0:00:02 > 0:00:05Once, except for the birds, our skies were empty.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Now, they're a crowded place.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15It's like chaos but it's controlled chaos.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18Every day, 6,000 planes...
0:00:18 > 0:00:21- My pride and joy. - There's nothing we can't transport.
0:00:21 > 0:00:27..and 600,000 people are in the skies above Britain.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Ah, yes!
0:00:30 > 0:00:34Guiding every plane is a hidden army of controllers...
0:00:34 > 0:00:37So we've got no option right now but to stop arrivals into Gatwick.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40..performing one of the world's greatest juggling acts.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Unlike a computer game, you can't hit pause. They're coming.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47A place of adventure... HE LAUGHS
0:00:49 > 0:00:52- That was fantastic. - ..wonder...
0:00:52 > 0:00:56- When you're up there, nothing else matters.- ..and danger.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59The less you know what's in front of you, the better, I think.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01It gives you a sense of space,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04freedom and a feeling that you're part of something bigger.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Every boy's little dream.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18RADIO: Reduce speed 180 knots
0:01:18 > 0:01:2183, Foxtrot. Leave him on a heading of 33...
0:01:21 > 0:01:24- It's 7-9-7-4.- 601... - THEY TALK AT ONCE
0:01:29 > 0:01:31In a remote location in Hampshire,
0:01:31 > 0:01:35far away from any airport or runway, is Britain's air traffic nerve
0:01:35 > 0:01:39centre, NATS, where hundreds of controllers watch over our skies.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42Air Traffic Service. Report your level.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46'9,200 feet at 1-0-2-0... ..Alpha.'
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Through radio links to pilots,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54they guide thousands of planes in and out of British airports.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Jersey, five, echo, bravo.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01OK, 1-0-1-1. Cancel the hold. Left centre, that one.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Leave 265 degrees.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08This is the absolute heart of the invisible motorway
0:02:08 > 0:02:09network in the skies.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11All traffic that's flying over England and Wales
0:02:11 > 0:02:14that's receiving an air traffic control service
0:02:14 > 0:02:16is getting it from the people in this room
0:02:16 > 0:02:20and it's some of the busiest and most complex airspace in the world.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22INAUDIBLE
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Almost all the traffic is arriving at or departing from an airport.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28From an air traffic controller's perspective,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30that actually gives them a challenge
0:02:30 > 0:02:33because all the stuff that's coming in is above all the stuff that wants
0:02:33 > 0:02:37to go out and their job is to make that happen without getting them in the way of each other.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42Channel three, November. You're heading to London 121.275.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Each controller is personally responsible
0:02:44 > 0:02:48for the safety of up to 15 planes at any one time,
0:02:48 > 0:02:52but it's not just radar they rely on to keep passengers safe.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54So we're a superstitious bunch
0:02:54 > 0:02:59and what this is, in the middle of the room, is a guardian angel,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01guarding the controllers and making sure
0:03:01 > 0:03:03we're able to look after the skies.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Each commercial plane is meticulously plotted
0:03:07 > 0:03:11through a tightly regulated network of highways in the sky,
0:03:11 > 0:03:13in an area called Controlled Airspace.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Outside Controlled Airspace, pilots are free to roam.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21But if they stray into one of the major routes,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23the results could be catastrophic.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Hold on.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29On the radar, an unidentified aircraft has been spotted
0:03:29 > 0:03:31approaching the main Gatwick flight path.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35- PHONE RINGS - Control. Watch supervisor.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Attempts to reach the pilot have been unsuccessful,
0:03:37 > 0:03:42so the operational supervisor must decide if it's safe to allow flights
0:03:42 > 0:03:44in and out of the airport.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46We've stopped, what? All arrivals and departures?
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Stopped all arrivals. Haven't stopped departures at the moment
0:03:49 > 0:03:51because of where he is, but stopped all arrivals.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53They can't do any approaches to 265 at the moment.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56So nobody's got contact with him at the moment
0:03:56 > 0:03:58and he's stayed resolutely at 2,700 or 2,800.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Right. So what we've got is, we've got an infringer,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03who we've tracked coming down outside Controlled Airspace.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Unfortunately, he's crossed the extended Gatwick centreline, landing on 2-6,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10so we've got no option right now but to stop arrivals into Gatwick.
0:04:10 > 0:04:11So the most important thing we have to do
0:04:11 > 0:04:14is keep all the other aircraft away from the infringer.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18So, at the moment, the rules are that we have to do our best
0:04:18 > 0:04:22to achieve five miles laterally or 5,000 feet vertically
0:04:22 > 0:04:25from an infringing unidentified aircraft.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Jersey, eight, Victor, hotel, climb now. Flat level 1-3-0.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36The disruption can be quite incredible for one infringer,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38but everything we do is about making sure
0:04:38 > 0:04:41that we keep away from the unknown target.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44With the unidentified aircraft still in Controlled Airspace,
0:04:44 > 0:04:49hundreds of passengers who were about to touch down must circle overhead.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54All we're doing is playing a bit of a waiting game with this chap,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58waiting for him to leave Controlled Airspace while we get two-way with him,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01so we can have positive control over the aircraft.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03Charlie, eight, Victor, hotel, climb now.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06- Flight level 1-3-0. - A little slow at 16 there.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08'Tango, maintain descent, flight level 1-5-0.'
0:05:10 > 0:05:12He's now gone outside, has he?
0:05:12 > 0:05:14- I'm not aware...- Looks like it. No, that's fine.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Hello, Nigel. It's Dave. How're you doing? So the infringer's now outside Controlled Airspace,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21two-and-a-half to the south-east of you, so we've started arrivals again.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23First one's EZ 4-8 X-ray uniform.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34Air-traffic controllers deal with infringers every week.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Everybody today is really focused on security,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38particularly after 9/11,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41and so making sure that we know who all the aircraft
0:05:41 > 0:05:44are and where they are is really important for safety.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49This infringer turned out to be an amateur pilot
0:05:49 > 0:05:51who'd accidentally flown over Gatwick.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57But when a threat to the airspace can't resolved by NATS,
0:05:57 > 0:05:59there's another power guarding the skies.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14For months, Russian bombers have been probing Britain's air defences.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18The RAF Typhoons have come very, very close to shadow.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22I think what this episode demonstrates is that we do have the fast jets,
0:06:22 > 0:06:27the pilots, the systems in place, to protect the United Kingdom.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33- Morning.- Morning, sir. - Everything all right?
