Spitfire Ace : First of the few - Part 1

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The Spitfire did all I wanted it to do. Having delicate hands I think is probably the most important thing because providing you did something in time you didn't need to be violent. You only needed to be violent if you had been caught out. The fact that I was a musician helped tremendously, because you needed a delicate touch for a Spitfire to be able to fly it accurately. Until I got a bullet through my hand.' - Bob Doe, Spitfire pilot

This evocative and vivid, portrait of fighter pilots investigates the motivation of the few that flew during the Battle of Britain, and their Supermarine Spitfire planes, whose feat of aviation played such a crucial part in the Second World War.

The Battle of Britain in 1940 is one of the most famous air battles in the history of warfare: a story of ruthless organization, brilliant control and command. But at its heart is one particular figure, the RAF fighter pilot. Famous for their dazzling technical skill and tremendous bravery, they are also part of. a romantic mythology, with a combination of valour and glamour that has endured through to our modern age. But equally as legendary are the planes the men flew, and one in, particular — the Supermarine Spitfire. Its advanced aerodynamic form and engine were to combine' with the fighter pilots' skill for victory in the skies against the Nazi Messerschmitts, Dorniers and Junkers.

Spitfire Ace reintroduces the pilots whose role in the air was so pivotal in deciding the fate of a nation below, and includes interviews with many of the surviving pilots of the Battle of Britain. Their personal accounts are interwoven with a historical narrative of events leading up to the war, and to the Battle of Britain itself, combining their personal stories as part of the greater picture of the war. Through their experiences you can almost feel what it was really like to fly a Spitfire and to participate in combat flying at its most visceral.

Four young present-day volunteers are put through their paces in a Tiger Moth (the plane used for preliminary training by Battle of Britain pilots). The two strongest pilots then have the wonderful opportunity, courtesy of pilot/owner Carolyn Grace, to fly a real Spitfire. Our 21st Century Spitfire class is then narrowed down to just one pilot who goes on a nine-hour advanced operational training course.

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Production

Producer: BBC

Categories

Categories: Documentary / History

Tags: of spitfire battle war brittain

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01_spitfire_ace_part_first_of_the_few.mkv

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