Introduction

Wings is a drama series about the Royal Flying Corps that ran on BBC television from 1977 to 1978.

It stars Tim Woodward as Alan Farmer, a young blacksmith turned fighter pilot in the First World War. Nicholas Jones played his teacher and mentor, Captain Triggers and Michael Cochrane played his upper-class friend, Charles Gaylion, who began a relationship with Farmer’s girlfriend while Farmer was believed dead, shot down over France.

Outline

Soldiers from a battalion stationed nearby break into Sainte Marie and steal the pilots’ rations. Led by a former university lecturer, they have mutinied because of harsh and unfair treatment; their CO attempts unsuccessfully to impose discipline. When an enraged Triggers threatens to take the law into his own hands, he is encouraged by the response of the army authorities, and decides to take two planes to the mutineers’ encampment and frighten them into submission. Bravington opposes the plan. When Starling finds out what is proposed, he secretly visits the mutineers’ encampment in an attempt to reason with them, but they refuse to allow him to leave. When the planes from “C” Flight set out to rescue Starling, Triggers instructs Alan who’s flying with him to shoot anyone who tries to prevent Starling leaving. Alan fires the first shot in a gunfight which results in Starling being wounded and all the mutineers being killed by Alan and Triggers who landed first before Charles and Bravington. In order to cover up the truth about the incident, Alan and Starling are both reprimanded by Triggers. While visiting Starling in hospital, Alan and Charles meet Lorna again, but she angrily rejects advances from both of them.

Wings Series

You can find a full index and overview of Wings here.

Production & Filming Details

• Release Date: 16 March 1978.
• Running time: 50 minutes.
• Rating: Unknown.
• Country: UK.
• Language: English.

Video Link(s)