0:06:33 > 0:06:37- Yeah. Good, thanks. You? - OK. See you later. Thank you.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40So the threat to the UK at the moment is heightened.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43It's no surprise from the newspaper articles
0:06:43 > 0:06:49that there is a big threat to all of us at the moment from, particularly, Isis.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire
0:06:53 > 0:06:56is the UK's busiest fighter jet operating base -
0:06:56 > 0:06:59home to two squadrons of Typhoons.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03One of the most powerful combat planes in the world,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06the Typhoon can break the speed of sound in just 30 seconds.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Last year, after 26 years as a fighter pilot,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Group Captain Jez Attridge was put in charge of the base.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Morning, everyone.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23This is another big week,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27so we've got three squadrons out of the door today, to the Middle East,
0:07:27 > 0:07:31half the aeroplanes going today, the other half tomorrow.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35On the back of that, we've got to prep those jets for North America
0:07:35 > 0:07:38and, of course, QRA every minute of every day,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41so good luck, everybody. Thank you.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48QRA stands for Quick Reaction Alert - the codename
0:07:48 > 0:07:50used when a Typhoon is launched
0:07:50 > 0:07:54to intercept unidentified aircraft entering British airspace.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59In 2015, jets were scrambled 12 times...
0:08:00 > 0:08:03..a scenario the RAF train for regularly.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08Rushton 55, Rushton, 55.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10London Centre on guard, if you're receiving,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12come up with this frequency.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16It's not just NATS who safeguard our skies.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20A watchful eye is also trained on UK airspace
0:08:20 > 0:08:22from a nationwide network of hidden RAF bunkers.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Rushton 55, contact London Control 132.950.
0:08:29 > 0:08:34The RAF controllers have been working alongside the civil ones for years and years.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37When I first started off as a controller, I was in the RAF.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40If there's an aircraft that nobody knows about,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43which they have reason to believe might be a security threat
0:08:43 > 0:08:46to the UK, then we'll clear our aircraft out of the way.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Hello, Mark Galloway, watch supervisor.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53And how long has it been out of communication?
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Civilian air traffic controllers at NATS
0:08:56 > 0:09:00have spotted an unidentified plane just off the Cornish coast
0:09:00 > 0:09:02and alert their RAF counterparts.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06It is Rushton 55 is the call sign.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Gulf stream from Heathrow.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11He's down west at the moment, at that lat and long.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Heathrow, Tel Aviv.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Tracker test. Rushton 55...
0:09:15 > 0:09:17PHONE RINGS
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Just approaching Plymouth now, the subject aircraft.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24- The traffic is still out of comms. - It's in there, point it out.
0:09:24 > 0:09:275-1-0-7, just south of Newquay.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29The aircraft, which has come across the Atlantic,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32isn't in contact with anybody, either civilian or military.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35And now, between us, we're starting to work out a plan
0:09:35 > 0:09:37of how we can intercept this aircraft
0:09:37 > 0:09:41and try and confirm what its identity may be.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43Just to let you know, we're continuing to call on 1-2-1-5...
0:09:43 > 0:09:46The aircraft is continuing to be out of comms.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50Repeated attempts to contact the jet have failed,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52so the national Air Defence Operations Centre
0:09:52 > 0:09:56instructs RAF Coningsby to put a Typhoon pilot on stand-by.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04ALARM SOUNDS
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Just minutes after receiving the call,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17the Typhoon is ready to launch.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23We'll sit now wait for the actual call to launch in the air.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26It's an important thing to let anybody that might want to penetrate
0:10:26 > 0:10:29our airspace know that we're able to defend ourselves,
0:10:29 > 0:10:33that we are able to be anywhere within the UK
0:10:33 > 0:10:35in a matter of minutes.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38The threat, the challenge, the pressure is clear and present,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41and that's why we have these aeroplanes ready every minute of every day.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45'Coningsby QRA is at cockpit.'
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Coningsby, cue scrambling.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58'Scramble, scramble, scramble, scramble, acknowledge.'
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Since 9/11, the potential hijack of a passenger plane
0:11:02 > 0:11:04is considered a serious threat.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12As the Typhoon launches,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15NATS air traffic controllers clear everything out of its path.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19We've got a subject aircraft getting airborne from Coningsby
0:11:19 > 0:11:21and we will be looking from Coningsby...
0:11:21 > 0:11:23And news reaches the top.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27The fighters are in the air. Please could you update the Prime Minister?
0:11:27 > 0:11:3130,000 feet above Bristol, the Typhoon reaches its target...
0:11:33 > 0:11:36- ..a commercial plane. - Still not compliant.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Next, the pilot executes a series of warnings.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46You are to conduct a show of presence manoeuvre.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48There are a number of recognised signals
0:11:48 > 0:11:51and the key one is they'll pull up alongside, waggle their wings
0:11:51 > 0:11:54and then they'll turn towards the direction they want the airline to go to.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56They might drop flares as well.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01So it's a lot of recognise signals to say, "We are here. You need to follow us now."
0:12:08 > 0:12:13Just confirmed, that is noncompliance for the show of presence.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17You are to conduct an exercise - show of force.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22Acknowledged, an exercise show of force onto west wing, paragraph six.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26As a final warning, the pilot reveals his air-to-air missiles,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28before issuing an order from the Prime Minister.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41The Prime Minister can order a Typhoon pilot
0:12:41 > 0:12:44to shoot down a passenger plane.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48'The nightmare scenario for us would be that we would engage an aeroplane
0:12:48 > 0:12:51'and be given that order. But our pilots,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53'they will execute the order given by the Prime Minister.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56'They might think about it on the ground afterwards, but, at the time,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58'that's what we are trained to do.'
0:13:22 > 0:13:23OK, he's compliant, Mike.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29- Well done, thank you. - Thank you very much, see you later.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33QRA simulations take place regularly.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35This was an exercise.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Those involved would not usually know
0:13:38 > 0:13:40whether or not the sortie was real.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45We've got a chance to have the pilot make that intercept,
0:13:45 > 0:13:46go up alongside an aeroplane
0:13:46 > 0:13:50and just practice all of the physical things that he needs to do
0:13:50 > 0:13:53to get the aeroplane in the right place at the right time.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00The RAF's hundred million pound Typhoons are at the forefront of aviation technology...
