Spitfire Women on SBS tonight at 9:40pm EST

[RobynD39]

Hi all,

 

Just noticed this documentary is on tonight on channel SBS 9:40pm Brisbane time in case anyone is interested.

 

http://www.sbs.com.au/documentary/program/719/Spitfire-Women

 

Enjoy.

 

 

[M61A1]

Yes, it's a very interesting doco, I've seen it before, but will be watching again. They certainly put most of us recreational pilots to shame.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

These docos never really show the hard work and study they must have done. Mastering scores of different types was an amazing achievement. They did have regulations to comply with and paperwork to be filled in, but I doubt today's bureaucrats would allow it.

 

 

[facthunter]

The study was minimal. a few minutes. They had a POH which covered the main operational requirements specifications and handling characteristics of the various types they would be expected to fly ( just about everything). Some would not be in standard configuration ( Stuff removed). These little books are a warts and all accurate coverage of the handling characteristics of the various planes. I have read some of them, particularly the Liberator,( which wasn't much of a thing) and they make the most interesting reading I have ever done. They would jump out of a Tiger moth into a Spitfire, Wellington or Lancaster. and fly it somewhere. No dual instruction , No practice circuits. Sterling effort by them. Now go and get your HP and LP endorsement. Nev

 

 

[BoxFat]

It just beggars belief that these ladies could jump out of a spitfire into a Mitchell or a Walrus or a Mosquito and fly them across the country often in bad weather with map, compass and watch navigation and do it day after day after day. Now that is a consummate aviator and a very courageous one too.

 

 

[farri]

I was very impressed also and

 

No dual instruction , No practice circuits. Sterling effort by them. Now go and get your HP and LP endorsement. Nev

I was very impressed.

 

I had a guy come to me to learn to fly the Drifter. He told me that he`d flown fighter aircraft during the second world war. I asked what type of licence he`d needed to do that and he told me he hadn`t needed any licence. All he needed was to be able to fly the aircraft.

 

Thirty years of flying Ultralights with a two stroke engine and teaching others how and the last time I renewed my RAA certificate, I had to obtain an LP endorsement.

 

Frank.

 

Ps, I don`t realy think it`s funny,I realy think it`s BS.

 

 

[ayavner]

that was a great show.

 

 

[facthunter]

Thanks Robyn. I just got online and saw your post five minutes into it, so but for you I would have missed it. Nev

 

 

[rgmwa]

It's on Utube. Just type in `Spitfire Women' and you can watch it any time you like.

 

rgmwa

 

 

[facthunter]

The Ruskies had a mob of ladies who flew some old wooden Bipe's called Polikarpov's. They flew out at night and chucked bombs on the jerries. google "Night Witches". most of the old dears are really old now. They didn't get good stuff like the Brit people but they were in active combat. Nev

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

The Ruskies had a mob of ladies who flew some old wooden Bipe's called Polikarpov's. They flew out at night and chucked bombs on the jerries. google "Night Witches". most of the old dears are really old now. They didn't get good stuff like the Brit people but they were in active combat. Nev

Soviet women flew more than just those biplane bombers. There were three female regiments, including some damn good fighters pilots.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_women_in_World_War_II

 

 

[poteroo]

I was very impressed also and

I was very impressed.

 

I had a guy come to me to learn to fly the Drifter. He told me that he`d flown fighter aircraft during the second world war. I asked what type of licence he`d needed to do that and he told me he hadn`t needed any licence. All he needed was to be able to fly the aircraft.

 

Thirty years of flying Ultralights with a two stroke engine and teaching others how and the last time I renewed my RAA certificate, I had to obtain an LP endorsement.

 

Frank.

 

Ps, I don`t realy think it`s funny,I realy think it`s BS.

It is BS, but unfortunately the new reality is that we need a paper trail to cover our bums!

 

Doing my ag2 with Hazeltons way back when - told to fly over to Cowra and familiarise myself on a Pawnee, then flick over to Forbes and do the same on an Agtruk, and given the keys to an old C210!!! In those days you needed separate endos for everything - and I didn't have 210, but did have Comanche and Debonair endos. No probs - just get in and get the job done. Paperwork was sorted out after work that day! Some things were really better in the old days. happy days,

 

 

[BoxFat]

Pilots experienced on many types seem to be able to hop in anything and fly it. Not true early in the process though so prob a good reason for ratings/endorsements, especially for big performance jumps, multiengine etc. Things are understandably different in war time - if I heard correctly about 10% of the Spitfire Ladies didn't survive the war.

 

 

[farri]

It is BS, but unfortunately the new reality is that we need a paper trail to cover our bums!

Yes, I know. Just the world we live in. I wouldn`t be anywhere else though. Still better than a lot of other countries.

 

Frank.

 

 

[BoxFat]

Re the ability to fly anything, a good read is the biography of Eric "Winkle" Brown whose job was to test captured German aircraft. This included some of the desperate experimental rocket and jet types thrown in to the air defence late in the war. All he had to help him was advice from a couple of captured airmen who weren't always very interested in his welfare !

 

 

[facthunter]

An aeroplane is an aeroplane is an aeroplane unless it is weightshift. Nev

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Re the ability to fly anything, a good read is the biography of Eric "Winkle" Brown whose job was to test captured German aircraft. This included some of the desperate experimental rocket and jet types thrown in to the air defence late in the war. All he had to help him was advice from a couple of captured airmen who weren't always very interested in his welfare !

The story goes that an Amican jet jockey was forced to land on an enemy airfield during the Korean War. He was reluctant to show the other team the intricacies of his aircraft. A North Korean pilot excitedly climbed in and was trying all the controls when there was blinding a flash and whoosh, as he was ejected 50' into the air.

 

 

[BoxFat]

*Chuckle*

 

But I just have to raise the question...if the ejection seat was working why didn't said jet jockey use it BEFORE landing his aircraft on a North Korean airfield ? But maybe he was worried about getting shot in the chute (which I believe sometimes did happen).

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

...Because it was as reliable as all the other old Cold War stories we used to get from Readers Digest.

 

 

[Soleair]

I was privileged to know one of those 'Spitfire Women" . She is Mary Ellis (the one who told the story about her & her mate landing from opposites ends of the runway & meeting in the middle). I flew quite a lot with her husband Don Ellis in the mid '80s, and even had dinner with them - a lovely couple. During a microlight fly-in at the airfield where they lived, I did a dead stick landing from 1000' in my homebuilt and Mary came up to me afterwards to describe it as 'a beautiful landing' . Praise indeed!!