Chaps in sheepskin jackets, leather flying caps and goggles featured in this BBC drama about WWI flying aces. Over two series, beginning in February 1915, Wings focussed on the daring pilots of the Royal Flying Corps, the pioneers of air combat.
But as hard as Tim Woodward, Nicholas Jones and Michael Cochrane tried, this wasn’t a dashed good show, although the planes – models of Bleriot Experimentals and other historic flying machines doing studio simulated aerobatics – were pretty enough.
Alan Farmer (all short back and sides and Pam Ayres accent) was initially the odd man out, being a poorly educated blacksmith’s son who taught himself to fly and subsequently gained promotion from the NCO ranks to join the snooty commissioned men. Tim Woodward, who played the role, didn’t endear himself to the producers when he spent his first Wings cheques on a pair of motorbikes, crashed riding one and broke a leg.
He was ordered not to ride again, and the injury had to be written in – blamed on the Hun, he was shot in the leg in action over France, old bean!
Sgt/2nd Lt. Alan Farmer Tim Woodward
Lt. Charles Gaylion
Michael Cochrane
Lt. Richard Bravington
David Troughton
Captain Owen Triggers
Nicholas Jones
Lt. Michael Starling
Michael Jayes Sgt Mills Roger Elliott
Harry Farmer
John Hallam Molly Farmer
Anne Kristen
Lorna Collins
Sarah Porter
Kate Gaylion
Celia Bannerman
Tom
Reg Lye
