IS THIS CHOCKEY BOOTH IN DISGUISE ?

[mark houghton]

I was just flicking through the Christmas edition of the Radio Times and on page 111 there is a picture of JM holding what looks like a Slingsby Swallow? It appears he has built it and is going to attempt to fly across the channel - all 22 miles of it, thus setting up a new record. Good luck James, goes out on Sunday the 23rd of December, 9.30pm on BBC 2.
Has Chockey Booths abandoned his spitfire for a more sedate model for his second channel crossing in his twilight years ?

[Dave Hayfield]

Just had a look at the page in radio times. I think James is being a little ambitious to get across the channel in one leg but since the programme is pre recorded I suppose they must have a result. I bet there is a lot of smoke and mirrors involved. Must watch, might be interesting. Actually, I always thought James May would make an excellent President for the Association at some time.

[John Greenfield]

I think they actually flew the model across the Bristol Channel in the end.

Worth watching though to see how television probably belittles our hobby.......Agian, although I do hope not.

John

[Dave Hayfield]

That is the trouble with 'Show Biz' presentation, the real heart of the hobby is not even mentioned. I would like to see someone from perhaps 'Flight International' or similar to visit one of the LMA's events to see what we fly. they may realise that what the MOD spend billions of pounds or dollars to invent has already been done by someone in their hobby workshop. What springs to mind is the electric helecoptor for survelance which was developed by the military at massive expense but looked like any helecoptor that was on sale at any model shop.

[andy johnson]

Hi Dave , James has seen what we fly in the LMA as I have shown him , Steve Holland and myself were involved in this program from the design of the gliders through to the end of the flight done across the Bristol Channel.
Andy 1446

[andy johnson]

Here are 2 of the Gliders finished and ready to fly on my garden, there were 3 made in total, 2 for the crossing and 1 in white for testing. The white one now lives in my garage. All 3 should be in the program at some point , there were no smoke and mirrors used and no trick camera work all the flying was genuine. Steve Holland was involved before me but due to him working away I took over from him to complete the job. The whole experience was really something but took alot of my time , James really is a great bloke and is the same in real life as on the TV ,he really got involved in everything we did and loved it all .
Andy

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[Mike Booth]

I made contact with May production and offered them my third set of paperwork in France that was still live for a TV advert that was cancelled.
No interest, even though the French department told me that they had thrown their application out based on lack of info on the model!
Anyway look forward to the programme.
At least they will of been in good hands with Steve Holland and Andy Johnson.

New Chocky flight planned for next year!!!
Oh and you are right John experience with TV tells me that they will always take the Mick first rather than acknowledge the driving force behind the hobby.
Especially the reproduction of scale masterpieces in respect and honour of our aviation history.

[barrie burton]

If the glider was freeflight,but directionaly controlled by a GPS system,what was the transmitter used for?

[Dave Parry]

The Transmitter was only used on the first glider which was a practice run to see if it could be released from a helicopter. I never saw a transmitter after that. It was a good bit of telly, and I don’t think it did any harm to us, well done Andy and Steve.

[barrie burton]

Dave, there was a transmitter being held in the last shot on Lundy

[Dave Parry]

Dave, there was a transmitter being held in the last shot on Lundy

Was there!! I must of missed that, oh well I am sure those involve will be along to explain, I do remember there was a backup team with a transmitter to take control in case it was going to crash in to a building or something unless I imagine that as well. Note to self pay more attention.

[Mike Booth]

The programme was entertaining.
'Toy' ? surely a scale model. TV production as it is dictates that you must manufacture some camera shots.
So clearly some radio control involved for glider flying over boat shots and Oxford hill made to look hit and miss !!

Felt for them with the French though, I think I only swung it for my flight because of French language and knowing how to flatter French departmental types. Ive lived and worked there. Plus, dont forget the spell cast over aviation types when you mention the word Spitfire'. The process though, was like trying to clear all sand from a beach. I say 'hale the CAA'. It's British you know.

[andy johnson]

The glider was flown manually when it was released from the box because the auto pilot would see the airspeed and would pull up elevator to slow down and this could cause it to hit the box ,then on the landing the pilot took over for the touch down but this was the only 2 times . All the flying shots were done on auto pilot , 2 camera's were used in the chase heli + 3 camera's on the Glider + camera's on the boat ,this is how they got all the great air to air shots . they had hours and hours of camera film to choose from .
Andy

[chris willis]

Well done andy. it was entertaining and another great achievement. as chockey says "toy" i hate that expression. this is skill with sophisticated electronics and aerodynamic structure. toy indeed. People have no idea.

[chris willis]

Now lets reshape this fairchild packet. call it pheonix. and get out of this desert

[Dave Hayfield]

From my idea of this event, it seemed to me that James May wanted to remember his days of aeromodelling in the 1970's. I'm afraid that this was not achieved. In the 70's the electronic assistance would not have been available. If he wanted to do the crossing with model, accessories and knowledge available in the 70's then this would have been an achievement. He could have used some of the direction finding systems available and angle of attack correction which were used for many years. Magnetic course alignment was used quite successfully on free flight gliders and power aircraft and A of A correction was also well refined but applied mechanically. I'm all for progress but when a programme is perported to be a time slip back in history then things that had not been invented should not be involved. Am I a seasonal killjoy or not? No I don't want to know.!!!!

[andy johnson]

James didn't want any radio gear in it at first ,he wanted it to go completely free flight but as we all know it would have stood no chance of making it so the compromise was an autopilot system so that it could find its way without a human pilot,but you still need a pilot for safety incase things go wrong as the auto pilot unit was only £60 of Ebay.The program makes it look all so easy but alot of time and testing went into getting everything to work as it did.
Andy

[Dave Hayfield]

Andy, I realise that what was achieved was great, just disappointed that modern technology had to be used. I'm sure that if someone had the time and facilities that an old fashioned mechanically steered 70's era glider could do the same job. No, I'm not volunteering!!! I'm not sure if I'm correct but I think that Colonel Taplin of the famous Taplin twin deisel engine powered model managed a cross channel flight with very minimal radio control but magnetic steering in the 1950's.

[Pat Marsden]

Well I watched the programme and found it quite entertaining, and if you think about it thats what the programme is, entertainment. Ok, I found it a little belittling to have the gliders described as toys but there you go. When you consider that most of the audience probably are not as informed about the hobby as we are then you realise that the info has to put across in the way that most of the audience would understand or relate to. Shame you were seen to be involved in the testing Andy but then the involvment with the actual flight given to a university lad. Well done on your involvment though!

[andy johnson]

Hi Pat , It was there intension that I would be the pilot / spotter in the helicopter but as I am scared of heights and didn't want to go in the heli they managed to find tom at short notice ,anyway when the Glider was released the lift helicopter came back to the field and we loaded up the spare glider in case the first one didn't make it .and took advantage of the empty field and got my T-Rex 700 heli out and had a fly .I was told that they intend to release a DVD of the program and a lot more of the filming would be used .
Andy