Episode 3 Britain's Ultimate Pilots: Inside the RAF

Turning!

Can there be anything more British than the love of adrenaline?

Rolling...now.

Determination in the face of adversity...

That is not show standard.

..which epitomises the RAF.

Just brilliant to watch, it never gets tiring.

Over the course of their action-packed summer season...

-PILOT:

-'Turning!'

..we'll be flying with Britain's ultimate pilots...

..the Red Arrows...

..with their fellow display teams...

the Typhoon jets...

..the Chinook helicopter...

..and the Hurricanes and Spitfires.

We're going inside the bubble to chart the courage it takes

to pull off the most famous flying experience in the world.

In one of the busiest display seasons so far,

can the Red Arrows achieve an historic fly-past

and go on to perform as you've never seen them before?

'You've got to use your imagination here as we are missing Red 9.'

The Chinook Display Team swap battles on the front line...

He's requesting that now, he's requesting it.

..to battle against the elements at the UK's oldest airshow in Blackpool.

All the time the wind's going to be blowing us towards the crowd.

But will they pass the ultimate survival test?

That sort of disorientation when you're upside down

and underwater, you can't really see it.

-PILOT:

-'Falling...in.'

Along with the Reds and Typhoon,

another key performer at the Blackpool Airshow

will be Flight Lieutenant Brett Jones and his team.

But they don't fly fast jets...

They don't perform aerobatic rolls...

In fact, they don't even fly a plane.

They fly an aircraft so heavy it's known as the "elephant of the skies".

An aircraft so complex, it takes three people to fly.

It is...the Chinook helicopter.

A stalwart of the RAF fleet for more than 30 years,

the Chinook is on national standby 24/7,

supporting operations around the world...

..able to be used as everything from a transporter for troops and cargo

to a medical evacuation unit.

It's the start of display season.

Based at RAF Odiham in Hampshire,

the Chinook Display Team are under pressure.

As if gearing up for their busiest season yet wasn't enough,

the team are also part of a fully operational squadron.

They must combine their daily training demands

with practising their routine.

Brett is an elite Chinook pilot and instructor.

The main thing with the display is it isn't our day job.

So I will do a display practice in the morning

and then two to three hours later I'll be getting airborne

to teach one of the junior pilots a certain exercise

in order to develop them, so they can reach the combat-ready status.

Uniquely for the Chinook Display Team,

only Brett holds the Public Display Authority,

so there can be no show without him.

There's only one display captain for the whole season.

So, yeah, unfortunately, if I go U/S,

then that's us done for that weekend.

Five, four, three, two, one... Hack.

Good morning, everybody. Time is 09:30...

As a qualified helicopter instructor,

Brett's challenge today is to assess one of his display team copilots -

Flight Lieutenant Chris Gordon.

"Gordo" is taking an annual flying exam which he must pass.

Uh, the mission overview, as mentioned,

is QHI check for the first hour and a half.

I will then conduct an RF display practice.

Cool. Running into the display for 2015,

looking at working on a few things from last time.

With practice time so limited for the display team,

they must use every opportunity they can to rehearse.

So after Gordo's test is complete,

it will be straight on to a run-through of their 2015 routine.

Every year I've got to get airborne and fly with Gordo

and all the other relevant pilots on the squadron

and look at their academics and also...

..double-check, just make sure they are using the correct technique.

Also just make sure that they are flying nice and accurate,

and I'll write a report and then sign 'em up.

'Engine instruments are all good, nothing to affect us.

'IFF is 3647, in for the circuit, alpha and copiloted.'

If Gordo doesn't pass,

he not only risks losing his position on the display team,

but could be grounded entirely, which could leave their schedule in ruins.

Roger that.

'Forward, 15 handling.'

'I'll go over the initial position and then set you up to run straight on.'

'Happy with that.'

As part of today's test,

Gordo must demonstrate he can pick up a vehicle weighing almost two tonnes

whilst hovering at 50ft.

'That's it, down five. And forwards.

'Height is good. Working on the load, loads are patched.'

Gordo's exam requires precision flying.

These crucial techniques are vital

and must be continually practised by all pilots on the squadron.

Simply put, these skills save lives on the front line.

'Load's on the ground, sitting down fine.

'And back.

'Running sweep.'

Releasing.

OK, load's gone.

Over the course of the exam,

Brett has Gordo performing multiple manoeuvres.

'Oh, just going to slow down, we have got a bit of wind from the left.'

It's not just load lifting he's being tested on,

but also landing in confined spaces -

another vital skill for an aircraft that could be called upon

to deliver aid in any location.

'Load down at 40...'

The test is one of the biggest challenges of preseason training.

'Five, four, three, two, one...

'And it's done.'

As he touches down, his two-hour test is over.

But has he done enough?

