Spitfire Women on BBC 2 this Friday 21:30
Discussion
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tw1m1
OK, maybe TV and Radio but as the subject matter is what it is, looks interesting.
From an archive blog
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tv/2010/09/spitfire-wom...
OK, maybe TV and Radio but as the subject matter is what it is, looks interesting.
From an archive blog
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tv/2010/09/spitfire-wom...
It is always worth watching. Some have died since the programme was originally aired.
However, I am always a bit concerned about comments such as "they don't make them like that anymore". They most definitely do. Indeed, they are now on the front line if required - something the ATA girls weren't allowed to do.
However, I am always a bit concerned about comments such as "they don't make them like that anymore". They most definitely do. Indeed, they are now on the front line if required - something the ATA girls weren't allowed to do.
Eric Mc said:
It is always worth watching. Some have died since the programme was originally aired.
However, I am always a bit concerned about comments such as "they don't make them like that anymore". They most definitely do. Indeed, they are now on the front line if required - something the ATA girls weren't allowed to do.
I should have been clearer - it is the esprit d'epoch that is not replicated; not the courage skill and professionalism.However, I am always a bit concerned about comments such as "they don't make them like that anymore". They most definitely do. Indeed, they are now on the front line if required - something the ATA girls weren't allowed to do.
Amongst the many wickedly talented female service personnel in the modern armed forces, I would imagine that few would identify with - say - Diana Bartato-Walker - as, indeed, few of their male counterparts would identify with the likes of Gibson, Bader, 'Warby', Prins Bernhard van Nederlanden et al
Edited by ClaphamGT3 on Monday 6th July 09:50
I would never say that. When the currently serving boys and girls get to write their memoirs about the conflicts in which they've been engaged, the stories will be just as inspiring. Already books like "Vulcan 607" are classics revealing what it was like to fly a bomber in a more "modern" war.
The main attribute of the "Spitfire Women" was not any extra special bravery - but the fact that they had to fight authority to be able to do their bit.
The main attribute of the "Spitfire Women" was not any extra special bravery - but the fact that they had to fight authority to be able to do their bit.
I have a book on my Kindle by Jackie Moggridge, it is a great read.
Here's what she said about "notebook flying".
'People can't imagine how we flew those aeroplanes with a notebook.' Jackie smiled, recalling that before she flew her first Mosquito, she had not even sat in one. The ferry pilots were issued with a little notebook which had a page of instructions for every type of aircraft, and there were hundreds of types. For example, there were 21 different types of Spitfires, and they all needed different instructions.
'It was a nuisance,' she said, 'but, you know ... You might have a Griffin engine, or a Rolls Royce engine and they flew the opposite way. If you took off with a hard left rudder on a Griffin engine, you'd kill yourself. You had to have right rudder on the Griffin engine and on a Rolls Royce engine you had to have left rudder. .. You had to look at your notebooks - there was no way you could fly without them; the aircraft were all different.'
As a ferry pilot, Jackie was only permitted to fly during daylight hours and she was not allowed to use the radio because of the threat of enemy aircraft. Often there was no radio, because the aircraft was being flown from one place to another to have one fitted. There were no bombs, guns, navigation equipment, or crew on board. With the exception of a few large twin or four-engine aircraft, when a young air cadet would be on board to switch the fuel tanks at the back of the aircraft, the ferry pilot was expected to fly solo.
She recalled one humorous occasion, before the D-Day landings, when she had been about to take off in a big, lumbering troop carrier with a young air cadet on board. A car pulled up beside her and an RAF squadron leader asked if he could catch a flight to his base which was close to this particular aircraft's destination. Jackie told the young cadet to allow the pilot on board, and when he came up to them, he stared from one to the other and asked for the pilot. When the ATC indicated to Jackie who was sitting in her usual attire - 'an ordinary shirt and my dark trousers and no helmet' - he was incredulous and said, 'I mean the pilot flying the aircraft.' Again, the ATC pointed to Jackie and the squadron leader's disparaging response was: 'Don't tell me they've got schoolgirls flying our aeroplanes!' With only half an hour's daylight remaining, Jackie immediately went back to reading her notes in preparation for takeoff, and the squadron leader settled into the bomb-aimer's seat right in front. Once in the air, Jackie again consulted the notes to set the cruising speed and then, closer to her destination, in thick fog, she glanced briefly at the book to set the various dials, flaps and so on in anticipation of landing. The airfield, on hearing her approach, sent up a green light to indicate where she should land, and she made a fine landing .. When her passenger, impressed by her landing in spite of the poor visibility and by her ability to control the aircraft, navigate, and 'read a book' all at once, learnt that the little book bore flying instructions and that she had never flown this type of aircraft before, he went 'green' and hurried away.
Here's what she said about "notebook flying".
'People can't imagine how we flew those aeroplanes with a notebook.' Jackie smiled, recalling that before she flew her first Mosquito, she had not even sat in one. The ferry pilots were issued with a little notebook which had a page of instructions for every type of aircraft, and there were hundreds of types. For example, there were 21 different types of Spitfires, and they all needed different instructions.
'It was a nuisance,' she said, 'but, you know ... You might have a Griffin engine, or a Rolls Royce engine and they flew the opposite way. If you took off with a hard left rudder on a Griffin engine, you'd kill yourself. You had to have right rudder on the Griffin engine and on a Rolls Royce engine you had to have left rudder. .. You had to look at your notebooks - there was no way you could fly without them; the aircraft were all different.'
As a ferry pilot, Jackie was only permitted to fly during daylight hours and she was not allowed to use the radio because of the threat of enemy aircraft. Often there was no radio, because the aircraft was being flown from one place to another to have one fitted. There were no bombs, guns, navigation equipment, or crew on board. With the exception of a few large twin or four-engine aircraft, when a young air cadet would be on board to switch the fuel tanks at the back of the aircraft, the ferry pilot was expected to fly solo.
She recalled one humorous occasion, before the D-Day landings, when she had been about to take off in a big, lumbering troop carrier with a young air cadet on board. A car pulled up beside her and an RAF squadron leader asked if he could catch a flight to his base which was close to this particular aircraft's destination. Jackie told the young cadet to allow the pilot on board, and when he came up to them, he stared from one to the other and asked for the pilot. When the ATC indicated to Jackie who was sitting in her usual attire - 'an ordinary shirt and my dark trousers and no helmet' - he was incredulous and said, 'I mean the pilot flying the aircraft.' Again, the ATC pointed to Jackie and the squadron leader's disparaging response was: 'Don't tell me they've got schoolgirls flying our aeroplanes!' With only half an hour's daylight remaining, Jackie immediately went back to reading her notes in preparation for takeoff, and the squadron leader settled into the bomb-aimer's seat right in front. Once in the air, Jackie again consulted the notes to set the cruising speed and then, closer to her destination, in thick fog, she glanced briefly at the book to set the various dials, flaps and so on in anticipation of landing. The airfield, on hearing her approach, sent up a green light to indicate where she should land, and she made a fine landing .. When her passenger, impressed by her landing in spite of the poor visibility and by her ability to control the aircraft, navigate, and 'read a book' all at once, learnt that the little book bore flying instructions and that she had never flown this type of aircraft before, he went 'green' and hurried away.
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