0:14:05 > 0:14:08..but many are drawn to the skies by more simple forms of flight.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35'I think one of the worst things you can do in life is not take any risks.'
0:14:35 > 0:14:37A life without adventure, a life without danger,
0:14:37 > 0:14:42a life without feeling that adrenaline, that excitement,
0:14:42 > 0:14:43would be no life at all.
0:14:46 > 0:14:4944-year-old Nick English has had a passion for vintage planes
0:14:49 > 0:14:51since he was a child.
0:14:51 > 0:14:52'Jumping into an old aircraft,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55'you never quite know what's going to happen.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05'When you look at the pilots and the explorers of yesteryear, flying,
0:15:05 > 0:15:07'literally, into the unknown,
0:15:07 > 0:15:12'it's quite amazing to think you can just jump in an aircraft of the same age, the same era,'
0:15:12 > 0:15:14and experience some of what they did.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Nick's family have been restoring planes for generations.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23So we keep the aircraft in this hangar here,
0:15:23 > 0:15:29and you can literally just pull them out, jump in and zoom off.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33His vintage Gypsy Moth is one of only 20 in the UK.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38It's the same type of aeroplane that Amy Johnson flew
0:15:38 > 0:15:40to Australia in the 1930s.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44No brakes, so you just literally have this kind of tail skid here.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47So...this is our baby.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52Nick's love of flying was severely tested when he was 24,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55during an aerobatics flight with his father.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58'It was a beautiful March day and my father called me up and said,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01' "Look, let's...let's go for a fly", practising for an air display.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04'Quite an old aircraft - a 1942 Harvard.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11'We took off and, during the practice display,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13'something went wrong.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21'We ended up crashing.'
0:16:26 > 0:16:28My father died.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32I remember being in quite a lot of pain.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34This leg was snapped and back behind me.
0:16:34 > 0:16:35This one was dislocated out there.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38This arm was snapped off in this direction.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44I mean, he was only 49 years old when he died.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50It obviously hasn't stopped me wanting to fly,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53but it's obviously had a very negative impact on the rest of the family,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55which is a whole other matter.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03So this is our...our dad.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04We always loved this photo
0:17:04 > 0:17:07because it sort of encapsulates his enjoyment.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11He'd just come back from an air display in his kit.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15I think, for our father, adventure was pretty important.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18He had that passion to go and do something and...
0:17:18 > 0:17:21we got part of that.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25So, do you remember this trip up here?
0:17:25 > 0:17:28Giles was probably 16 at the time, or 15.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31I would have been 17 or 18, and off you'd go.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Huge adventures in eastern Europe and northern Spain and elsewhere,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37and so you'll land and you'll literally be sleeping
0:17:37 > 0:17:38under the wing of the aeroplane.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Oh, it was just such fun, it really was.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Following the death of their father,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Nick and Giles made a pact never to fly in the same plane
0:17:46 > 0:17:50for the sake of their families and mother, Cara.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53- Hello.- Hi!
0:17:53 > 0:17:56- How are you doing? - Oh, nice to see you.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58- Come on in.- Two boys together.
0:17:58 > 0:17:59Yes, lucky you. Lucky you.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04Two years ago, Giles also had a crash flying his own plane.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07I remember saying to you, "Giles had a flying accident".
0:18:09 > 0:18:12And I had to repeat it five or six times for you
0:18:12 > 0:18:15to comprehend what I was saying -
0:18:15 > 0:18:18- you couldn't. - I could not comprehend.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21They say lightning doesn't strike twice and...
0:18:22 > 0:18:25..you know, how could it possibly happen again?
0:18:25 > 0:18:29'I miss my husband every day of my life'
0:18:29 > 0:18:35and I see my sons taking over from him...
0:18:35 > 0:18:38in everything they do and think and believe in.
0:18:38 > 0:18:43- What goes through your mind?- Well, my immediate feeling is fear...
0:18:43 > 0:18:45for you...
0:18:45 > 0:18:47for myself as well.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50The fact, you know, that you both are here
0:18:50 > 0:18:54and I couldn't bear the thought of losing either of you.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00While Nick continues to fly,
0:19:00 > 0:19:03since his crash, Giles has not piloted a plane.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08Would a little part of you be relieved if Giles didn't go up again?
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Yes, of course.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14I suppose, secretly, I hope he doesn't.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31Hi, this is seven Tango. At 6,000 feet. QH now 1-0-2-1.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36Hi, it's three Juliet delta. A320 standing by for more information.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39- 1-0-3-1. Clearance to Bordeaux, please.- 4-4 Bravo...
0:19:39 > 0:19:43The radar screens at NATS can show anything from single engine
0:19:43 > 0:19:46light aircraft to 150-tonne cargo planes.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Covering an area of one million square kilometres,
0:19:52 > 0:19:56the British skies are a feast for plane spotters.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Outside the wire at RAF Coningsby lies The Mound -
0:20:06 > 0:20:09a mecca for military plane enthusiasts
0:20:09 > 0:20:10like Liam and his mum, Caroline.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14This is a good one cos you are high up, to start with,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17so you don't need to bring your ladders to here.
0:20:18 > 0:20:19If I was going to be a pilot,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22I'd rather be a pilot of something like a Typhoon.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25- You'd be too wimpy. - I'd be too wimpy?
0:20:25 > 0:20:28- Yeah, you'd pass out on take-off. - No, no, I wouldn't.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31- No.- I don't think you could shoot someone down.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33I'd be the commercial pilot.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37- I'd be a nice, steady Eddie...- Yeah. - ..airline pilot.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45There's not many people my age that think this is a good thing to do.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49When I tell my mates that I go out, stand in a field for hours on end
0:20:49 > 0:20:52waiting for a certain plane to fly by, they think I'm crazy.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55- Has any of them ever said, "Can I come with you?"- No.