'Cool, Gordo, well judged. You've got all the debrief points.

'Yeah, nicely done.'

Job done.

He's passed with flying colours,

showing he has lost none of his expertise.

No surprise, given his experiences on the front line a few years ago.

During 2012 it was my third tour of Afghanistan

and it was my first tour as a captain.

I went in for an "ex-fill", which is to extract troops

who had been under contact.

They were losing water and no-one could get in,

we just could not get in.

This dramatic footage is taken from the mission.

-GUNFIRE

-Get down!

Get down!

The Apaches were overhead, we had the US Cobras overhead,

and they were coming under contact from all 360 degrees.

-Get back!

-Get back from the wall!

I made the decision as formation leader to go in.

We got them, we got all 60 troops out,

but as I landed, they took out one of my engines.

He's requesting that now, he's requesting it.

Now, I'd pushed the aircraft to its limits,

if not slightly beyond, because the aircraft really didn't want

to move, and I essentially just started rolling,

as if you'd just started driving in your car.

And I was rolling over bumpy ground, I couldn't see anything because

we were in a dust cloud, until I got enough speed

that I could eventually get away from the ground

and fly them back to safety.

All the soldiers were airlifted from the danger zone.

For his courage under fire,

Gordo received the Distinguished Flying Cross.

With the first crucial test of the season complete,

they must turn their thoughts towards Blackpool

and rehearse their all-important moves.

Slightly left of crowd centre on the pull-up.

Feedback from today's practice is vital

in helping to shape their display routine

and show the airframe off to full effect.

It's a very large aircraft, but it is very manoeuvrable.

We can put the aircraft up towards 70 degrees nose-up,

70 degrees nose-down,

which, again, from the outside looks quite extreme.

Crowd centre!

Now.

Some of the engineers don't like watching the display.

They fix the aircraft, give it to us,

and then we throw it around the sky, so they're just, as well as we,

are hoping that it doesn't break at the wrong moment.

Unlike a Red Arrows performance,

the Chinook display is only eight minutes long.

They pack 15 dynamic moves into this time,

each one showcasing the Chinook's manoeuvrability.

Nice, good, aggressive entry.

But each move puts a multitude of stresses on the helicopter.

The rear landing and takeoff is always popular.

Here, the engine power needed

to keep this ten-tonne vehicle on its back wheels

is equal to that of more than 11 Formula One cars.

But it's not just about power.

The Red Arrows burn through 450kg of fuel per display.

The Chinook uses half this amount,

but must tread a fine line between onboard fuel and manoeuvrability.

Good.

Miles better.

And cut...now.

And Display Supervisor Squadron Leader Steve Dees

can spot when the balance isn't right.

They've got too much fuel on.

So they're not as light, so they can't...

..be quite so dynamic with the manoeuvring.

I'm being ultra picky so it's perfect.

It's now three weeks until the team must perform over water at Blackpool.

But first, they're at the Royal International Air Tattoo

at Fairford in Gloucestershire -

the largest in the world.

This three-day event draws crowds of more than 150,000

and it's a chance for fans to see every type of aircraft...

from the iconic Hawk jets flown by the Red Arrows

to the Spitfires and Hurricanes

of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

The Red Arrows are in full flight.

The 20-minute performance is filled with precision flying

and aerobatic manoeuvres.

Before the boys perform for their biggest crowd to date,

there's just time to swap the cockpit for the crowd line

and check out their fellow display competitors.

These Apache helicopters can operate in all weathers, day or night.

Carrying a mix of rockets, cannon rounds and Hellfire missiles,

they can target an enemy from five miles away.

The wheels are quite good, though,

you know, during an Apache/Chinook display.

GUNFIRE

-Go nose-down over the scorch marks.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

-Wind speed...

-LAUGHTER

But even with their pyrotechnics,

the Apache can't compete with the Chinook when it comes to size.

At 18 metres, the diameter of the Chinook's blades

is the same length of an entire Apache helicopter.

And it can lift the weight of more than two Apaches.

Time for spectating is over.

It's now up to the team to demonstrate

exactly what the Chinook can do.

The crowd line at the Air Tattoo

is one of the longest of any UK airshows at 2,500 metres.

The team have to extend their display left and right

to ensure that everyone gets a view.

To do this, they must have enough fuel

to hit the correct fuel-to-weight ratio at the point of display.

This is Brett's first time at the Tattoo.

He wants to get it right.

Cool, it's just coming up to ten to, guys,

so we've got half an hour till lift.

We'll offset right for the manoeuvres.

We'll extend into wind, and if... Yeah, just keep badgering me.

I'll just keep going.

For the wingovers, we'll make them nice and big.

We'll keep the speed up

and then decelerate cos it's such a long crowd line.

The nose-down quick stop we'll do at the crowd centre.

