{"id":387,"date":"2009-11-12T00:30:00","date_gmt":"2009-11-12T08:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/?p=387"},"modified":"2019-10-21T10:53:20","modified_gmt":"2019-10-21T13:53:20","slug":"review-fighter-pilot-operation-red-flag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/2009\/11\/12\/review-fighter-pilot-operation-red-flag\/","title":{"rendered":"Movie Review: Fighter Pilot Operation Red Flag"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/em>Image Entertainment, 2005.
\nTopic: Military Fighter Pilot<\/p>\n

Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag<\/em> is a documentary originally produced for IMAX.\u00a0 It has a nominal plot, following a single F-15 fighter pilot as he participates in Red Flag at Nellis AFB, Nevada.\u00a0 The primary officer is Captain John Stratton, who also narrates as he plans, flies, and acts as a simulated evader during combat exercises in the Nevada desert.<\/p>\n

The film has some almost comical flaws (or theatrical necessities, depending on how you view them).\u00a0 For example, during the film Stratton flies virtually the entire time with his visor up.\u00a0 Fighter pilots generally fly with dark tinted visors; on some days, the bright sun on white clouds can be nearly blinding.\u00a0 While you can see Stratton squint at his surroundings, it was theatrically necessary for his visor to be up so they could film his face.\u00a0 During the filming of the airborne command and control, an officer in a flight suit leans over the enlisted radar operator\u2019s shoulder and gives orders; in fact, the enlisted controllers are some of the most competent and professional Airmen in the operational Air Force, and likely require little input from a watch officer.<\/p>\n

Some of the flight formations and tactics are misrepresented, but this is understandable given that the objective of the film is to present a compelling visual; few people realize that aircraft don\u2019t fly wingtip-to-wingtip into combat, but it wouldn\u2019t look as cool if it was shown as it really occurs.<\/p>\n

Those negatives aside, the film has some excellent aircraft imagery and flight video.\u00a0 In some DVD formats, there are whole montages of aircraft in flight set to the soundtrack.\u00a0 Virtually every Air Force aircraft is shown, some are shown aerial refueling, and many are delivering weapons and executing tactics.\u00a0 In addition, all the people in the film are real\u2014not actors.<\/p>\n

In a nod to the rest of the Air Force (not just the fighter pilots), the film also shows the maintainers and munitions troops (the bomb-builders) hard at work, often in the middle of the night.\u00a0 There is even a short clip of the mundane FOD walk, when maintainers walk a line across the ramp and collect any debris that might get sucked into jet engines.<\/p>\n

Given that the plot is mostly a device for presenting cool video, there\u2019s little to say about it.\u00a0 Air Force officership, conduct, and religion don\u2019t really enter the picture.\u00a0 Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag<\/em> is, in some respects, a gratuitous opportunity to show some very impressive airplane videos.<\/p>\n

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.<\/p>\n

\"\"Recommended<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 Those that are only marginally interested in military aviation would probably be bored by the film.\u00a0 For those that have an avid interest in aircraft and military operations, however, it is highly recommended.<\/p>\n

This movie is available from Amazon<\/a>. (This site is an Amazon Associate and may earn from qualifying purchases made through Amazon referrals.)<\/em><\/p>\n

ADVERTISEMENT<\/strong><\/p>\n

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