Flying Soldiers episode 1 - BBC 1997 documentary about trainee army pilots in the uk - sitting on my pc for some time now so i thought I would share this great insight to helicopter pilot training in the army.
Пікірлер: 93
@tonihitch39111 жыл бұрын
Mark Hitch is my dad haha, he is now facing his promotion to a Major and was one of the first to fly Apache Helicopters. So proud of you Dad. x
@crowbar49297 жыл бұрын
Your father was a Corporal while he took on the selection to become a pilot. Is his promotion to Major just a general progression in the army or did he go to University which allowed him commission to become an officer?
@flyboymiles30566 жыл бұрын
Crow Bar I
@tlevans625 жыл бұрын
Good for your Dad, that's quite an achievement. I did a similar thing in the Australian Army, went from Private and the applied for a Commission. Finished up as a Major (SSO) after having served my time as a Rotary Wing Pilot. Well done to him! Cheers!
@tlevans625 жыл бұрын
I believe Major Hitch was a WO in Kosovo and was given a substantial amount of responsibility for his Squadron. I't good to see guys like that rise up the ranks. They've earned it.
@KumaBean5 жыл бұрын
Please shake your Dads hand for me, and tell him that I was truly rooting for him while watching this, living the dream 🙂👌
@oliviarooney28294 жыл бұрын
David Rooney is my dad! So proud of you x
@darrenlucas27683 жыл бұрын
I had the privilege of meeting your Dad once...at the time his girlfriend was a school friend of mine called Brit King and he was out with her at a club. I recognised him straight away from the program and he was the nicest chap to speak too, not atal up his own arse ...just a real blokes bloke and we chatted alot about his flying of lynx helicopters. I was envious of him. I'm sure you are ,as you say very proud.
@blueflyer2005 Жыл бұрын
A lot of my old mates in this series, I qualified on APC 341, proudest moment of my life, by a country mile.
@banditrider6139 ай бұрын
17:14 . Anyone that knows Mark back then would never of "questioned" his motives, he always wanted to fly. A great guy to work with, and as it appears years later, a good flying career, it just goes to show how sometimes "opinions of instructors" can really be off the mark , but given so little time its not surprising they do so.
@Andrew.Stuart11 жыл бұрын
From Corporal to Major is a massive achievement (possible more than that). Brilliant...
@angeltransportpjects9 жыл бұрын
If I remember correctly the BBC interrupted screening of this series originally. Remember watching it having been told that the Army Air Corps was the best way into civilian flying as post-service employment. In 1997 more pilots were succeeding in joining BA from the AAC than the RAF. Also in the AAC you do not need to be a Commissioned Officer to fly.
@steviespaind43077 жыл бұрын
Ahhhh superb. FOUND IT! I watched this years ago and loved . Now I´m gonna binge for a few hours :)
@simonneat78668 жыл бұрын
Thank you for uploading this, I read the book in South Africa about 15 ago and then agian about 5 yrs back and have been looking for the documentary ever since. Once again many thanks
@SS-hw1ou4 жыл бұрын
What's the name of the book?
@ratodoesgato10 жыл бұрын
Can so relate to Mark Hitch, I was talking myself through my checks in the same giddy fashion when I first went solo - sharp contrast to the serious nature you do it when there is an instructor watching you. It happens because you realise your in charge, and for the first time whatever you say goes! Exciting stuff!
@deeremeyer1749 Жыл бұрын
Whatever you say to yourself?
@DeltaV33 жыл бұрын
Wow. I remember watching this 24 years ago and had completely forgotten about it.
@KumaBean5 жыл бұрын
I somehow feel dead-proud of Mark, great job buddy 🙂👌
@sav4710 жыл бұрын
Awesome! Thanks for the upload :)
@RiDankulous2 жыл бұрын
It's nice to see someone successful with flying training when under pressure to succeed.
@DrUmtombo9 жыл бұрын
Great - thanks for sharing!
@bedfordboy366 жыл бұрын
That PTI at the start is a face that I won't forget.
@nh6milhistory12 жыл бұрын
Excellent, I was hoping someone would upload this series ;
@johnjones-ch5sh7 жыл бұрын
The 'Chippy' is a nice airplane. Although slow, it doesn't seem so. Also, throwing it around is a bit scary at first! I remember going upside down for the first time, and my straps dangling up [down being up when you are upside down] and my staring at the cockpit floor! I think the most challenging thing was to fly with ease.
@MrWadstw12 жыл бұрын
Awesome upload many thanks
@frgr912 жыл бұрын
Thanks great documentary....
@Chopper89412 жыл бұрын
Me too. Last saw this on TV back in the late 90's
@flybobbie14498 жыл бұрын
The lonely walk, sending someone solo....and hoping thank Christ that this ain't the one that crashes!