Performing at the Tattoo is unlike any other show

the boys will do this summer.

As the brief continues, the organisers disrupt their plans.

They hear from the control tower...

They need to take off ten minutes early,

but still perform at the same time.

Will they have enough fuel on board

to allow for the extra time in the air?

Like the Red Arrows, the Chinook team can't take off

and proceed immediately into their routine...

They need some time in the air to complete final checks

and achieve those crucial lower fuel levels.

Burning fuel at 20kg per minute,

the extra flying time has the potential for serious consequences.

By law, the team must land after a display

with no less than 100kg in the fuel tanks.

If they run the fuel any lower,

they could risk starving their engines

and potentially causing multiple engine failure.

Not good.

With display time minutes away,

Brett must now circle as slowly as possible in order to conserve fuel.

If the Chinook's fuel level drops below 260kg,

Brett will have to abandon the display completely.

At last, showtime, and it's good news.

They've managed to conserve enough fuel to display.

33-year-old Brett Jones has been flying Chinooks for ten years.

For him, days like this are all about entertaining the crowd.

I joined the Royal Air Force to become a pilot,

and to be given the opportunity to show the public

what the Chinook can do is a massive privilege.

Putting the aircraft in those situations and flying it safely,

that's the biggest and most rewarding thing.

As an aircraft,

the Chinook is capable of flying as high as 15,000ft.

Even when flying within display limits,

the helicopter still surprises with its manoeuvrability and grace.

They've wowed the crowd and they're delighted.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Cos we've got so much space here,

we can get up to full maximum speed of the aircraft.

So, we are able to... It was just a bit tight,

cos they wanted us to lift ten minutes early,

but still just fly on the same time,

and obviously, we calculate our fuel...

We got to about 155 probably on the first one

and then through our 360 window, we were getting up to 160,

so we were getting up to 160 knots, which is the max of the aircraft.

It's the length of the runway.

Cos the crowd are extended left and right, we've been pushing it.

-So, Gordo's been saying...

-Yeah, as long as...

He's, like, entering, and I'm like, "No, no, no, no, now!"

Yeah, cos I like to go on timing and muscle memory and stuff.

It's like, "OK, oh, hold, hold, hold."

That's just allowed us to keep, you know, speed.

It's what the crowd think, really, you know, um...

I'd say good job. Good job, good job.

Yeah, we were happy. Yeah, it went all right.

I was impressed with Brett for once. He was pretty...

-He was pretty good, so...

-BRETT LAUGHS

He was all right, I have no debrief points for him today, so...

He was good.

The Chinook team are in distinguished company

at the Royal International Air Tattoo.

For their display team-mates the Red Arrows,

today is a momentous occasion.

They're preparing to give an historic sendoff

to one of the most distinctive- looking and -sounding jets

in living memory.

An icon of the Cold War era.

Named after the Roman god of fire,

it's the last remaining plane of its kind still flying in the world...

..the legendary Vulcan bomber.

Soon to retire,

the huge delta-winged jet is to perform a stunning formation fly-past

with the Red Arrows for the first and last time,

here at the Air Tattoo.

It will be the first time Red 1 has ever flown in formation

with the bomber.

It's going to be special... he's a fan.

The Vulcan fly-past is a really big deal for me today.

You know, I remember at a show when I was eight, nine years old,

and we stood at the end of the runway

when the Vulcan passed over my head on landing by 50ft.

And I've never forgotten the feeling.

And it left such an impression, it's such an iconic design,

and the fact that it physically moved my entire body,

I suppose, at that point, yeah, it always left a lasting memory.

Before its fly-past with the Arrows,

the Vulcan embarks on a show of its own.

At this point, it's producing more than 16 tonnes of thrust

from its four massive engines.

Weighing more than two train carriages,

the Vulcan can reach speeds of 645mph.

Today, the Vulcan will need to be flying a lot slower

if he's going to be part of Big, Big Battle -

the call sign for the iconic Reds Arrows and Vulcan formation.

For these two types of aircraft to come together in formation,

speed is crucial.

The amount of inertia created in an aircraft as big as the bomber...

is huge.

The Vulcan must reduce its speed down to 280 knots -

matching the Red Arrows.

This is precision flying. There is simply no room for error.

As Red 1 has Fairford in his sights,

the Vulcan is slowing, approaching for the V-formation.

This takes all of the pilots' skill and experience.

As the crowd line draws nearer,

the Red Arrows pilots must time to perfection

the moment when they come together.

The Vulcan effortlessly slips into formation with the nine Hawk jets.

The Vulcan falls in line with Reds 6 and 7.

The V-shape of the Hawk jets matches perfectly with the Vulcan.

Compared to the Hawks, the Vulcan's wingspan is overwhelming.

It measures 11 times that of a Red Arrows jet.

