A smile on my face as I watched this with the great music. So lucky to be a child in the 1970s. That's where I live now, in the past. I can't stand the world in 2023, frankly speaking. John Noakes was great.
I was lucky enough to appear on Blue Peter in the days when John and his colleagues were around. It went out live and, at its peak, had over 10 million viewers. It was innovative and presenters would get involved in many hair raising stunts. Great days
Fabulous Amazing to think this was a kids show. Loved John Noakes, every kids best mate. Never talked down to you, just showed you how great the world can be. Many thanks
In this era I sneaked under the rope aged about 8 at Exeter to my Mother’s horror and asked one of the ground crew if he could show me round which he did, even the supporting Herc and even met the Boss! It was fantastic and I wrote to them afterwards like any 8yr old to say thank you. My own application for pilot training ended on discovering I was colour blind. Happy memories.
BBC at its best. And this was for us kids at the time. I remember Noakes on Wogan in the early 90's suggesting a show for the over 60's with an super active theme. Maybe not the Red Arrows, but alas nothing came of it.
What a documentary, if you're reading the comments prior to watching, just watch it! What a group of people, from Noakes, Camera / Sound crew to the RAF / Red Arrows and Support. Just imagining the hurdles to put a camera in a cockpit pulling that G Load and getting it through review boards etc must be a feat as much as the flying! Thanks for posting it.
Yes Noaksy was my childhood hero as well. He really got some kool assignments didn't he. We would replicate them on the streets with our mates. Happy days...........
He was a proper madman. The things he used to do. He was a unique and very working class, you never see that especiallly now. For me he was "blue peter". R.i.p John.
Two things got me here. When he's chatting and says "What do you do when a plane goes U/S away from base?" - thats so cool that a tv star knows the term U/S (from his time as a fitter in the RAF of course) and uses it in a kids tv show. And seeing Bobby Eccles in his prime. I worked with Bob for a decade (and former Rothmans stars like Mike Findlay, Mike Cairns, Graham Rutson..), he was always the rebel.
When the late great Ray Hanna was leader of the Arrows he told the tale that they discovered the Gnat would roll quicker if they removed a fuse in the aircraft's circuitry so he sought authority from top brass to have the fuses removed from all 9 aircraft. However they declined his request so he secretly asked his Chief Tech in Engineering to take each fuse out, deliberately blow it and replace them back into each aircraft proving you just need to know the right process to get things done!
A similar thing was done to the Reds Hawks - but approved. The engine FADEC was adjusted so that full power was very quickly available rather than the annoying 'rubber band effect' that was programmed in to mitigate potential engine compressor stalls/surges if the throttle was shoved forward too quickly The airbrake control was similarly adjusted. On the unmodded jets it only snuck out into the airflow as and when the jet was already slowing down. That was to prevent a nose-tuck as the thing pinged out. All-in-all the normal airbrake was nearly pointless. Many of us, early in the AFTS course, were caught out breaking into the circuit and had to go around from finals having failed to slow down enough. Jolly embarrassing! BTW, creating the smoke on the Hawk was a lot more difficult than on the Gnat. The jet exhaust was significantly less hot - such that the diesel wouldn't smoke. Don't know what the fix was, but it seems to be still a problem. BTW, the smoke controls are wired into the unused weapons switchery.
You just brought back one of my most favourite childhood memories. If you have any more it would be great if you could post them. I am so fortunate to be the exact age that benefitted from the golden three of blue peter.
I remember the episode where John was grass skiing '' Along the South Down'' which was aired on Sunday the 3 December 1978. He kept falling down as he tried to ski down the hill.
The late great John Noakes: when the BBC produced good quality presenters and programmes. I recognised one of the Red Arrows, Mel Cornwall who ended up flying business jet’s in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Great show!
I worked with Bob Eccles for 10 years and still saw him when he was with easyJet. Sadly he died from Cancer in the mid 2000s. Last time i saw all the old team was Carl Mason's funeral in 2001.
@@matthewpayne42no it was Folland. Mr Henry Folland. Hawker Siddeley acquired Folland in 59, the year the Gnat first flew and the Folland name was dropped by the early 60s. And amazingly no one calls it the HS Gnat!! I know of no one who calls it that. A good legacy for a short lived firm.
