BBC series "Sailor"

Not even with RVL….?

V/STOL operations just wont be the same……….just not as……exciting?……as seeing a deck full of Bucks and Phantoms, with the steam from the cats whisping everywhere………

Started watching “Sailor” on dvd. Its a very cool bbc series from 1976. FANTASTIC footage of Ark Royal! Ahhh…..when Britain had a REAL aircraft carrier!:)

Warship was a popular British television drama series produced by the BBC between 1973 and 1977. It was also dubbed into Dutch and broadcast in the Netherlands as ‘Alle hens’ (All hands). Four series were produced, with 45 episodes made in total. It was mainly filmed aboard the Leander-class frigate HMS Phoebe.

@Village: The new class should go a long way towards reversing a lot of those problems you mentioned, but they’ve already started rectifying one, Harriers have gone back to the flight decks since they’ve come back from Afghanistan. It’s not much but it’s a start, a signal of intent perhaps.

Hawkdriver05

But the RN didn’t cease to be a proper Navy after the big carriers went, as events in the South Atlantic in 1982 proved. I think it was the loss of the Sea Harrier (noting a few were kept in RN hands and are almost like a war reserve) that did that, it meant that for the first time i we assumed that if UK maritime forces need air defence then an ally will supply it. Therefore MOD was assuming that no UK only operations could take place. I think Hermes and Invincible did alright in 1982.

However, since then things have sadly declined.

With new carriers on the horizon, we should be ramping up our flight deck capabilities. Indeed there have been occasions where one of our present carriers has had sixteen or more Sea Harriers and Harriers embarked. Also, the Sea Harrier has been retired early. This decision was discussed in lots of places like PPRuNe (particularly the very long Sea Jet thread). This was one of the issues raised, in fact it was pointed out to me by someone experienced in carrier operations. Since then things have got worse, with the RN struggling to find Harriers to embark.

I apolegise for posting a link to PPRuNe but this thread is about naval aviation and this particular issue has been discussed there. Unfortunately it would appear some of the predictions regarding skill loss and the issue of “jets on the deck” have been proved right. Naturally it is also mentioned in the Future Carrier thread.

The run down of the Fleet Air Arm in the 70s meant that using fighters to defend a task force from air attack had not been properly practised for many years prior to 1982. Like the lack of AEW this was to have lethal consequences.

Do we learn from our mistakes? It would appear not.

See also this ARRSE thread: Ark Royal landings

I was in Gibraltar Tower in the late 70’s when she made her final paying off visit.

Sad to see her exit the harbour with a huge paying off pennant flying from her mainmast.

We ended up with one of her AEW Gannets on our firedump.

I’d like to see that again.
Having grown up near Lossiemouth, with a brother-in-law who regularly used to take me to see the aircraft he worked on (HMS Fulmar Scimitars, Buccaneer S1 and S2s, and Gannets 1960 to 1973), I have very nostalgic connections with the Fleet Air Arm…

Started watching “Sailor” on dvd. Its a very cool bbc series from 1976. FANTASTIC footage of Ark Royal! Ahhh…..when Britain had a REAL aircraft carrier!:)

Brings back a lot of memories for me. I was a Naval air Mechanic on the Buccaneer (809) squadron at the time.

We joined the ship at Devonport from RAF Honington flying to St Mawgan in the back of a Belfast! Then by bus to Plymouth.

The same day I was queuing at the on-board Naafi when I felt someone pulling at my hair….then the booming voice of Tom Wilkinson Master at arms, ‘Where the hell do you think your going with hair like that you great party!’ I was marched off to the barber before reporting to the Regulating office….happy days when I look back, not sure if I enjoyed it all that much at the time!

And in 6 years we will do again…hopefully.