Combat Pilot

We are introduced to the characters (except Lee Ahern) and are able to gain an insight into their reasons for enrolling in ‘the pilot factory’. This episode is fairly introductory with little actual flying. The pilots are taken through ground school. The pilots are introduced to the aircraft that they will be flying. For the first few weeks, the pilots are concerned with learning the basics of their aircraft, with their cardboard cockpits. The pilots are dragged through water to simulate a parachute being caught in the swell; this is emergency training. We see their fitness tests and gain further insight into the preliminary measures of becoming a combat pilot. We are then taken into the Hawk cockpit simulator with Matt; it is an £18m machine. The pilots then have to go through operation Hawkeye, to learn the techniques of survival and evasion in enemy territory. Dave is struggling seemingly because of his age. The episode finishes with the pilots all passing their technical exams at the end of ground school.

This is the pilots’ first experience of 208 squadron and centers around their respective first flights in the Hawk. Dave fulfills his childhood dream and flies his first fast jet. Rich shows us the progress board that every pilot is on. We go through combat skills training day. The pilots are taught how to survive a chemical and biological attack, and Lewis gets gassed quite badly. The pilots go on their first solo flights; they must demonstrate skill in flying and landing unassisted; Lewis however fails his sortie. The first solo flights contain some very nice flight shots; the solo sorties are interrupted by US pilots requesting an emergency landings, all the planes land safely. The episode ends with certificate presentation, all having passed their first major hurdle.

April 9, 2003, statue of Saddam Hussein is pulled down in Baghdad. Dave is about to take his final navigation test, which he passes and advances onto the last part of the course board. The episode centers on the low level flying tests of the pilots and the difficulties therein. There is a brief interlude where the dangers of bird strikes are highlighted. The pilots take their final handling tests, which involves a pre-ride in order to brace them. Dave’s pre-ride goes badly and he is not allowed to take the test. Dave not even having to take his tests, he knows he has passed onto 19 squadron. Mark and Rich go out on their final sorties (the handling test). Mark and Rich pass their tests despite some incredibly bad weather conditions. The pilots are then taken through the g-force tolerance test; each pilot goes up to 9G. The episode ends with the “creaming and streaming” ceremony. Each of the 3 pilots, gets their choice, Mark goes to a NATO base in Canada, Rich and Dave go to 19 squadron.

The pilots fire live ammunition, of the pilots we have been following, Dave is the first to go through this level of weapons training, this is not entirely new to him as he has seen combat before as a navigator, this is the next step in fulfilling a life long dream. We visit Mark Baker in Canada. There is an open day on RAF Valley, where we see more fighter jets, including the F-15 strike eagle, the pride of the American air force. Dave prepares for his mission in the RAF simulator. Mark and Lee give us an insight into their training in Canada. We go with Dave on his first mission with live ammunition; in this mission he must drop a bomb on a target on a beach in south Wales. Dave passes his first test. Dave takes us through his memories of the Tornado F-3, the plane he navigated in and he hopes to fly. The episode ends with the ceremony where they find out what plane they will be flying.