With respect to the sidecar racing ... watch it being done at the Isle of Man TT races if you want to see something genuinely scary (and the regular TT) as well. As for John Noakes, he was the show's resident daredevil. His 25,000 foot free fall parachute jump is legendary - you HAVE to watch that! The only time he was brought to a halt was the last part of climbing the ship's mast at HMS Ganges (again, a "must watch" clip". Otherwise, he was pretty much game for anything. Later on, he flew with the Red Arrows aerobatic team on his own spinoff show. A man in a million was old Noakesy. :)
The opening music is an arrangement of On Ilkey Moor (bar t’at) ... bar t’at’ is translated for non-Yorkshire folk as “Bar the hat” - without your hat.
Clarkson, May, Hammond, love the stuff you've done, Noakes trumps you all. My opinion anyway, no disrespect to you guys. John Noakes.. ...something/someone else.
A smile on my face as I watched this with the great music. So lucky to be a child in the 1970s. That's where I live now, in the past. I can't stand the world in 2023, frankly speaking. John Noakes was great.
I agree with every word
Couldn't agree more
Got that one right,we had less but happier for it
When TV was great as a kid. God I miss those days
How far has our beloved country fallen? No one on tv now comes close to John Noakes, what courage this guy had! RIP John..
John Noakes is a legend, brave, funny and so down to earth. He was the real star of Blue Peter.
And Shep.
@@Bruce-1956 Get down Shep!
1976. Damn, those years flew fast!
John Noakes was wonderful. He was my childhood hero. RIP John!
John Noakes was a real action man. RIP John, gone but never forgotten. "Get down, shep" was his catchphrase.
This guy was genuinely as tough as teak. A real character sadly gone but never forgotten ❤
I was lucky enough to appear on Blue Peter in the days when John and his colleagues were around. It went out live and, at its peak, had over 10 million viewers. It was innovative and presenters would get involved in many hair raising stunts. Great days
A world away. Thank you, John Noakes! Remembered and admired for ever.
John Noakes - just the Best
Fabulous
Amazing to think this was a kids show. Loved John Noakes, every kids best mate. Never talked down to you, just showed you how great the world can be.
Many thanks
An educational kids' show, in the widest sense.
Brilliant, i was 6 when this came on air, John did everything
One of life's beautiful people. I love the pair of them.
My childhood
Same. Happy times.
In this era I sneaked under the rope aged about 8 at Exeter to my Mother’s horror and asked one of the ground crew if he could show me round which he did, even the supporting Herc and even met the Boss! It was fantastic and I wrote to them afterwards like any 8yr old to say thank you. My own application for pilot training ended on discovering I was colour blind. Happy memories.
BBC at its best. And this was for us kids at the time. I remember Noakes on Wogan in the early 90's suggesting a show for the over 60's with an super active theme. Maybe not the Red Arrows, but alas nothing came of it.
What an amazing bloke. Fearless.
When TV and Britain were Great.... 🇬🇧
What a documentary, if you're reading the comments prior to watching, just watch it! What a group of people, from Noakes, Camera / Sound crew to the RAF / Red Arrows and Support.
Just imagining the hurdles to put a camera in a cockpit pulling that G Load and getting it through review boards etc must be a feat as much as the flying!
Thanks for posting it.
Folland Gnat , what a pretty little plane. Very small and very fast.
Infectious enthusiasm we shall not see his like again for shame. Great to see this vid again, thanks!
Yes Noaksy was my childhood hero as well. He really got some kool assignments didn't he. We would replicate them on the streets with our mates. Happy days...........
John Noakes and Brian Cant BBC at its best
He was a proper madman. The things he used to do. He was a unique and very working class, you never see that especiallly now. For me he was "blue peter". R.i.p John.
Two things got me here. When he's chatting and says "What do you do when a plane goes U/S away from base?" - thats so cool that a tv star knows the term U/S (from his time as a fitter in the RAF of course) and uses it in a kids tv show.
And seeing Bobby Eccles in his prime. I worked with Bob for a decade (and former Rothmans stars like Mike Findlay, Mike Cairns, Graham Rutson..), he was always the rebel.
When the late great Ray Hanna was leader of the Arrows he told the tale that they discovered the Gnat would roll quicker if they removed a fuse in the aircraft's circuitry so he sought authority from top brass to have the fuses removed from all 9 aircraft. However they declined his request so he secretly asked his Chief Tech in Engineering to take each fuse out, deliberately blow it and replace them back into each aircraft proving you just need to know the right process to get things done!