As this piece of flying history draws to a close

in the skies above Gloucestershire,

after 50 years of flying, this last remaining Vulcan,

known as "The Spirit of Great Britain",

can come to rest in front of its fans at the Air Tattoo.

CROWD APPLAUDS

And for Red 1, it's his boyhood dream come true.

Great day.

Just had a sortie with one of the most iconic British bombers

of British aviation history.

That was really good, I enjoyed that.

Looking forward to getting out of this kit now

and having a bit of a drink.

The Air Tattoo has been a success for all,

but the unique challenges that the Chinook team will face at Blackpool

are still weighing on their minds.

That display is the riskiest of all because it takes place above the sea.

All the RAF display teams perform over water,

but for the Chinook, it throws up some very specific dangers.

In order to be deemed fit to fly above water,

crews must pass the most extreme training exercise of them all.

Underwater, under pressure, it's called the dunker.

This training is critical.

It ensures that all crews know how to handle

an emergency crash landing at sea.

Replicating the confines of a helicopter cockpit,

the crew are submerged many times in this specially designed module.

Each time, the dunker will be raised eight metres into the air,

then repeatedly lowered into the tank below.

The pilots are tested on how they react when the dunker hits the water.

How quickly can they escape from their seats?

We do go through sea drills every year or so,

so we'll go out into the sea, inflate our life rafts

and sit around practising our sea survival techniques.

This is the test the crews love to hate.

But they know it could save their lives.

It's going to really push Brett and James.

So initially we'll try and escape using our breath

and try and get out of the module. And then, if we...

you know, run out of air or we require...we're underwater for

a little bit longer, then we can pull this out

and hopefully it will give us about two minutes extra in the water,

depending on how much we're panicking.

They say it's about two minutes, but, you know,

if you're panicked, it's about three breaths instead.

Yeah, so we're doing the training in the pool,

which is a little bit warmer and controlled

and we've got safety divers around.

Obviously if this happened over Blackpool,

we'd be panicking a little bit more.

So hopefully, you know, the training will make it a little bit better.

The dunker is raised into position.

They must stay calm.

The boys are relying on their last gasp of breath being enough

to sustain them through the exercise and on to safety.

Brace, brace, brace!

Without air, their lungs could take on water

and their bodies could start to shut down.

Death from drowning can occur in two minutes or less.

Even for combat pilots who have been trained to keep calm in extreme

situations, this is a challenge, both physically and mentally.

Straight back in.

No sooner are they out of the module,

they're straight back in...again.

Each time, the experience gets harder.

Now, as the module hits the water, they need to use their air cylinders

whilst also being upside down.

The dunker training certainly doesn't pull any punches.

It's all about staying calm.

Letting panic set in will only result in their hearts beating faster

and using up more oxygen.

This relentless training prepares the team

for the worst scenarios they may face.

And just when you think it couldn't get worse...

the test is performed in darkness.

Reacting as if it were a real helicopter night crash and

with no light to aid their escape, they know every second counts.

Brett and James must wrestle with the darkness and disorientation

to find their way to safety.

It's probably some of the best value for time spent

for training, to be honest.

This, you know...

You hear about helicopter accidents where the...

where everyone who's done this training has lived

and everyone who hasn't has died.

That's the starkness of the value of this sort of training,

it delivers that sort of disorientation.

When you're upside down and underwater, you can't really see,

especially in the dark.

It would be easy to catch you out if you hadn't had this.

With their logbooks signed, Brett and James have the approval

to fly the over-water display at Blackpool.

This is my life as a pilot.

It starts out with the aircraft that I'm qualified to fly.

As you can see, I specialised on helicopters from a fairly early age.

But the meat of the logbook is us logging down every hour

and every minute that we fly.

So this is me for the past eight, nine or ten years.

I'm still the baby of the team, as far as pilots go.

So I've got 1,200 hours in total,

but I've just got my 917th hour in Chinooks.

So Brett will be going to the pins ceremony with Bowing tomorrow.

Since joining the RAF in 2002,

Brett has been on nine deployments to Afghanistan

and now is being rewarded for 3,000 flying hours in a Chinook.

It's the pin ceremony tomorrow, so I get the 3,000-hour badge.

So I've already got my one and two, so I'll go get...

-It's like a swimming certificate, isn't it?

-Yeah. It is.

It's an impressive flying achievement,

but his dedication comes at a cost.

Ready? Steady... Go!

Time spent away from home is something Brett and his family

have had to get used to.

It never gets any easier, from the first time to the last time.

You come up with new ways of...kind of coping, helping the time pass.

Better ways of keeping in touch.

And, yeah, so...

that helps.

To honour the commitment and time spent flying in Chinooks,

pilots and crews are awarded a ceremonial pin

for every 1,000 hours flown.

