Carrier Flying | Royal Navy Training Dramatisation (1945)

The British military once again takes a troubled trainee pilot to task in Carrier Flying, an instructional film intended to convey the concepts and complexities of flight deck operations.
Released in 1946, the film was produced during 1945 as the war against Japan drew to a close in the Pacific.
It centres on the trials and tribulations of Vought Corsair pilots seeking to gain carrier operations certification.
It details the logic behind landing circuits, the race-track style course adopted by groups of returning aircraft to maximise the rate of deck landing.
It explains the value of deck landing officers (batsmen) in guiding pilots down the last vital few feet where the giant nose of the Corsair obstructed all view of the approaching deck below.
It details the purpose and operation of key carrier equipment, such as arresting wires and crash barriers.
But, mostly, it walks us through the procedures and lectures Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm pilots received in the later war years.
(This film also includes rare DeHaviland Sea Mosquito carrier operations footage, and clips of prototype Blackburn Firebrand and DeHaviland Vampire making their first deck landings. These can be found after the 16:00 mark.)

[@petesheppard1709]

Great find! Mentally comparing the differences between USN and RN procedure and terminology made the film fun. The mention of the landing strips for calling in different aircraft types was new to me as well.

[@--legion]

The 'great find' has been on YT for eight years.

[@rolanddunk5054]

A brilliant video I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@SanderAnderon]

impressive intro text, ahead of its time for 1946, the 'Carrier Flying' text raising atop the deck elevator

[@garynew9637]

Yeah, that was a pleasant surprise

[@geordiedog1749]

Bet that was Winkle in the De Havilands.

[@oldfatbastad6053]

if they were the first landings then yes it was Winkle.

[@keithammleter3824]

"A carrier landing is not difficult or dangerous" was repeated 4 times in this film - a sure sign that it is.
I've been on a carrier. They kept a wheeled bulldozer on deck, so that it can quickly push crashed and mangled aircraft out of the way of aircraft landing after it. And if the aircraft is on uncontrollably fire, push it off the deck and over the side.
I very much admire pilots who can land on carriers. Something I sure can't do.

[@Kefuddle]

The Batsman after the Mossie landed "I wasn't running" :D

[@cheesenoodles8316]

Excellent, as a kid we watched pilots practice for carrier landings at El Toro... F4 Phantoms.

[@johnw4659]

Thank you.

[@Jim-re3sr]

Corsairs landing on a flat top, thats skill

[@monostripeexplosiveexplora2374]

anthoer good upload, thanks.

[@65gtotrips]

This must’ve been right after the war or very near the end as jets weren’t used yet.

[@mmascitti]

Excelente film👏

[@jimgoff1170]

Pitch for airspeed, power for rate of descent.😊

[@oldfatbastad6053]

according to Winkle the 85knots landing speed for the moz was a fair chunk lower than the mozzies rated stall speed, "you/i had to hang in on the props" he said.

[@flybobbie1449]

Slipstream from the props at power on produces a good deal of lift at low speed. And vertical thrust vector.

[@flybobbie1449]

I would imagine a lot of lift as the prop centres not far off the centre line of wing.

[@oldfatbastad6053]

@@flybobbie1449 look closer, they are 4 blade props, regular mozzies only had 3 blades. thrust to lift wouldnt be even on each wing due to engine direction of rotation, hornet was better that it had op rotating props

[@flybobbie1449]

@@oldfatbastad6053 I wonder if they fitted more powerful engines.

[@bobsakamanos4469]

Brits are famous for euphemisms.
Great video. I've always wondered what the pilot used as an aim point for a moving carrier.

[@--legion]

Brits are not 'famous' for euphemisms. It is the Americans who cannot talk in plain English that have turned the euphemism into an art.

[@bobsakamanos4469]

@@--legion related mostly to education.... so ya, generally you are correct.

[@oldfatbastad6053]

if they were the moz and vamps first deck landings Winkle was flying them. had to get him in somewhere 😃

[@c.castro4630]

Question: Did the fly against German fighters?

[@--legion]

It's not necessary to butcher 4:3 ratio for 'cool' widescreen.

[@hisdadjames4876]

Wilson needs a right good talking to…..perhaps Tom Hanks is the man for the job?🏐

[@RivetGardener]

The British kept trying to successfully land the Corsair on a carrier in spite of the US giving up a year or two before. They were not much successful either from what I understand.

[@davedixon2068]

corsairs were operated operationally so yes they were successful

[@65gtotrips]

Huh ? Corsair’s flew off U.S. carriers en mass until the end of the war and even beyond.

[@davedixon2068]

@@65gtotrips After the brits sorted out how it was done

[@helensisikoff]

2:43 What did he said?

[@tanyano9]

Bloody Fool..........

[@crazypetec-130fe7]

My guess is, "Oh, bloody hell."

[@mikewindsor5759]

In the close up of the man talking after landing mishap, I can lipread the words "stupid fool" , so not unexpected, and relatively clean for the camera!

[@bobsakamanos4469]

bloody fool

[@downunderrob]

Jolly Good, eh what! 😂🇬🇧

[@jerryellis8033]

Rather 😂 !

[@MarioGon-y5r]

Fajny film