A similar thing was done to the Reds Hawks - but approved. The engine FADEC was adjusted so that full power was very quickly available rather than the annoying 'rubber band effect' that was programmed in to mitigate potential engine compressor stalls/surges if the throttle was shoved forward too quickly The airbrake control was similarly adjusted. On the unmodded jets it only snuck out into the airflow as and when the jet was already slowing down. That was to prevent a nose-tuck as the thing pinged out. All-in-all the normal airbrake was nearly pointless. Many of us, early in the AFTS course, were caught out breaking into the circuit and had to go around from finals having failed to slow down enough. Jolly embarrassing!
BTW, creating the smoke on the Hawk was a lot more difficult than on the Gnat. The jet exhaust was significantly less hot - such that the diesel wouldn't smoke. Don't know what the fix was, but it seems to be still a problem. BTW, the smoke controls are wired into the unused weapons switchery.
I seem to remember this show was broadcast on Sunday teatime.
You just brought back one of my most favourite childhood memories. If you have any more it would be great if you could post them. I am so fortunate to be the exact age that benefitted from the golden three of blue peter.
I remember the episode where John was grass skiing '' Along the South Down'' which was aired on Sunday the 3 December 1978. He kept falling down as he tried to ski down the hill.
THE ONLY acceptable yorkshire thing and only because of Shep.
Great bloke, probably had a part of my development as a child. Sadly missed. Thanks John
wow loved this
John was the best always!!
The late great John Noakes: when the BBC produced good quality presenters and programmes. I recognised one of the Red Arrows, Mel Cornwall who ended up flying business jet’s in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Great show!
I worked with Bob Eccles for 10 years and still saw him when he was with easyJet. Sadly he died from Cancer in the mid 2000s. Last time i saw all the old team was Carl Mason's funeral in 2001.
John Noakes was actually in the RAF before he started acting.
The Hawker Siddeley Gnat.... was a superbly versatile trainer jet, and a main stay in the RAF through out the 70's.
No it was a foland
@@matthewpayne42 Foland Jets👍
I worked briefly with them in the early 80s at Scampton but they already had the Hawk then.
Built at Hamble ???@@matthewpayne42
@@matthewpayne42no it was Folland. Mr Henry Folland. Hawker Siddeley acquired Folland in 59, the year the Gnat first flew and the Folland name was dropped by the early 60s. And amazingly no one calls it the HS Gnat!! I know of no one who calls it that. A good legacy for a short lived firm.
John Noaks was just Great --- even in this case he makes it seem so easy. 3 years after his flight, this pane was retired by the RAF Red Arrows
Did they use the Hawk jets after the Gnat retired from service?
@@howardosborne8647 Yes the Hawk replaced the Gnat.
With respect to the sidecar racing ... watch it being done at the Isle of Man TT races if you want to see something genuinely scary (and the regular TT) as well.
As for John Noakes, he was the show's resident daredevil. His 25,000 foot free fall parachute jump is legendary - you HAVE to watch that! The only time he was brought to a halt was the last part of climbing the ship's mast at HMS Ganges (again, a "must watch" clip". Otherwise, he was pretty much game for anything. Later on, he flew with the Red Arrows aerobatic team on his own spinoff show. A man in a million was old Noakesy. :)
How have we ended up with the country in the state it is now? 😢
brilliant display accompanied by mike oldfield's classic..
The opening music is an arrangement of
On Ilkey Moor (bar t’at)
... bar t’at’ is translated for non-Yorkshire folk as
“Bar the hat” - without your hat.
He was beautiful x
Top bloke 😁😁
Mr noakes was a gentle man 🙏
Has anyone seen/ got a copy of the cycling Milk Race episode? I've been trying for years to re watch this one! Thanks :-)
Yup. Been there and done that. Not a great feeling! Not with the Red Arrows I hasn't to add but with another aerobatic display team.
Clarkson, May, Hammond, love the stuff you've done, Noakes trumps you all. My opinion anyway, no disrespect to you guys. John Noakes.. ...something/someone else.
Great vid…I personally always preferred the Gnat, a much more exciting aircraft than the Hawk.
What better red arrows to tubular bells how very British
and it begins with ‘On Ilkley Moor’ - as Yorkshire as can be.
24:31. Cameraman - Bob Sleigh!
GET DOWN SHEP
The USA had Chuck Norris. We had John Noakes.
The music sounds like the band of the royal marines
I forgot cagoules existed until just now.
🇬🇧When men were men and pansy was the name of a flower 🇬🇧.
Zero woke. Common sense health and safety. No fluff. Brilliant.
Did we learn nothing from WW2, Yes what's with world now!!
How much better the reds were then than now