Today, Brett is receiving his third.

From 27 Squadron, Flight Lieutenant Brett Jones.

This is my 3,000 hours on Chinook.

Broke that just before the display season began.

So I've been fortunate to spend about ten years at Odiham.

So, in that time, you know,

with all the Afghanistan debts, all the exercises,

all the flying back here, I've accrued that many hours,

so, yeah, I feel very fortunate to have flown that much on the Chinook.

Brett is one of only three pilots currently at RAF Odiham

who have achieved 3,000 hours.

He will be calling on all of his experience to make Blackpool

a sensational display.

And his pin of recognition will take pride of place at home.

At the moment, I've got all the certificates

in my downstairs toilet, actually.

When I go in there, I can look on the walls and it shows

when I first started, and then when I first learned to fly,

and then when I joined the Chinook and everything like that, so, yeah,

it just brings back good memories.

I need a bigger toilet - that's the problem! Yeah!

Three, two, one.

Lovely. Thank you very much.

Before every display,

all the RAF teams must ensure they are show-ready.

Aircraft are prepped, routines practised

and transit routes are planned.

Flight Lieutenant James Kingham is preparing the flight plan

to Blackpool, but the constant pressure of fuel's never far away.

For a straight line, it would be of the order of about 170 miles.

Only thing is, we can't go through a straight line.

We avoid flying over any built-up area.

You can see from the map here just how complicated the airspace

gets between Liverpool and Manchester,

but what they've helpfully put in for us is a corridor

between the two, so what I'll try and do

is thread the gap between the two,

then I can get permission from them to fly inside their airspace.

This year, the team are displaying in the new Mk4 helicopter,

which provides an additional pressure.

The aerodynamic stresses on the aircraft are now recorded

in a slightly different way now on a Mk4,

and, because of that, we now have a greater idea of how much

stress we're putting the rotorheads under. Now it records it,

so if we overstress the aircraft, we incur a penalty of, you know,

say, 48 hours of engineering,

which would make us fairly unpopular with the engineers.

And, you know, if that were to keep happening,

that would question - they'd call into question the viability of the display.

With only four days before the team's seafront display in Blackpool,

today's practice is their very last opportunity to make

sure their routine is pitch perfect.

Welcome to the display practice brief,

for the 6th of August, based at Dunsfold.

The mission overview,

we'll just take it nice and easy on the first one.

We'll do individual manoeuvres so we're not putting

so much stress through the aircraft. And, then, as the fuel goes down,

we'll then build it up to the full display sequence,

when we're back nicely at displayways.

Make sure we're nice and straight.

Twin the aircrafts in a set position.

The dynamic moves the Chinook performs during its routine

place an incredible amount of strain on the aircraft.

This is particularly true in one of their most demanding moves,

the roller-coaster,

two steep climbs and descents, or nose-overs, in quick succession.

We go inside the cockpit with Brett Jones

for a unique insight into how they pull it off.

Beginning of the roller-coaster, so pulling gently, lower the lever as we go.

-Can't see anything out of the...

-40.

-Scanning up to the...

-50.

When Brett reaches 120 knots, he pulls the nose up

until the airframe achieves the optimum angle of 70 degrees.

He then lifts the tail and the nose accelerates downwards

towards the ground.

Pausing.

-Rotate around the nose.

-Nose down at 60.

Aiming for 70 and accelerating.

Again, looking for that crowd centre.

-400.

-Using maximum power to get that speed up.

-300.

There's 120 knots. Level off.

When he reaches 120 knots again,

he repeats the move.

Holding there. Nosing over.

You can hear the transmission's wailing,

so we're already thinking about the next manoeuvre.

If he exceeds an angle of 70 degrees,

he risks tripping the aircraft's sensitive flight control system.

-We'll level it off there.

-Happy?

-Cool.

The roller-coaster is just one of the 15 all-action moves

they will perform at Blackpool.

And as they put the aircraft through its paces, they hit a problem.

Speed: 10, 20, 30,

40, 50, 60, 70.

-Knock it off.

-Knocking it off.

INDISTINCT RADIO MESSAGES

Just a little bit overcooked...

The aircraft does not like that.

Dunsfold Vortex 447. Just a few problems with our gyros.

We're going to land on the grass south of the runway.

They've gone beyond the set limits of their aircraft

and must land immediately.

What did Charlie say he had to do last time?

If such an incident happened at the Blackpool display, Brett would have

to abort, land as soon as possible and disappoint thousands of fans.

What'll we do... I'll phone...

I'm just going to call the guys. On the pull-up,

we pulled too much nose up,

so the aircraft's then fighting against us,

so we've suddenly lost part of RAFCS.

So, that's when we brought it straight and level,

knocked it off, just brought it back round and we've come to the hover.

I'm just going to call the engineers.

