Combat Pilot

Released: 2004-12-01

Runtime: None minutes

Episode Overview

For the first few weeks, the pilots are concerned with learning the basics of their aircraft, with their cardboard cockpits. The pilots are dragged through water to simulate a parachute being caught in the swell; this is emergency training.

Series Overview

This documentary follows a handful of British pilots as they go through the elite training necessary to become the country's finest Air Force aces. For almost the whole of 2002, 208 Squadron was host to a BBC documentary team as they followed the progress of one of our courses from Ground school through to the end of the Tactical Weapons training on 19 Squadron. Combat Pilot was broadcast nationally in early 2004 and gave a detailed insight into the Squadron’s activities at the time and a valuable historic record.