0:20:55 > 0:20:56SHE LAUGHS
0:20:56 > 0:20:59- I don't think they would want to. - No.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01They must be very skilled.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03They must be willing to do whatever
0:21:03 > 0:21:05cos they have a nerve getting in the cockpit,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08even if they're just going on a normal flight, cos anything could go wrong.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Just like a car. A car could easily just break down, but you are on the road.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14But if it breaks down in the sky, you're done for.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19Less than 100 British pilots are qualified to fly a Typhoon.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22RAF Coningsby is home to 29 Squadron,
0:21:22 > 0:21:26where the next generation of Typhoon pilots are being trained.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28This is an amazingly clean aircraft, isn't it?
0:21:28 > 0:21:32- I was about to say.- I was going to say, they are not all like this.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37For a lot of the guys, this is why they joined the Air Force.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38It's like driving a Bugatti
0:21:38 > 0:21:39having driven a Ford Fiesta -
0:21:39 > 0:21:41it's that kind of difference in power -
0:21:41 > 0:21:44and having that power at their fingertips is something
0:21:44 > 0:21:45they're going to find quite exciting.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50It costs £8 million to train each Typhoon pilot.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Er, it's quite high up.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57Erm...yeah. I could get used to this.
0:21:59 > 0:22:0129-year-old Flight Lieutenant Simon
0:22:01 > 0:22:04has already spent six years becoming a fighter pilot.
0:22:04 > 0:22:10To fly a Typhoon requires another six months of intensive training.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13I'm quite excited about the first flight, really,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15so hopefully in a few weeks...
0:22:17 > 0:22:19And watch me fall off.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21'I think I went through different phases.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24'I had some weird hobbies when I was younger.'
0:22:24 > 0:22:27I was into sort of bird-watching when I was really young
0:22:27 > 0:22:31and I thought, "Well, maybe I'll just go into something to do with that."
0:22:31 > 0:22:34'No-one else in my family is from a military background.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37'They think it's quite impressive, what I get up to.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40'Several months down the line, I could be, you know,'
0:22:40 > 0:22:45launched to try and protect the sovereign airspace that we have.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48And it's...you know, it's quite daunting.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51It'll be a relief to get to the front line
0:22:51 > 0:22:53and actually use my training.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59One of Simon's first tests is on the centrifuge,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01which mimics the intense gravitational pull
0:23:01 > 0:23:04experienced flying a Typhoon at high speed.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08So, welcome.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10You kind of need to prove to us that you can do 9G.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13People's G-tolerance varies from day to day
0:23:13 > 0:23:16and there are certain scenarios where you are much more at risk.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22With a top speed of over 1,200mph,
0:23:22 > 0:23:26a Typhoon can travel from London to Birmingham in just six minutes.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29It creates huge G-force.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32At 9G, the pilot's body becomes nine times heavier than normal.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35It's quite disorientating,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38but we do have some sick bags in the door, just in case.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41G-lock is G-induced loss of consciousness
0:23:41 > 0:23:43and there is a risk of crashing.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47G-lock occurs when there's not a lot of blood in the brain and so what we
0:23:47 > 0:23:51are teaching them on the centrifuge are the essential manoeuvres to stop
0:23:51 > 0:23:54that happening that they need to learn and to practice.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59And then a quick breath...
0:23:59 > 0:24:01I see stars.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03One strain...
0:24:03 > 0:24:06two strains, and then switch.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Slow, deep breathing.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14The most tricky thing of all is to decide who's going to go first.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Stand by. 5G in 15 seconds.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22LOW RASP
0:24:22 > 0:24:26That's the sound of air coming out of the side of his mask...
0:24:27 > 0:24:29..which sounds like he's had a curry the night before.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31That was very squeaky.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37His eyebrows are getting really close together.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40HE MOANS
0:24:40 > 0:24:43And that's the sound of someone having a great time.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49That's why I think it comes with inflatable socks, which is...
0:24:49 > 0:24:53It's basically just to reduce some of the pain that can be experienced at higher G levels.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Because the Typhoon is quite powerful,
0:24:55 > 0:24:59you kind of have to not pass out.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- Are you nervous? - I suppose a little bit apprehensive.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10Today is the first time Simon has experienced 9G.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14That's it. Otherwise, I will talk to you from the centre.
0:25:14 > 0:25:15Any last words?
0:25:18 > 0:25:20OK, stand by for the first one. 5G coming up.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24A little bit of leg squeezing is probably all you'll need.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27I can see you're really enjoying yourself.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32For an untrained civilian, 5G is at the outer limit of endurance.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Right, are you ready for nine?
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Oh, I will. Right, ready? 9G, 15 seconds, please.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Standby. 9G, 15 seconds.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53At 9G, Simon's anti-G suit is squeezing him hard.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56That, and his exercises, are stopping the blood draining from his brain.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Just breathe normally there, if you can.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13OK, how was that? Any grey-out?
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Yeah. It's very uncomfortable, but, actually,
0:26:19 > 0:26:21in terms of keeping your vision clear,
0:26:21 > 0:26:24- it seems to work well with you. - Cool.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The kit is fantastic.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32You know, you can feel your feet being squeezed.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34- Pleased with that. - SHE SCREAMS
0:26:42 > 0:26:45All you can hear is the little screams in the background.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48You don't quite know if it's laughter or sheer terror.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52But this is my daughter a year or two ago.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56And my daughter's at this beautiful age when there's no fear,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58just utter emotion coming out.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01And you turn around occasionally and you just see this wide, wide grin,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04and she's going, "More, more, more, more!"
0:27:04 > 0:27:06But it just makes me laugh when I see it.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09When I went flying for the first time, it was much the same age.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11We'd be in the back of an aircraft,
0:27:11 > 0:27:13off to go and do an airshow with my father.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15It's sort of a full circle of life,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17being able to do it with your own children.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Nick is on his way to his brother Giles' hangar,
0:27:42 > 0:27:47where Giles is restoring his plane that was destroyed when he crashed.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52The last thing I was holding before the crash...
0:27:52 > 0:27:54HE LAUGHS
0:27:54 > 0:27:57..trying to pump that engine.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01'It's an emotional thing. The plane almost killed myself,'
0:28:01 > 0:28:03but it's something where
0:28:03 > 0:28:07I loved it so much beforehand and it's such a beautiful old lady,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10and it wasn't her fault.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Come and see it.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15- How are you, man? Are you well? - Very cool.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Beautifully done, isn't it?