We have this stabilising system just

because the Chinook is fundamentally unstable, so often the back will try

and overtake the front, so we have these stabilisation systems

that are just trying to keep it level. You know, fingers crossed we

might be able to get this aircraft

back up and running in time for Blackpool.

With no guarantee that the aircraft will be display-ready,

the boys need to get it back to base

immediately for the engineers to try to fix it.

Due to recent events,

the display team find their challenge is mounting.

Thanks to the technical problems during their previous practice

and crew members on leave,

it's now been ten days since Brett

and the rest of the crew performed their routine in full.

But with just 48 hours until they join the Red Arrows

to display over Blackpool, time's running out.

It's down to the skills of the team

if they are going to deliver for the waiting crowds at the airshow.

All that's left to do now is to brief the crew one more time

before they leave.

Five, four, three,

two, one.

Hack. Good afternoon, everybody.

The mission overview: it's going to be a lift from here

up to route up to Blackpool for the Saturday to then shut down.

And then Monday will be a display

followed by picking up the packs from Blackpool to ITB,

back to Odiham. Yesterday we didn't get to practise the over-water,

OK? We haven't practised the full sequence. However,

we practised the individual manoeuvres,

OK? So, we'll take it nice and gentle

and then, for the over-water, we'll discuss everything as we're

going around to confirm everybody's content before each manoeuvre.

With the on-crowd wind, like we did from Weston, we'll just need to

make sure that we've got that good communication

throughout the whole crew, so when we're doing the turns,

you guys in the back, just give us the calls,

how the rate of turn's going and I will vary it again.

Give us a slight buffer with reference to the wind.

Last time, things didn't end well.

Not wanting to leave anything to chance, this time,

they're using a Chinook from 18 Squadron...

-Liverpool.

-You'll have to take off some PATs at the back.

..and they're hoping lightning doesn't strike twice.

We've got two-six of fuel.

INDISTINCT RADIO MESSAGES

That's Manchester QNH.

We're actually down to talk to anyone.

We can get the...

get the plates for Blackpool ready as well.

-I've got them ready.

-Perfect.

The unique nature of the Chinook team means that although Brett

must perform every routine, the two other copilots take it in turns.

Box One, we've got black door approach.

For copilot James Kingham, his front-line action in Afghanistan

has certainly given him a new perspective on life.

And on the Chinook.

Whenever you're getting shot at, it's a fairly enervating experience.

But at least you know that the aircraft's on your side.

With luck, it's not going to let you down.

Bridge coming down the left now.

The two-and-a-half-hour transit to Blackpool has been carefully planned,

and thanks to their efficient flight plan, they make a handy discovery.

We do have the fuel to do that little loop to Blackpool,

to go check out the crowd line.

-It's up to you.

-Just have a look at slow speed,

so we can then have a look at the piers,

see what the boys look like in the distance,

see where the crowd's centre marker is as well.

That will just give us

a bit of a heads-up before we pitch up tomorrow.

With no time for a practice before the event, they fly a recce

along the coast until Blackpool's impressive seafront comes into view.

They've arrived.

My God, there's a lot of sand here.

So, it's in between these nearest two piers, I take it?

That is the best crowd centre marker I've ever seen.

Recce done, the team land at Blackpool Airport.

All that remains is to discuss last-minute changes

and get a good night's sleep before show day.

Blackpool is the longest official running airshow in the UK.

Displays have been taking place here since 1909.

It's a key date in the display season calendar.

Attracting crowds of up to 100,000, the two-day event is very popular.

We've just been told it starts in half an hour

so this little man can't wait, he keeps looking up to the sky!

He's excited.

You go to lots of airshows and you pay £10-£15,

but Blackpool is free and it's such a super place.

What more could you want?

With so many aircraft in attendance,

the Chinook team grab the chance to check out their competition.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,

let's have a huge round of applause

for the Royal Air Force aerobatic team for 2015 -

-the Red Arrows!

-CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

For the Red Arrows, though, things are not going so well.

The weather is drawing in.

Due to low cloud, they're forced to perform their flat display.

Plus, due to a technical issue, the team don't have their full line-up.

They're performing with just eight planes.

You've got to use your imagination here, as we are missing Red 9.

ENGINES ROAR

The pilots have gone to full power, you can hear that in their engines.

They're putting 6G in this manoeuvre,

six times the force of gravity,

that means everything in these pilots' bodies

is weighing six times more than normal.

Cameras ready for the Vortex.

So far this year, the Reds have only performed an eight-ship twice before.

It may not create their signature symmetrical formation,

but it's still a dynamic display and it impresses the crowds.

APPLAUSE

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for watching the Red Arrows!

How they're able to fly between each other to millimetre precision

without hitting each other's amazing.

