This is the type of programme the BBC used to broadcast routinely. It would typically go out on BBC 1 at nine pm on a Wednesday evening for an hour and the producer wouldn't feel the need to obscure the words of the pilots or narrator with intrusive music. It might surprise the reader to learn that programmes of such subjects are still broadcast in his country but the Corporation has eschewed them in favour of repetitive cookery, dance and quiz shows

I used to be a First Officer on the 737 with Jim Ludford. He’s retired now and spends most of his time cycling around Northumberland.

The Lightening could break the sound barrier going up vertically. Even today, there are few aircraft capable of doing this.

0:20 The instructor is Tim Allen, later went on to be a test pilot for BAe Systems. Had the pleasure of sharing many a test flight with Tim. Great sense of humour, fabulous pilot.

I went through the Sound Barrier in a T5 when in Singapore, with 74 Squadron. in 1966.

I recognise Les Evans. Was at university with him. He had money because he was on an RAF scholarship. He flew at weekends at Woodvale with the Manchester University Air squadron.

Flew in our T5 as a ground crew member of 29 Sqdn It was in 1971 and I haven't forgotten a single exhilarating moment of it.

"Jim Ludford Harrier pilot, is introduced to an alternative form of vertical take off!" *I LOVE IT!*

Nice to see some old mates 35 years later. Hoping to meet up again in 2022.

"An alternative form of vertical take-off" EPIC!

Look at the faces of all those pilots when they talk about that plane. That tells you everything.

I watched this on its hot weather trials in the Middle East. Unforgettable, especially in a vertical climb, with the accompanying double boom. Not a pretty aircraft, perhaps, but fuelled on raw testosterone. Superb.

I flew it for 2.5 years ..always left my stomach behind !

The Lightning , after watching airshows for nearly 50 years never saw anything more awe inspiring or exciting than this aircraft in full flow...

The ONLY fighter aircraft operated by NATO in 1985 that achieved a stern intercept of Concorde offered up by BA as a target after it was refitted was a Lightning. Absolute rocket ship.

The muscle car of jet fighters, basically two massive engines with wings and a seat bolted to it, an amazing aircraft of a bygone era, shame there are so few flying today.

My now late dad was in 92 squadron (armourer) & these "sang me to sleep" as a kid..

The Lightning excelled in its intended bomber interception role. Nothing else could get up so high so fast. Yes it had short legs but that was all part of the trade-off to achieve its design criteria. Later development and flight refuelling kept it relevant into the 70s and beyond. Also, we must remember this was against a background of very tight defence spending and political chaos in procuremet policy.

A beautiful bird, my all time favorite RAF plane, love to see one here stateside.

No music just raw sound of an excellent aircraft. Great scenes

Never has there been a more breathtaking aircraft....

Loving the 'banter'. I just appreciate it for what it was. A glorious interceptor. The aircraft of that era were built with such inherent flaws. Much more romantic than modern computer driven excellence though. How far we've come!

I remember the Test Pilot series back in the mid 80s.. I recorded the whole series on vhs! At the time I was around 15 years old & in the ATC. I did 2 AEF flights in the De Havilland Chipmunk. My 2nd flight was 55 minutes with plenty of aerobatic manoeuvres! Good days.

Limited range and maybe in those early days limited weapons offerings, (i.e red top), but it could sit on its tail and go straight up, very quickly. This aircraft was years ahead of its time and could still out climb many modern fighter jets. One of the last great all British fighters.

it might have been old but at flt level 66,000 ft at mach 2 to find on a few occasions and overtake a U2 spy plane and Concorde was pretty impressive.

I was privileged to see the last very tight and low level Diamond 9 formation made by Lightnings at Binbrook - the guy in the tower commented, "Eat your hearts out, Red Arrows!" - :grin:

It went supersonic in a vertical climb? I want one now please.

The best aircraft we ever had in the RAF, sadly i never got posted to Binbrook despite many tries 😕 so wanted a chance to fly in one of these!

Magnifique quel décollage impressionnant du pur jus britisch of course

One of the highlights of a great series, many thanks!

Lovely plane, great video, particularly the vertical climb, thanks for posting.....

Lived in Farnborough as a child very near the airfield and they always seemed to have the lightning up. Such a great aircraft.

Must be the only combat aircraft that is short of fuel as soon as you release the brakes

I loved seeing this aircraft when they tested it out of Warton. They used to fly straight and level till they got out to sea, and then went vertical! Epic

"It's good fun...type of thing you look forward to" (Said in the most British fashion lol)

Incredible aircraft.

We've all heard of a "drivers car" well this is a PILOTS plane,the best of its time by far.

Really amazing footage!

Thanks for this 👍🇳🇿

Thunderbolt and lightning, very very frightening indeed, Galileo ! great aerial shots, and a great plane .

The Lightning has never been surpassed.