0:28:17 > 0:28:20- Beautifully done.- Despite carefully rebuilding his plane,
0:28:20 > 0:28:24Giles has promised his family he won't fly again.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26I think that's the difference,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29when you're a 24 or 25-year-old or whatever...
0:28:29 > 0:28:31- Compared to...- Yeah, being here.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34When you think you're going to kill yourself,
0:28:34 > 0:28:36you think about your family and your kids
0:28:36 > 0:28:39- and leaving your little ones. - It changes everything.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41It does. It changes a lot.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43'What I miss, you know,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46'the camaraderie of flying together as a team
0:28:46 > 0:28:49'and it was a real brotherly connection.'
0:28:49 > 0:28:52But, you know, he's got to feel happy with it
0:28:52 > 0:28:55and I completely respect the reason he doesn't want to do it.
0:29:02 > 0:29:058-6, Uniform. Yes, you have level 1-6-0.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11Echo Lima 2,000 feet, speed of 180.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14Of the daily threats to the safety of our skies,
0:29:14 > 0:29:16none is more disruptive than bad weather.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20When the skies are at their most dangerous...
0:29:20 > 0:29:22It's going to be really rough and bumpy.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24It's not pleasant for anybody.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26..only a few pilots take to the air.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33In Humberside, one of the crews of Her Majesty's coastguard
0:29:33 > 0:29:36search and rescue are beginning a 24-hour shift.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41- Are you nicking my dinner? - Is this your dinner, is it?- Yeah.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44- Oh, sorry. - After ten years in the RAF,
0:29:44 > 0:29:47Kate Willoughby recently joined the crew as winchman.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50Yeah, that was in Basra.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52Are there any other female winchmen?
0:29:52 > 0:29:54No, there were two in the Air Force,
0:29:54 > 0:29:57but now, I believe, I am the only one.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00- That's it, just me.- You're it.- Just me.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02No-one else is stupid enough.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05And you don't mind being called a winchman?
0:30:05 > 0:30:06No, to me, it's a job title.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09It's like, when I was in the Air Force, crewman.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12It's just a job title. However, I do get called...
0:30:12 > 0:30:16I do get called winch wench, which I don't mind.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26I'm the winch operator.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29My primary duty is to ensure the winchman gets down safely...
0:30:29 > 0:30:32while they get all the medals.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35- I don't know about that. - We never get any.
0:30:35 > 0:30:36- The unsung heroes.- Aw...!
0:30:36 > 0:30:38The winch operators.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44It's coming in, innit? Six till nine. 300-foot broken at 100.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50A bad weather front has come in and with it an emergency call.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58Scarborough Mountain Rescue are with an injured cyclist
0:30:58 > 0:31:00in the North Yorkshire Moors.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07The quickest way to get him to hospital is by air.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19Yes, there is, isn't there?
0:31:29 > 0:31:33The injured cyclist is in the woods, which are covered in thick cloud.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48Yeah, exactly.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54If the helicopter can't get through,
0:31:54 > 0:31:57it will be up to Mountain Rescue to move the casualty
0:31:57 > 0:31:59somewhere they can land safely.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02The most challenging thing is knowing when to stop
0:32:02 > 0:32:07because we can go out in such horrible conditions,
0:32:07 > 0:32:09and you always know that someone's in trouble.
0:32:09 > 0:32:10It's knowing when to say,
0:32:10 > 0:32:14"Actually, we are putting our lives at risk and the aircraft at risk."
0:32:19 > 0:32:23You know, as soon as you say, "We've got to stop", then,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25potentially, someone is coming to more harm.
0:32:34 > 0:32:39As the pilot struggles with poor visibility, Mountain Rescue call.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42They've managed to move the cyclist away from the cloud.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54This time, the rescue ends with an easy pick-up,
0:32:54 > 0:32:57but that's not always the case in bad weather.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00Flying in hill fog cloud in the mountains,
0:33:00 > 0:33:02with a bit of wind, is interesting.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04Just annoyed the weather didn't clear because,
0:33:04 > 0:33:08if the weather had cleared, we would have been in and out, like Flynn.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12But that was hard work. There we go. Time for a wee-wee now!
0:33:24 > 0:33:28Piloting a supersonic fighter jet is unlike any other form of flying.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34And if things go wrong, pilots must be prepared.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39They are trained for worst-case scenarios,
0:33:39 > 0:33:41like ejecting over water...
0:33:41 > 0:33:42Go.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44Go.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48..and in the precision needed to refuel in midair.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00That's it.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02Basically, we have an understanding
0:34:02 > 0:34:04and we know what to do in situations,
0:34:04 > 0:34:06bad situations, when they occur,
0:34:06 > 0:34:09and use our initiative to try and stay alive, essentially.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19Today, Simon and the other trainees will undertake the next stage in
0:34:19 > 0:34:22Typhoon training - the altitude chamber.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27Adjust it until it's comfortable for yourself.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30'Yeah, I've been in the Air Force six years now
0:34:30 > 0:34:32'and I've worked pretty hard for those six years,'
0:34:32 > 0:34:36so I just need to keep the hard work going
0:34:36 > 0:34:39and, eventually, get there to the front line.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44Good morning, sirs. Welcome to the chamber and your high-level training.
0:34:44 > 0:34:45I'm Flight Sergeant Ian Evans.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49I will be running part of your training, along with Corporal Carter.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53In the chamber, they will be subject to rapid air decompression,
0:34:53 > 0:34:55mimicking the change in air pressure
0:34:55 > 0:34:57when a plane falls rapidly through the sky.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01When you're inside the chamber, you'll be referred to by a number.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03As you can imagine, once you've got your helmets on,
0:35:03 > 0:35:05it's difficult to distinguish.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07You find the number, once you are seated,
0:35:07 > 0:35:09over your right-hand shoulder.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15Part of the air crew training is experiential for them,
0:35:15 > 0:35:17so we like them to be prepared for emergencies
0:35:17 > 0:35:21that they might come across in their flying.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25Cabin pressure can expose them to reduced amounts of available oxygen,
0:35:25 > 0:35:28resulting in severe symptoms, which may incapacitate them.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31And, at a very high altitudes, forced oxygen breathing,
0:35:31 > 0:35:34which is what they are here to experience in the chamber this morning.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Any questions for me? All you need to do is shake your head if you have no questions.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43Otherwise, turn your microphones on and let me know.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45Student five, any questions? Student six?