Unfortunately, the cloud just didn't allow anything

other than a flat show and it's an eight-ship so it looks asymmetrical,

but, no, the boys put on a good performance.

It was all... Best thing's safe, very presentable and the crowd here,

which is huge, absolutely loved it, by the sounds of it.

Big cheers, big claps so I was impressed by it.

It's not just the Red Arrows

and the Chinook team representing the RAF at Blackpool.

This year, to provide a true vintage feel to the historic airshow,

Squadron Leader Andrew Millikin or "Millie"

is flying a Spitfire from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

And, just like the Chinook team,

flying over water presents some serious dangers for Millie.

Displaying over the sea does have unique challenges in as much

as if the engine fails,

you're probably not going to make it back to land.

If you have to ditch one of these aeroplanes in water,

then the chances are she's going to sink pretty much immediately.

The other disadvantage of doing that

is of course that you'll probably be knocked out in the process

and you'll go down with her.

With 16 miles to Blackpool, it's a short run to the seafront

for the start of his airshow display.

Here it is, ladies and gentlemen,

the oldest flying Spitfire in the world.

Even with the low cloud, the Spitfire delivers a graceful display.

Being a member of an RAF display team requires many skills.

PR duties are equally important and, for the Chinook boys,

Blackpool fish and chips are a great backdrop

for an informal meet and greet with fans.

Duties complete,

Blackpool has something that will really test this team to the limit.

It's new, it's big, it flies, but are the Chinook team tough enough...

..for the Red Arrows Skyforce?

This 72ft-high, 12-seat ride

takes you on a 360-degree tour of the skies.

Opportunities to relax as a team are another important aspect

to working on the Chinook display.

Having a crew around you is great.

In your slack moments, you can banter together as a crew

and as a team, and especially as we go throughout the display season,

it's just the six of us so we get quite close as a team,

especially as we're putting our lives

in each other's hands on a regular basis.

Each rider is scored on how many spins they manage

and Kingham's competitive side soon shows through.

Oh, my word!

-It's cos of his extra weight.

-It's all a momentum thing.

Tomorrow, it's their team skills that will be put to the test.

After months of practice and training,

this afternoon is showtime for the Chinook team.

This is it. It's time to perform.

Before they can take off, they must check the aircraft is ready.

We're basically just making sure that all the panels are secure

and there's nothing loose that shouldn't be,

everything's in its right place,

checking everything has been put in.

We're just looking for any leaks under the aircraft

and just the general condition of everything.

So we will have completed hundreds of walkrounds

and it's just looking for anything that's out of the norm, really.

Brett's not worried about loose items.

It's more the British weather clouding his thoughts.

Just as low cloud played havoc with both the Arrows

and the Spitfires yesterday,

today, the Chinook team have their own weather issue to deal with.

Well, compared to yesterday, you can tell from the windsock

that the wind has increased probably about doublefold.

We're going to have to factor everything in

and give a bit of a buffer,

so the pull-up's going to have to be sooner.

All the time, the wind's going to be blowing us towards the crowd.

We've just got to make sure we don't bust our crowd limits.

So we've had a chat about how we're going to manage that.

We're going to just make sure that we've got

all the communication between all three of us and we're always

talking about where the aircraft is with reference to crowd line.

With only minutes before liftoff,

Brett makes sure the rest of the crew

know exactly what to expect once they're airborne.

At the moment, Blackpool are giving 230.20.

10Ks or greater, cloud base is few at 1,900,

scattered around about 3,000 feet and there's still that tempo

that we might see heavy showers and rain at 4,000.

The biggest thing will be the wind just increasing,

so if you think the wind is coming in at about a 45-degree angle,

so we will have to factor that in and pull up slightly earlier

and leave that buffer for when we get blown across.

'The wind is the biggest issue.

'Wind can really affect the look of the display.'

If you have a wind speed of about 35 knots,

when we come to still speed in the air, it will just blow us.

We don't mind the feel of the aircraft.

However, the look is just unnatural.

It doesn't look very nice to the public.

We want to give the best-looking,

symmetrical, smooth display to the public.

30 X-ray continue down the runway.

15 minutes to go before their show is due to begin, the Chinook team lift.

Their holding location is two miles west of the crowds on the seafront.

Display time is getting nearer, but the winds are still high.

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,

I'm Sergeant Andy Caldwell

and I'm this year's Chinook display team manager

and I'll be commentating during the display today.

If you look to 12 o'clock out to sea,

you can see the Chinook getting ready to run its display.

Hoping the winds will subside, the team circle at the two-mile marker.

They are counting down the minutes.

Will they be able to safely display for the waiting crowds?

OK, it looks like the team are going to run in.

This time, they're in luck. The weather is on their side.

Although the wind is still high, it's held steady at 25 knots.

The Chinook can handle that.

They can safely perform their full, dynamic display.

