Mudge wrote:
Watched this last nite. Thought it was gonna' be more flying than it was. WAAYY to much background on the CAF (for me anyway). Maybe I missed the point of the thing.
Mudge, I'm sorry to read that you were disappointed. I think that as this was made for a 1980 British audience, and a wide audience who'd generally never heard of the Confederate Air Force rather than a warbird-centric audience like us, I think the amount of background provided on the Confederate Air Force was fine. It gave a great insight into the foundation, history and running of the CAF.
I first watched this when I was about 12 years old back in the early 1980's. I'd never ever heard of the CAF before seeing this TV show, and I found it fascinating. At that stage our NZ warbird scene was merely a couple of Harvards and Dominies not much more.
I was amazed that people could get that passionate about warbirds, and go to such lengths to support them. Even now with our flourishing warbird culture and industry here in NZ these days, I still don't think any group here has achieved that level of dedication or cult status.
The documentary really captured the imagination of this boy anyway, and many others who watched the video tape at our place over the years, seeing not only the aircraft but the wacky cult that surrounds them from way these members call themselves Colonels (why? It's so pointless it makes sense!) to the elusive and imaginary Colonel Culpepper as leader.
The only distasteful part of the documentary for me was the reporter playing dress ups in those hideous CAF uniforms that looked like they'd come from the wardrobes of the Thunderbirds puppets and Dolly Parton at the same time. That sequence was plain embarrassing to watch, he had far too much class to be donning such tat. (Well, it was the 1980's, hopefully the uniforms have improved in style now!)
Even then as a teenager I too picked up on the fact that the older CAF members interviewed came across as hardline militarist nutters who thought their Govt were pussies. For goodness sake the USA had enough weapons to destroy the world at least five times over. What more did they need?
However despite their warped political views, I still liked these old guys for their committment to save, rebuild and fly the aircraft of WWII as memorials to those who had fought and and those who had died. That is what attracted me to the idea of the CAF back then, and still does. I doubt I'd ever join as a member but I do appreciate their hard work.
I also loved the footage of Lefty Gardiner (?) taking the reporter for a very low ride in his P-51D.
All in all I thought the documentary was very well made. Whether it truly reflected the widespread feelings of the CAF back then is hard to tell from where I'm sitting but every documentary maker has to find an angle to run with, and as they were interviewing the founding members and very senior men from the CAF, it had to stand for something at the time. Views have probably changed now, one hopes. I think now it must be more a issue of keeping the aircraft flying, and safely, than keeping them battle ready.
I have to saw I also love the opening scenes with the sunrise behind all those planes, and the closing scenes with the song "Ghost Squadron In The Sky" that emulates Johnny Cash.
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