines and there must be others out there who do as well. A visit to Old Warden is well worthwhile just to see the Blackburn Monoplane in the air.
If we are looking at old display footage there are some classic old airshow acts like the Belgian Stampe Duo who performed mirror aerobatics but this footage may be long gone as the beeb used to reuse many tapes and lost a lot of classic television.

I’d love to see again the progamme about the recovery, restoration and tragic death of the B29 ‘Kee Bird’ among others

Martin

I found out the other day that ‘Target for Tonight’ was made by Squadron Leader Henry Illife-couzens-who was C.O. of 19 squadron when they got the first Spitfires

I found out the other day that ‘Target for Tonight’ was made by Squadron Leader Henry Illife-couzens-who was C.O. of 19 squadron when they got the first Spitfires

…somebody (and I think it was the BBC) made a film about bringing the B25’s over from the USA for the making of the film Hanover Street. …

That would be “Mitchells Do Fly In IMC” I don’t think the BBC were involved. It is a favourite of the Forum.

Oh and welcome to the Forum.:)

It would be good to see Target For Tonight again – the colour film about about RAF Lancaster raids.

Also, somebody (and I think it was the BBC) made a film about bringing the B25’s over from the USA for the making of the film Hanover Street. It would be good to see that again too.

Caught a very good documentary series occasionally with Bruce Dickinson -cant remember what it was called, tho-falling that, how about ‘The X (plane) Factor!’

New Aviation Themed Films for TV

This wont be too informative, just to let you know that there will soon be screened a new series about Helicopter rescues. Filming is well under way and screening is due for early in the new year. I am unable to tell more as I am sworn to secrecy, what I can say is that from the filming I witnessed it will be worth a viewing. Sorry I am unable to say more.

How about a documentary about British planes and how they shaped the aviation world?

Its been done, by the BBC with Harry Enfield narrating, still turns up on satellite sometimes. Covered VC-10, Nimrod/Comet, Anson, Rapide, Gannet, Beverley, Pioneer, Canberra and others. It was a bit lightweight but had some seldom seen footage.

How about a documentary about British planes and how they shaped the aviation world?

Yes, the Americans may have had the first flight but us Brits were a very close second.

First supersonic flight, us Brits again very close second but what about all the British firsts everything from the DH Comet, the EE Lightning including VSTOL and the many other British designs?

I’ve always thought a good drama documentary, called ‘The Canon Fighter’ Starting around the mid 30’s and continuing through to the end of the war, about Westland’s chief designer Teddy Petter and his designs for the Lysander, Whirlwind and Welkin would be good…

How about the blast from the past that was “Diamonds in the Sky” for a re-run programme?

“Rally in the Sky” was a good two parter of an early(ish) microlight “race” across the Northern part of the UK.

A small series giving different aspects of say:
1. Early days (pre 1914),
2. Inter-war (1919-1939),
3. Aeroplane at War (1914-1918 & 1939-1945),
4. General Avaition (private flying),
5. Moving the Masses (airliners),
6. The Jet Age,
7. Rotary,
8. On Silent Wings (gliding),
9. Living Past (preservation & restoration) and
10. On Lighter Wings (homebuilt & mircolights).

Ok 10 isn’t that short a series….

Just my idle thoughts (and I’ll take my comission for the idea in crisp oncers please) 😀

BBC4 had a very good programme this week on British Rail and steam trains in the 1950s and there’s plenty of aviation material to work with from this period – the Comet and in a wider sense the development of jet airliners, the RAF in the 1950s (V-bombers, Suez, 1957 defence white paper), the aircraft industry successes and failures (Brabazon, Princess, Britannia, Viscount). Another area that would have plenty of material to work with is British missile developments.