Ladies and gentlemen, the 2015 Royal Air Force Chinook Display Team!

And they're kicking off with the nose-over.

Brett is taking the Chinook up to a height of 800 feet.

Reaching that critical angle of 70 degrees,

he pauses, rotates the aircraft around its nose

and begins to spiral the helicopter down to the sea

before levelling out, ready for the next manoeuvre.

It's an impressive move and one made even more remarkable

when done in such a heavy aircraft.

Stripping the cab of all non-essential items gives Brett

the power he needs to maximise the lift and thrust of the rotors,

pushing the rate of the vertical climbs and descents to the limit.

With the wind blowing them around,

it's a struggle to keep the aircraft on track.

The guys must work as a team.

Stopped nicely on crowd centre now.

The crew are going to perform the climb.

It's not just the look of the Chinook that makes it so distinctive -

it's also the sound.

ROTORS WHIR LOUDLY

The unique slapping noise is caused by the 30ft blades

rotating in different directions at the front and rear of the aircraft.

At the top of the climb, then, approximately 1,000ft there,

Brett's going to get the nose down and perform the spiral descent.

For every move he makes in the display,

it's vital to have a target

and you can't get better than the iconic Blackpool Tower.

After this position in wing-over, Brett's going to do the next move,

which is the nose-down 270 quick stop.

Another impressive move is the nose-down quick stop.

It requires this 30m-long heavy-lift aircraft to go from 120 knots

to zero in the length of a football pitch.

It's a manoeuvre

with important operational significance in a war zone.

You may need to stop quickly to evacuate combat personnel.

To give us a unique understanding

of what it's like to perform this demanding manoeuvre,

Brett takes us back inside the cockpit.

Three, two, one... Now.

He reduces his speed from 120 knots to between 80 and 100.

Slowly bringing the speed back to be established at 80 to 100 knots,

making sure the aircraft's all nice and set.

Entering three, two, one... Now.

He picks a focal point on the ground and spins the nose

so that it rotates through 270 degrees.

This is the helicopter equivalent of a handbrake turn in a car.

It's the combination of a 70-degree nose-down spin whilst braking

that allows him to roll the Chinook into a hover in a very tight area.

If you look closely, when the aircraft points away from us,

hopefully you'll see Sergeant Davie Hay

on the ramp with a big Day-Glo hand.

Boys and girls, he can see you, make sure you give him a wave.

As the aircraft spins round

and gets ready to perform the final bow,

I'd like to say it's been a pleasure to display for you in Blackpool

and we hope to see you at an airshow soon.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,

the 2015 Royal Air Force Chinook Display Team.

APPLAUSE

For the fans watching,

it was an impressive display of skilful flying.

Seeing them doing that, it was just amazing.

You wouldn't think that they could do that with such a big plane.

Copilot Kingham and crewman Ben Howard

have been watching their team-mates closely.

It's a good, solid display from the B team, isn't it?

-It is from the B team.

-Davie and Gordo!

It's kind of weird being on the outside,

being able to watch the display like another spectator

and you find yourself muttering under your breath

all the things you're usually

shouting at Brett to do in the cockpit.

We're not sure whether Brett's settled on a favourite copilot yet.

He keeps telling us that he's picking the other one.

For Brett, he's ending the weekend on a high.

The weekend went really well. The displays were quite challenging.

The wind, especially blowing up to 25 knots

and being on-crowd is possibly the worst wind direction

we can have cos it makes the display quite challenging.

But the main thing is the guys worked really well.

The communication within the aircraft was absolutely spot-on

so, yeah, we were really happy with the weekend.

The season's coming to an end now.

We've only got a few more displays to go.

All in all, it's been a brilliant season.

It's been great flying with the rest of the crew.

Advice for next year's pilot - it goes so quickly

and soon it'll be over, so, yeah, just every moment,

just enjoy it to the fullest, I'd say.

After months of practice...

Nice! Good, aggressive entry.

..and gruelling survival training...

..display season is drawing to a close.

The Chinook team have flown at the world's biggest airshow...

..seen their colleagues, the Red Arrows,

perform a fly-past with a Cold War veteran

and, despite the high winds, managed to pull off

a dynamic performance at the UK's oldest official airshow.

It's been a pleasure to display for you at Blackpool

and we hope to see you at an airshow soon.

This season may be over,

but for the RAF's only front-line operational display team,

it's back to the day job

until they can take the elephant of the skies back up

and do it all over again.

Next time, the Great British climate threatens to upset the Red Arrows.

If the weather stays like this here,

then clearly the shows might not go ahead.

Will the RAF's Typhoon fighter make it in time

to perform at the UK's biggest seaside airshow?

If this system does not get sorted out,

there will be no display this weekend.

And what's it really like to fly this giant of the sky?