WINGS (1977-78)

               “Wings” is a BBC program that ran from 1977-78. It is set on the Western Front in WWI. It focuses on observation planes in the Royal Flying Corps in 1915. At this time, military aviation was in its early stage. Because of the lack of flyable authentic aircraft, most of the flying was done with 1/6 scale radio-controlled models.

               The series begins with a blacksmith named Alan Farmer (Tim Woodward) enlisting in the Royal Flying Corps. Alan is 18-years-old and witnessed the death of his father in a plane crash. Instead of being dissuaded from flying, he insists that flying is in his blood. He lies and says he has flown before. A larger roadblock is he is lower class and the RFC is prejudiced in favor of proper gentlemen. This class divide is one of the major themes of the series. His fellow aviators are not welcoming and then are upset when he becomes an officer. Ironically, the nonpilots are resentful towards Alan because they don’t want to take orders from one of their own. Alan’s best friend is an upper-class Brit named Charles Gaylion (Michael Cochrane – Sharpes’ fans will recognize a young Simmerson). They will end up in a love triangle with Alan’s girlfriend. The leader of the squadron is a Capt. Owen Triggers (Nicholas Jones). As the series progresses, Triggers becomes the main character. He is a tough, but fair leader who prioritizes survival. Given the nature of air warfare, it is a tough task keeping his men alive.

The squadron is tasked with observation, mainly to aid artillery. Flying is dangerous because their aircraft (B.E.2) is prone to accidents. And ground fire is a serious threat. But more seriously, they have to deal with the German Fokker Eindecker. The Eindecker was the first effective fighter aircraft and initiated the Fokker Scourge period in 1915. The Eindecker was a monoplane that had a synchronized machine gun that fired through its propeller. It becomes the villain of the series. The B.E.2 is a sitting duck. The series does an excellent job depicting the pros and cons of the aircraft. Mostly cons. For instance, the observer sat IN FRONT of the pilot making defense more difficult. The Brits start by having the observer shoot a rifle! Then they attach a Lewis gun on the side of the pilot which means they have to fire at an angle.

               The series intercuts with life back home. In one episode, Alan’s mother goes to a silent movie that has a piano player in the theater. Alan’s mother and girlfriend represent friends and relatives of the RFC pilots. The war effects Alan’s relationship with Lorna. And then Charles enters her life. There are some soap opera aspects to the series. Besides the love triangle, the series has other cliches associated with WWI aviation films. They party with a captured German pilot. Charles drinks to deal with the stress. The airplane manufacturers are more concerned with profits than safety. The soldiers resent the easy chateau life of the flyers. The cynical squadron head.

The series manages to cover several interesting topics. An infantry officer visits Triggers to complain that observation flights give away British trench locations which leads to artillery bombardments. Alan spends some time in a trench to show the life of the soldiers as opposed to the life of a pilot. They go after German observation balloons. Triggers goes behind enemy lines with a female spy. One episode has Triggers returning to Great Britain to test a new fighter that will be built by his father’s factory. There is an episode about parachutes. They bomb a Zeppelin base. Alan is court-martialed because he escapes from a German fighter.

“Wings” is a must-see for combat aviation fans. It is unique in covering the role of observation aircraft in WWI. It had a limited budget, but the flying scenes are better than you would expect. The planes don’t look like models. The plots are entertaining and the characters, although stereotypes, are appealing. You have to admire them going up in those rattle traps.

 

GRADE =  B