Britain gallery: Red Arrows 2

I once shot a film about the Empire Test Pilot's School, based at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire

and on one occasion went with the director to get some shots from the end of the runway as

pilots carried out 'touch and go' manoeuvres on one engine. Unfortunately, I'd turned down the

offer of ear defenders on the grounds that I wouldn't be able to hear the director's

instructions. The Tornados came in at almost zero feet over us, one a minute, followed by the

Red Arrows on a visit. The noise was unbelievable. I'd been pretty stupid - the director

couldn't talk to me anyway under those circumstances. I couldn't hear anything for about an

hour afterwards, and feared it was going to be permanent. Thankfully it wasn't, but I'd learned

a lesson, as next time I may not be so lucky. On that day, I was also offered a flight in a

Tornado to RAF Leuchars in Scotland, and presumably back again. Was I interested? I think so,

I said, quivering with excitement inside. Preparations were being made when I was advised

that the Min. of Defence had vetoed it on the grounds of 'risk' - there had been a number of

civilian deaths recently on RAF jaunts, and the MoD weren't going to chance another (so it was

their risk, not mine!). I was a bit miffed at that.

I once shot a film about the Empire Test Pilot's School, based at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire and

on one occasion went with the director to get some shots from the end of the runway as pilots

carried out 'touch and go' manoeuvres on one engine. Unfortunately, I'd turned down the offer of

ear defenders on the grounds that I wouldn't be able to hear the director's instructions. The

Tornados came in at almost zero feet over us, one a minute, followed by the Red Arrows on a

visit. The noise was unbelievable. I'd been pretty stupid - the director couldn't talk to me anyway

under those circumstances. I couldn't hear anything for about an hour afterwards, and feared it

was going to be permanent. Thankfully it wasn't, but I'd learned a lesson, as next time I may not

be so lucky. On that day, I was also offered a flight in a Tornado to RAF Leuchars in Scotland,

and presumably back again. Was I interested? I think so, I said, quivering with excitement inside.

Preparations were being made when I was advised that the Min. of Defence had vetoed it on the

grounds of 'risk' - there had been a number of civilian deaths recently on RAF jaunts, and the MoD

weren't going to chance another (so it was their risk, not mine!). I was a bit miffed at that.