0:35:53 > 0:35:55Doors closed, please.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08Chamber altitude 25,000 feet. Hold enabled.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10Check, 25,000 feet, So would all students please indicate,
0:36:10 > 0:36:15with a clear thumbs up, that you're comfortable and ready to proceed with further training?
0:36:15 > 0:36:17That's four thumbs. Four thumbs. Rest your thumbs.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21Shoes and knees together and adopt eye contact with the medical officer opposite you.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24Students. Will all students please indicate, with a clear thumbs up,
0:36:24 > 0:36:26that you are ready for rapid decompression?
0:36:26 > 0:36:27Four thumbs. Rest your thumbs.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31- Disable height hold. - Height hold disabled.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34Students, stand by on your toggles.
0:36:34 > 0:36:39Stand by for rapid decompression in five, four, three, two, one.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43- Now. - MACHINERY WHIRS
0:36:43 > 0:36:46Eye contact, number six.
0:36:46 > 0:36:47Number six, eye contact.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49Slow the rate and depth of your breathing.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51In for four, out for four.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54Good. Slow your rate of breathing, number five.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56In for five.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58Slow the rate and depth of your breathing, number five.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00Slow your breathing.
0:37:02 > 0:37:03There is a level of fitness.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05It's not for everyone.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08Specifically, during the rapid decompression,
0:37:08 > 0:37:10we are looking for any problems
0:37:10 > 0:37:13that they might have with expanding gases.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16They may well feel like breaking wind and burping.
0:37:16 > 0:37:1820 seconds.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Rub your tummy, if you need to. Are you all right, number five?
0:37:21 > 0:37:23Thumbs indication from number five.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25Give me a thumbs up, number five.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28Good. Rest your thumbs. And the others?
0:37:28 > 0:37:31The others, give me a thumbs up if you're tolerably comfortable.
0:37:31 > 0:37:32Good.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34'Also, there's the psychological challenge
0:37:34 > 0:37:36'of being in a closed-in space,
0:37:36 > 0:37:38'which can provoke a feeling of claustrophobia
0:37:38 > 0:37:40'in some susceptible individuals.'
0:37:40 > 0:37:43OK, rub your tummy, number five, if you've got some gut gas.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47The chamber has begun its descent.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50Any bubbles of gas in your guts will be getting smaller.
0:37:50 > 0:37:51Well done, guys.
0:37:51 > 0:37:5338,000 feet.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Check, 38,000 feet.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57If, number five, you do feel light-headed at any time,
0:37:57 > 0:37:59all right?
0:37:59 > 0:38:02Just pop your head on the lap of number six,
0:38:02 > 0:38:03who I'm sure will be...
0:38:06 > 0:38:07Good.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10When you're going through these worst-case scenario training things,
0:38:10 > 0:38:13do you ever stop and sort of contemplate the dangers of...?
0:38:15 > 0:38:16Yeah, erm...
0:38:17 > 0:38:20I think, obviously, they're in the back of your mind
0:38:20 > 0:38:22every time you go flying.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26But I think if you start dwelling on things like that,
0:38:26 > 0:38:29then you're not going to concentrate on
0:38:29 > 0:38:31getting, essentially, your job done.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34If your job continues the way it should go,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37you'd potentially have to shoot somebody down.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39Have you ever thought about that?
0:38:39 > 0:38:41I don't know. It's...
0:38:41 > 0:38:44I don't know how to answer that question. It's...
0:38:44 > 0:38:48You know...I know at some point I'll probably be...
0:38:48 > 0:38:50You could be in that scenario. You hope you're not, but...
0:38:52 > 0:38:53You know?
0:38:54 > 0:38:57I would be the one pulling the trigger.
0:38:57 > 0:39:03But...you've got to trust that the right decision has been made.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12Oh, look at that!
0:39:12 > 0:39:13I like it.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17Across the base, four pilots are leaving for a training exercise
0:39:17 > 0:39:19in the Middle East.
0:39:19 > 0:39:20Well, the Middle East provides us,
0:39:20 > 0:39:24particularly at this time of year, with some fantastic airspace.
0:39:24 > 0:39:25The weather's predictable.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28- There's not much standing still, is there?- There isn't, there isn't.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31I haven't had a winter in the UK for the last three years,
0:39:31 > 0:39:33- so I can't complain.- Yeah.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37Yeah. It's nonstop. Just check that he's got some pee bags.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39It's a long way. Five hours today
0:39:39 > 0:39:42they'll be sitting in that very small cockpit,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45but they'll have the most beautiful view straight out of the window.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47What a great day to do it.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57I've been on several squadrons as a front-line pilot.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59On operational missions over Bosnia,
0:39:59 > 0:40:02during the Balkan crisis, and over Libya.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06For me, being a front-line fighter pilot is,
0:40:06 > 0:40:10from a purely professional military pilot point of view,
0:40:10 > 0:40:13it's the pinnacle of your career.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35Maintain that speed. Descend, flight number 150 Lima.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42Number 97 Romeo, November, turn right, heading 325 degrees.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46721 Victor, Mike, heading 155.
0:40:46 > 0:40:51In the South East, all major airports are shrouded in thick fog.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53It's going to be a difficult day for a lot of air travellers
0:40:53 > 0:40:56around the country today, with major disruption.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00Delta, Tango, Alpha contact Birmingham approach on 118.050.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08You can't run a full schedule when there's fog,
0:41:08 > 0:41:11not because the aircraft can't land -
0:41:11 > 0:41:12they can land perfectly normally.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15The aircraft can land itself - they can do an autoland.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19It's when they get on the ground that everything slows down.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22You're normally controlled by the visual guys in the tower
0:41:22 > 0:41:24and they're looking out and they can see everything,
0:41:24 > 0:41:26but they don't have that luxury.
0:41:29 > 0:41:30Then there's ground fog.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33Each plane must move further away from the runway
0:41:33 > 0:41:35before another can land and,
0:41:35 > 0:41:40with visibility less than 100 metres, nothing's moving fast.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Shamrock 158, descend flight level 100.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Golf, Juliet, Foxtrot, Juliet, Charlie...
