Search - Fighter Pilots on DVD

Wasted Potential

Michael Muskalla | 12/04/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Although this box set is copyrighted for 2005, most of the video is from the late 70's, 80's, and early 90's. The narrator has the voice of those boring school videos that nobody wanted to watch but were forced to. Heck, they might have even been the videos shown in flight school at one point. The pain doesn't end with the voice or the video, the music is pretty horrible as well. Especially the cheesy spin-off of, what sounds like to me, Cheap Trick's "Mighty Wings" during the picture slide shows (Top Gun's end credits song).

I understand the old video when they're showing the design and initial concepts of the aircraft, but 80% of each DVD is pre-1994 (my estimate). The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds documentaries could have been so much better. The F-14 DVD is by far the worst (in my opnion)with virtually no footage past 1989, even though the aircraft still flew up until the middle of this year. The pilots they interview have huge 70's sidburns and fluffy hair accompanied by the wonderfully grainy 70's - esque video.

If I didn't like aviation so much, I would have gave this box set a lower rating, but that's me. Aviation enthusiasists, such as myself, might find some enjoyment, but those looking for well put together, fast action, up-to-date flying video might want to look elsewhere.

There is some neat footage like the F-15 and F-16 concept aircraft and some cool test pilot footage like flat spins and controlled stalls, etc. And you do learn quite a bit about the aircraft, right down to the "new" (actually pretty frickin' old) avionics packages of the "new" F-16B(what model are they up to now?:)). This box set should have been released about 15 years ago. In all, unless you really want it, I'd really look for another documentary. This box set had the potential to be awesome, but that potential will never be known."

Not bad, but disappointing

Jeffrey Rodeback | American Fork, UT USA | 07/03/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"These videos are full of bits and pieces of amazing footage - things like a HUD video of an F-18 airhshow demonstration, original radio transmissions from an F-16 with engine problems over Iraq, clips of smart bombs destroying targets in the Gulf Wars, and unique flight-test footage.

While these productions are somewhat interesting, the narration is bad and the editing is similar to what I see at my high school film contests (not very professional), and the background music would most likely be found at a dance in the 1970s.

I don't regret purchasing these videos, but I don't recommend them to anyone other than a hardcore aircraft buff who can tone out the cheesy editing, narration, and background music - and just watch the planes."