@K1W1fly3 жыл бұрын
Have to chuckle at the idea of actually reading the fuel gauges in a Chippie in flight... Air Corps pilots must have exceptional eyesight!
@Mark-lj1dj2 жыл бұрын
I keep expecting to see Tim Peake in this. It must have been about the same time he went through. Would have been a nice 'before they were famous' moment
@CARLIN47373 жыл бұрын
damn. my dads not on here?
@keithpringle39402 жыл бұрын
There was me learning to drive wagons that year while these Rupert's and plastics were jollying about like biggles!! Not even a child holds a fork like hitch did in the cookhouse!!
@lanehewitt7685 Жыл бұрын
This came out just as the RAF ditched the Chipmunk and my ATC mates and me missed the bugger so much we forced ourselves to watch a series with green people in it. 😉
@luislopeztejeda55587 жыл бұрын
awesome documentry... no we have a great sim called DCS: Gazelle, for those interested in this bird
@TheWatson834 жыл бұрын
Love DCs and the Gazelle :p
@stewartw.91514 жыл бұрын
During my flight training for a civvy licence I had an ex-RAF instructor, a real stickler for accuracy in flying. For instance, if you were not at the assigned height in the circuit, say 1000 feet, he would, after a couple of verbal warnings, whack the back of your head with a rolled up newspaper saying "I said 1000 feet, not 1010! - do it!" You learned to fly with precision quite quickly.
@iphoneupdate3 жыл бұрын
hate guys like that
@MajorTom63 жыл бұрын
@@iphoneupdate yep....me too. Wankers.
@deeremeyer1749 Жыл бұрын
Show me an altimeter that shows "height" in 10-foot increments at 1000+ feet.
@stewartw.9151 Жыл бұрын
@@deeremeyer1749 He was using hyperbole!
@wrob44352 жыл бұрын
I loved doing hammerheads👍
@magna41002 жыл бұрын
Mark Hitch reminds me of that nutter off "I'm Alan Partridge." The one who has pictures of AP all over his sad little bungalow.
@simonnortham3904 жыл бұрын
My farther become a gizelle pilot and later was posted to Germany to become a Lynx pilot...miss the sounds of the helicopters flying over.
@PhilWism3 жыл бұрын
Not Wayne by chance
@simonnortham3903 жыл бұрын
@@PhilWism it certainly is.....i take it you know him
@PhilWism3 жыл бұрын
@@simonnortham390 Yes served with him in Germany 654 Sqn
@Biggles24984 жыл бұрын
NEVER use aileron to attempt to recover from a spin use secondary effect of rudder ,nose down and full power !
@jonathanivelaw-chapman59403 жыл бұрын
"no more aileron command for a reason"
@jonathanivelaw-chapman59403 жыл бұрын
"no more aileron command for a reason"
@88SPIKE4 жыл бұрын
Good to see the officers are still able to use a knife and fork properly as opposed to the other ranks.
@carlgriffiths84823 жыл бұрын
It's not the use of knives and forks that counts when you're in a scrap wanker
@Cous1nJack Жыл бұрын
Or they could 26 years ago.
@cooking2311 жыл бұрын
2.48 great mug...
@jbradshaw42363 жыл бұрын
Lol... I joined the Army, the year this was filmed... wouldent be allowed it anymore lol.. glad someone's else spotted it lol
@jrivers00053 жыл бұрын
Mustache man sure is fancy!
@ianhorsburgh98677 жыл бұрын
Behave like an officer and a gentlemen ! obviously never attended an officers mess night or summer ball
@Cheezsoup4 жыл бұрын
That (summer balls etc) is exactly how an officer and a gentleman behaves (when not in the public eye) I love the story of the invention of ping-pong (wif waf), two cigar boxes, a champagne cork and copious pints of beer.
@seltaeb96913 жыл бұрын
Mark Hitch, I think?, in the OR cookhouse will need to learn how to hold a fork as there it was caveman style. Even the Sgts Mess would object.
@davidgreen28013 жыл бұрын
Must say, Jenny Firth, is gorgeous... :)
@Jeffybonbon4 жыл бұрын
what are they all doing in 2020
@PhilWism3 жыл бұрын
M Hitch is a training instructor, the girl used to fly commercial jets, not sure about the others
@liv56622 жыл бұрын
my dad (david) is now a pilot for virgin Atlantic 👍🏻
@jgoodfellow33143 жыл бұрын
Nothing more fun than flying a helicopter than landing on a ship's helopad in rough seas or picking up wounded whilst being shot at by hostile bearded men with minimal education and personal hygiene.
@deeremeyer1749 Жыл бұрын
What video game "flight simulator" is that?
@benjaminriches97363 жыл бұрын
Why do you need to become a fixed wing pilot if you are becoming a helicopter pilot😂