Brilliant video

Very informative and entertaining. Love it!

Tragic to see what has become of Boscombe Down now, a pale shadow of it's former self. I count myself lucky that I got to see the last of the good years there but it was painful to watch it wither on the vine. And boy was that a young Dave Southwood!

"If we have to leave in a hurry, You'll hear me say eject eject,the second time is an echo as I will be gone."

Interesting to know that in the early days there were no two seat lightnings and every pilots first flight was solo. That must have been quite an experience 😮

What a cool machine!

This lightning xs422 is 1 of the lucky 1s it's being made airworthy in the USA now

Greatest ever jet fighter to serve the RAF.

Just classic - Jim is introduced into an alternative form of vertical take off! 😁

I heard one pilot say that you were in control untill you let go off the brakes....

Humorous quote from a pilot. "I was doing alright until I took the brakes off."

Wow they made good TV back then

que buena filmacion !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of all the planes in the world- i want one of these to go to the shops in! Wow! Certain given stats are still classified, but pilots knew the facts. What a blast-rethink em and soup em up cos why on earth would one bother with the toys they use now! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the T5 that is currently being restored to flight in the USA.

Soon as they leave the runway it's already going like hell 😂

Some leaders in other places shall we say lost sleep at night when we turned up at the table with this beast ,,,

It's the wings you have to land at a higher speed but overall a fine aircraft.

nah i do still need that

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be

Amazing jet!

Have to agree with Jackyeahwoo - I was at Leuchars last Saturday, for the first time in 30 years, and Typhoon definitely has far superior agility. Still wish there'd been a Lightning flying tho....much louder!!!

Hermosa aeronave, cuando era pequeño la primera vez que lo vi (en un libro) pensé que se trataba de un caza ligero similar al MiG-21 tanto prestaciones como tamaño (en especial por su cono en la toma de aire) pero resulta que nada que ver al MiG. Saludos.

If you are interested, the whole “Test Pilot” series - where this clip comes from - is available in full on my site.

Save the twins, son and go back even further and fly some truly wonderful planes like the Spitfire, Mosquito and the original Typhoon. Those are truly thrilling airplanes to fly.

Apparently in 1974 one of these beauty's bounced the SR71 mid Atlantic !

As an American I was very impressed by the achievements of the postwar UK aircraft industry with comparatively little in the way of resources. It seems as though government interference destroyed it

@blahblah48856 Fixed Wing course #44 took place in 1985. The BBC recorded "Test Pilot" during that year for transmission the following year.

awesome fighter

Hopping out of a Harrier into a Lightening would be like hopping out of a Vauxhall Viva into Ferrari LOL

The Series was called "Test Pilot"

Ian, went to Binbrook last weekend there is a lightning there with a few spare engine parts kicking about. Was sad to see it almost complete and covered over FLT LT MACLACHLAN was the name on the side. If only it could be made air worthy, saw my first ones at Greenham Common they took off and just went vertical....................never to been seen again.

A couple of faces from my past there :)

Just the best

The Real Men. Respect.

If only all of these fun planes could be just for fun.

A little bit Cholmondey Warner at the end there.

86 lightning crashed ,the last happened in 2009.most were caused by an engine catching fire resulting in the aircraft being "abandend".The loss rate of lightning over 50 years was less than 25%.

Good Point.

As I have said on the other Ligtning clips you post on.Lightning losses over 50 years was less than 25% the last being in 2009

The Lightning strikes and strikes and strikes - the ground that is en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_the_English_Electric_Lightning

That's not the one at the entrance to Boscome Down now is it? I did my school work experience there in 1997 and remember cycling past one. Was working on the the Hawk and Hunter for the Empire test pilot school. They still had the nimrod there at that time plus harrier, tornado and tuccano. Was almost death by the second week spending my lunchbreaks sat on the apron watching the jets start up.

id give both my tesicles to go back in time and do what they did!

There was a Lightning gate guard at LATCC in the early '90's. They told me it was sold for scrap in order to finance the sqn's BBQ...

"like a Mirage except two engines" !

vulcan gone, Canberra next, VTTST are you paying attention? lightning after the Canberra please, would love to see one of these fly once again. have very slight memories seeing one of these as a kid at raf chivenor in Devon I think it is. I remember the noise most. been hooked on jets ever since.

I worked for Bae EE, best in the world

The modern typhoon comes close to its performance it was a thirsty bird like a Porsche with a 3 litre v8

Groovy...

It's that fast it's blown both pilots hair off.

"I should say so"

Bonjour a tous du Canada This is the England we like military guy with testostérone pilot a war bird

I worked for EE lightning

Never accept standard, we built the best

Turns better than an F-4

I need to find this series on disc

Best in the world

English Electric Lightning aka the frightening 🤨

4:05 lightning at idle definitely sounds a bit like a four cylinder diesel. 😂