Britains Greatest Pilot

[bluethrunthru]

A must watch just starting on BBC4 - the story of Eric " Winkle" Brown. Watch now or on iPlayer to see the amazing life and career straight out of a John Buchan novel - this man was amazing in what he did and what he experienced.

 

[kinkyblue]

Amazing guy I remember reading about him years ago, so very humble. You couldn’t make his story up could you?

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

I thought that was @ChicagoBlue.

 

[BimboBob]

I thought that was @ChicagoBlue.

You spelt pillock wrong.

 

[bluethrunthru]

Amazing guy I remember reading about him years ago, so very humble. You couldn’t make his story up could you?

Its like Forrest Gump isn't it? Almost every major event in his lifetime he was there and participated. Rise of the Nazi party - yep -arrested and deposed by the Gestapo - had a bit of that - WW2 pilot - yep - test pilot - yep - Gorings trial - had a hand in that - jet planes - landed the first one on a carrier - helicopters - Korean war - record number of types flown and on and on and on.......

 

[kinkyblue]

Its like Forrest Gump isn't it? Almost every major event in his lifetime he was there and participated. Rise of the Nazi party - yep -arrested and deposed by the Gestapo - had a bit of that - WW2 pilot - yep - test pilot - yep - Gorings trial - had a hand in that - jet planes - landed the first one on a carrier - helicopters - Korean war - record number of types flown and on and on and on.......

If I remember right he only went back to fight the Germans because he was upset they took his car!

 

[Metalartin]

Blimey that's a bad nickname to have though isn't it?

 

[bluethrunthru]

If I remember right he only went back to fight the Germans because he was upset they took his car!

no - in fact that was the only thing they let him keep - they told him at the border he could have it because they had no spares for it in Germany - he said that was a typically efficient German response !

 

[bluethrunthru]

Blimey that's a bad nickname to have though isn't it?

he was a tiny bloke - as tough as fuck I bet though judging what he did in his life

 

[kinkyblue]

That’s it! Lol just tickled me but couldn’t remember why

 

[Joe CurryGan]

Douglas Bader. Great in the air, but crap on the ground. (Bernard Manning circa 1978)

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Ball

 

[i kne albert davy]

Johnnie Johnson weren't bad.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

Anyone who flew the Messerschmitt Komet, just to try it out, knowing that a tea spoonful of fuel left on landing could explode ( and often did) was a brave foolhardy hero!

It was also chilling to hear him say that he was sent to evaluate Nazi air technology after the war ended and was staggered at how far ahead of the Allies they had been.

 

[Tuearts right boot]

Watched a programme on the discovery channel a month or so ago where 2 21y/o P51 pilots took on approx 50 ME109s. They flew up at them from below and caused utter chaos for about 10 minutes shooting down 7. They could only estimate at the amount the Germans shot down of their own.

 

[kinkyblue]

Just watching it again, why have they never made a film of this man?

 

[west didsblue]

Just watching it again, why have they never made a film of this man?

http://m.imdb.com/title/tt3785088/

 

[ChicagoBlue]

You spelt pillock wrong.

Says the man who calls himself “Bimbo.”

I prefer the name “Biggles,” as it is all made up and I can pretend I am actually all daring-do when I’m anything but!

 

[scousemanc]

I watched this last night. What a brilliant programme and what an interesting, brave and extraordinary pilot