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  • Short Summary

    RAF men prepare for mission.

  • Description

    Victors of the air. Location of events unknown.

    World War One. Aviation. RAF (Royal Air Force) men walk from building carrying or wearing gear; others stand at side watching them. CU one man helps another airman prepare; fastening his coat collar; etc. They shake hands and the pilot; by now very well wrapped up; but with goggles on his head; he waves at his helper with a gloved hand. A small airplane takes off; moving away from camera; flying up over trees.

  • Tags

  • Data

    Film ID:
    1890.60
    Media URN:
    72571
    Group:
    Old negatives
    Archive:
    British Pathé
    Issue Date:
    1910 - 1914
    Sound:
    mute
    HD Format:
    Available on request
    Stock:
    Black & White
    Duration:
    00:00:38:00
    Time in/Out:
    01:59:45:00 / 02:00:23:00
    Canister:
    ON 089 E

Comments (2)

  1. Unknown user says

    Sorry guys... the RAF wasn't formed until 1918. The men in this film were in the Royal Flying Corps, a British Army unit.

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  2. pyecate46 says

    Yes, these are definitely RFC. The light bands around their caps (they would have been yellow in reality) show that they are under training as pilots, and the aeroplane taking off at the end of the clip looks like a Farman biplane which was the standard RFC trainer for the first two years of the war - given the handshake and air of jollity, I think what we're looking at here is somebody taking off for his first solo flight.

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