Nice Day - Filming a TV Prog about what young kids think about WW1. . .

[Phil Perry]

Got an early phone call yesterday morning, a Film / Media company wanted to make a documentary / educational Prog involving some schoolkids. They had been informed that we have a 7/8ths scale SE5A on the site and asked if they could include it in their production. I had a word with the Airfield manager, - he who owns the SE5A,. . and he agreed to let them come and see what we could do for them at the Club airfield . . .Good Publicity ?. . .who knows. . .

 

A minibus arrived in the morning, loaded with 15 schoolkids of mixed gender, by the look of them, around 11 years of age. They were all dressed in WW1 period costume / Military uniforms and supervised by a female and a bloke teacher.

 

We dragged out the SE5, and they took lots of footage over then next four hours, of every one of the kids in turn sitting in the SE5 chocked with engine running at idle, with leather helmet, goggles and a silk scarf blowing in the propwash. . .

 

I asked the Manager about the safety angle here, and he said he'd locked the throttle with a piece of folded ally, and a 'Wizz' pin holding it in place, which he always employed when hand swinging the Rolls Royce engine himself prior to flying. . ( Got to admit that I really wasn't happy about this. . .but that's just me - not with lots of NON -PILOTS in the cockpit of a single seat aircraft with the engine running. . .) and he'd banged a 3 ft star spike into the ground and fastened the tailskid to this with a steel chain.. basically, that aircraft was going nowhere. But I said, as Airfield Safety Officer. "Are you Sure ?". . .he looked worried ! . . .

 

The film company finally packed up their kit and the whole process took around five and a half hours, they had multiple cameras working, but I decided NOT to take any photographs for you lot, as, taking pictures of young kids CAN. . .be misinterpreted these days. . .!

 

We are waiting now to see the final production, and when possible, I will post it here for your enjoyment. . .

 

 

[microman]

Sounds like a fantastic event Phil - I'll bet the kids wont forget it in a hurry. And I would love to see the finished product.

 

Still hoping to get out to Otherton (your home field?) on the next trip to the old country - probably not till 2019 (I have a date with Oshkosh next year!)

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Sounds like a fantastic event Phil - I'll bet the kids wont forget it in a hurry. And I would love to see the finished product.Still hoping to get out to Otherton (your home field?) on the next trip to the old country - probably not till 2019 (I have a date with Oshkosh next year!)

Oh dear, . . it takes a couple of days just to walk around Wittman Field. . .and about ten minutes to walk around ours ! ! hope you won't be too disappointed !

 

 

[old man emu]

microman,

 

you'd probably won't have a better time in any other town.