0:41:45 > 0:41:47remain outside.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50In the air, planes are circling in stacks above the airport.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55Heathrow normally lands 40 planes an hour -
0:41:55 > 0:41:58today, that's down to 27.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00It doesn't take long before pilots start looking
0:42:00 > 0:42:02and seeing what fuel reserves they've got left
0:42:02 > 0:42:04and whether or not they'll need to divert.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08If we have, say, 30 aircraft from Heathrow who want to divert,
0:42:08 > 0:42:10we then add 20 aeroplanes from Gatwick
0:42:10 > 0:42:12and 20 aeroplanes from Stansted and Luton.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14All of a sudden, we've got 70 aircraft in the sky
0:42:14 > 0:42:17that need to divert and there aren't really any airfields
0:42:17 > 0:42:19for them to go to because everywhere's covered in fog.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24We're balanced on a knife edge.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28Air-traffic controllers have to land all planes already airborne,
0:42:28 > 0:42:32but Brian can reduce the number of new planes heading for the stacks
0:42:32 > 0:42:34by lowering the flow rate -
0:42:34 > 0:42:38the number of planes allowed to enter British airspace.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40Hit it hard and short now.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44Get it under control and then get back to a sensible rate.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47So, 18 until 13:00.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50And then the problem is, this is going to just...
0:42:50 > 0:42:51- crucify them.- It is, I know.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53Ryanair, 643 Tango, route to REDFA,
0:42:53 > 0:42:55contact London, 133.940.
0:42:55 > 0:42:56I want to go up a bit.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59I want to go 20. Let's go 20.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02My risk. 20 until 13:30.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05And let's see what that does. I'm having palpitations.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09Right, Heathrow, with immediate effect, 20 until 13:30.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14Brian's decision to cut the number of planes allowed to enter
0:43:14 > 0:43:17Heathrow's airspace to 20 an hour
0:43:17 > 0:43:23will cause the delay or cancellation of 40 domestic and European flights.
0:43:23 > 0:43:24So, to try to get it back under control,
0:43:24 > 0:43:27we've had to hit it hard, but for a short period of time.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30The disruption it's going to cause, it's a nightmare for the airlines,
0:43:30 > 0:43:33but...it's a nightmare in here.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46SIREN WAILS
0:43:52 > 0:43:53Right, there we go.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56Head injuries, spinal injuries, multiple broken bones.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59In Lincolnshire, another emergency call has come in
0:43:59 > 0:44:01for Search and Rescue.
0:44:03 > 0:44:04111 miles.
0:44:06 > 0:44:12A female hiker is in trouble on a mountain in the Lake District.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14She's fallen approximately 40 metres.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17We've been told she's got head injuries, spinal injuries
0:44:17 > 0:44:18and multiple broken bones.
0:44:22 > 0:44:24Mountain Rescue are on-scene on the ground,
0:44:24 > 0:44:25but can't move the casualty.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39However, the guys are working quite
0:44:39 > 0:44:41hard to try and get us in there.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44Until we get to the actual area, we won't be able to assess anything.
0:44:44 > 0:44:47From the sounds of it, it will probably be a winching job
0:44:47 > 0:44:50because that area doesn't endear itself to actually landing on.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03With visibility getting worse,
0:45:03 > 0:45:06the helicopter is forced to fly under the fog,
0:45:06 > 0:45:07just above the tree line.
0:45:07 > 0:45:08Altitude, altitude.
0:45:11 > 0:45:12- Kate?- Yeah?
0:45:25 > 0:45:29With conditions too severe for the helicopter to get to the casualty,
0:45:29 > 0:45:32it's up to Mountain Rescue to move them somewhere it's safe to land.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47At NATS, fog is still causing havoc with the plane schedules.
0:45:51 > 0:45:53Can you pin them down?
0:45:53 > 0:45:56I want a fog forecast colour, as per that...
0:45:56 > 0:46:00- Fine, OK.- ..and then we'll make a decision on that.- Right.
0:46:00 > 0:46:01Delaying flights around the world
0:46:01 > 0:46:04has reduced the amount of air traffic,
0:46:04 > 0:46:07but the effect will take several hours to ripple through
0:46:07 > 0:46:08to the stacks above Heathrow.
0:46:09 > 0:46:14So, we're still going to get 26 aircraft arrive in this hour,
0:46:14 > 0:46:16where we've only requested 20.
0:46:17 > 0:46:19So, when we're landing more than we're getting,
0:46:19 > 0:46:22that's obviously when the delay will start to come down
0:46:22 > 0:46:24quite dramatically and it's at that point
0:46:24 > 0:46:27that we start to turn the tap on again and bring aeroplanes in.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31Start to remain clear.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33And the 121.025.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35He is on the heading above 110...
0:46:35 > 0:46:38OK, seven, Victor, golf, turn left into 145 degrees.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40Report heading-in speed to London.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42We are coming out of low vis
0:46:42 > 0:46:44and we will not go back in there until 21:00.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49The fog has just cleared.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51The tower controllers can see pretty much
0:46:51 > 0:46:53the whole length of the runway now,
0:46:53 > 0:46:58so I've just agreed to up the rate to 38 arrivals,
0:46:58 > 0:47:00which is getting somewhere near normality.
0:47:04 > 0:47:05Delta, tango, alpha, Roger.
0:47:05 > 0:47:07With visibility returning to normal,
0:47:07 > 0:47:09the team can increase the flow rate...
0:47:11 > 0:47:15..but Heathrow has had to cancel 180 flights in one day.
0:47:17 > 0:47:18That has a huge impact.
0:47:18 > 0:47:23If this was the only flight that you are going on for your yearly holiday
0:47:23 > 0:47:27and it gets cancelled, the pain for you, personally, is quite big
0:47:27 > 0:47:30and so we don't make these decisions lightly.
0:47:30 > 0:47:32We take them with a big strapline of safety.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35We have to maintain the integrity of the airspace.
0:47:35 > 0:47:37Right, flight 36, papa, roger.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49In the Lake District, the Mountain Rescue team on the ground
0:47:49 > 0:47:51have contacted the helicopter.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09The hiker is deteriorating fast and can't be moved.
0:48:11 > 0:48:12Yep.
