Summary: Unedited scenes of the aircraft carrier HMS Albion operating Hawker Sea Hawk aircraft.
Description: I. HA.MS from a helicopter holding station off port quarter of HMS Albion, steaming at speed in open sea - six Sea Hawks of 898 Squadron are parked on deck with wings folded, and two aircraft are on the catapults. Deck crew clear away chocks, engine ignition cartridges are fired, and aircraft taxi into position, wings unfolding. View from helicopter as it crosses the carrier's bows. Series of shots from varying heights - Sea Hawks parked on deck, and forming up for take off, general flight deck activity as the forward lift is down and aircraft are towed aft.
II. LS-MS of HMS Illustrious (?), masked to give a periscope effect - sea fills lower frame and intermittently obscures view.
III. MS along the deck of HMS Albion as a Sea Hawk taxies towards the camera. Sea Hawk FB Mk 3 WM 971 taxies forward with wings folded to join other aircraft. HA.MS aft from the island to deck edge where 898 Squadron Sea Hawks are assembled - the pilots board their aircraft. Westland Dragonfly lands on. Sequence shot from deck sponson and island, showing Sea Hawks taking the wire. MS along the flight deck as pilots board array of parked aircraft - the furthest from the camera fires an ignition cartridge, and a dense cloud of smoke drifts away. LA.MS as six barrelled 40mm mounting before the bridge fires at 45 degrees elevation over the starboard beam. LA.CU of the barrel array as the guns fire.
Production Details: Admiralty (Production sponsor)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Royal Navy, ALBION (HMS), aircraft carrier (regiment/service)
Royal Navy, Fleet Air Arm, Sqdn 898 (regiment/service)