0:48:20 > 0:48:24The only option is for the helicopter crew to try to reach her
0:48:24 > 0:48:25through the fog.
0:48:27 > 0:48:28Yeah.
0:48:30 > 0:48:31- Yep.- Yep.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36We'll give this a go.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39Visibility is now less than ten metres.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08Winch operator Paul must make sure the tail and blades
0:49:08 > 0:49:10don't hit the granite rock face.
0:49:20 > 0:49:21OK, clear there and move right.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29We just need to be aware as we're going down.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12It was very difficult to see.
0:50:12 > 0:50:16We were even struggling to see the guys on the ground themselves.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19If you're going to go down there in a minute, it's nerve-racking.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25'I'm stood in the doorway thinking,
0:50:25 > 0:50:28- ' "I don't really want to do this." - SHE LAUGHS
0:50:28 > 0:50:31'I'm doing this because that person down there needs me to do this -
0:50:31 > 0:50:33'I'm not doing it because I want to.'
0:50:33 > 0:50:34Clear to winch?
0:50:40 > 0:50:42- All right.- Go on.
0:50:49 > 0:50:50Steady.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03Kate can't reach the mountain, so Paul has to try to swing her in.
0:51:20 > 0:51:21Steady.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24'We're in as close as you'd want to get.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27'Any closer and it doesn't allow for those little bits of wobbling around
0:51:27 > 0:51:30'that you'll get. And once we got into that crevice,
0:51:30 > 0:51:35'we've got recirculating air and it's hard to just hold a nice hover.
0:51:35 > 0:51:36'It was unpleasant as it gets.'
0:51:44 > 0:51:45Winching in.
0:52:08 > 0:52:09Steady.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15Pilot?
0:52:15 > 0:52:16Winch out.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23With the casualty on board, the crew need to inch back down the mountain.
0:52:39 > 0:52:40Yeah.
0:52:44 > 0:52:45That's cool.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56After half an hour, the crew are finally free of the cloud
0:52:56 > 0:52:58and can head for the hospital.
0:53:03 > 0:53:04OK.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11Three, two, one.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51THEY LAUGH
0:54:00 > 0:54:01We were not in a good place.
0:54:01 > 0:54:06The tips of the rotor blades were as close as I ever want them to be.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09We couldn't get... We couldn't move any closer.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11How close were we to the rocks?
0:54:11 > 0:54:12Metres?
0:54:12 > 0:54:14Feet.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16The blade tips were feet from the rocks.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19So, how do you feel now?
0:54:19 > 0:54:21Relieved to be back.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24It's OK. It's only another 16 hours on shift.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31We got her to hospital - I'm happy -
0:54:31 > 0:54:33and we got her in a state that
0:54:33 > 0:54:37the guys could immediately start work on her. So, yeah, I'm happy.
0:54:37 > 0:54:38That was... It was good.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52Where's Daddy? Is he over there?
0:54:52 > 0:54:55The plan is to get to the Isle of Wight,
0:54:55 > 0:54:58land at a lovely little airfield called Sandown
0:54:58 > 0:55:01and, hopefully, grab a couple of hours on the beach.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03Last of the British summer, I think.
0:55:03 > 0:55:04Can't wait.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07You're not a bit nervous, getting up in a big plane like that?
0:55:07 > 0:55:09- No, not at all.- Quite used to it.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11I'm quite used to it. It's really fun.
0:55:16 > 0:55:1812:36, gents, welcome.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20The aim of this, clearly, is it's the first time you're going to fly
0:55:20 > 0:55:23solo in Typhoon. Enjoy it, but bring it back safely.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26So, that's the main objective for today, really,
0:55:26 > 0:55:29and, yeah, if you get the chance, look out the window and actually go,
0:55:29 > 0:55:31"Wow, this is pretty awesome".
0:55:31 > 0:55:34And make sure you actually enjoy the sortie as well.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37After four supervised training flights,
0:55:37 > 0:55:39Simon is ready for his first solo sortie.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44'Since the first day you join the RAF
0:55:44 > 0:55:47'and you look at the front-line jets
0:55:47 > 0:55:49'out there and you think, "Yeah, one day, hopefully,
0:55:49 > 0:55:51' "I will be flying that myself." '
0:55:51 > 0:55:53And this is kind of, you know,
0:55:53 > 0:55:56all that training has led up to this moment.
0:56:04 > 0:56:06I think it's the whole thing...
0:56:06 > 0:56:07Because there's no-one in the back seat
0:56:07 > 0:56:09to back up your decision-making,
0:56:09 > 0:56:11it's all about making sure that you're making
0:56:11 > 0:56:13those important airmanship decisions.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34We call it the Typhoon smile.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40You climb skyward, like a homesick angel,
0:56:40 > 0:56:44can do anything, absolutely anything.
0:56:44 > 0:56:47It is ungodly how much power this thing's got.
0:56:59 > 0:57:00I will get up there again,
0:57:00 > 0:57:03but I have to give my family some time to get used to it.
0:57:03 > 0:57:08And seeing my brother take off on a beautiful day and, naturally,
0:57:08 > 0:57:10I miss it terribly.
0:57:10 > 0:57:12A beautiful day like today,
0:57:12 > 0:57:14all you want to be doing is playing with the clouds.
0:57:20 > 0:57:22I think one of the worst things you can do in life
0:57:22 > 0:57:23is not take any risks.
0:57:24 > 0:57:26For me, adventure is everything.
0:57:29 > 0:57:31Well, that was fantastic.
0:57:33 > 0:57:34Yeah.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36- Thank you, sir.- Well done.- Cheers.
0:57:36 > 0:57:38- Thank you, sir.- Well done. - Congratulations.
0:57:38 > 0:57:41- Cheers.- How was it? All right? - Yeah, pretty fun.- Yeah?
0:57:53 > 0:57:54Next time...
0:57:55 > 0:57:57..conquering the skies.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59I get a thrill when I do well.
0:57:59 > 0:58:03I absolutely detest it when I don't do well.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07He's lost his number one hydraulic system.
0:58:07 > 0:58:09No nosewheel steering.
0:58:09 > 0:58:14It grips you so badly that I want to scream, "Get me off!
0:58:14 > 0:58:15"Get me off!"