Masters of the Air

huub vink

huub vink

Administrator
Staff member
Anyone watching this series? And what are your thoughts?

I have been reading several reviews, but as always, some are very positive and some a less positive. Especially in comparison with the Band of Brothers and Pacific series.

I don't have Apple TV so I have only seen the (many) highlights at YouTube so far.

Cheers,
Huub

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Im waiting for all eps to be released, and when im on holiday in March, i'll binge the whole lot in one go :encouragement:
 
The Membership is probably aware of this; if you're interested in watching Masters Of The Air but need more Background about how the 8th AF went about their business watch the 1943 documentary "Target For Today". It explains all of the work that went into planning and executing a 'Maximum Effort' into Festung Europa.

Also pick up a copy of Flying Fortress by Edward Jablonski, still the definitive work on the B-17 and also tells the story of the 100th BG.

:encouragement:
 
Also pick up a copy of Flying Fortress by Edward Jablonski
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Always happy for a book recommendation, Ive just finished Big Week by James Holland, a more general history but tells the story well. I dont know if anyone here does podcast's, but the "We have Ways" pod by James and Al Murray is worth a listen,
 
My fiancée has access to all sorts of cable stuff and a huge TV so we were able to watch a couple of episodes. When I return to Fairbanks I'll just have to wait for a while to try to somehow catch up with the rest. We have a saying amongst aviators that a story only needs to be little bit true and I suspect that there are some related stories in here that fit that criteria. (mmmm F35 just flew overhead). Maybe CGI a little over the top, having formation streaming contrails at low altitude approaching African Coast? Interesting to watch and wonder at the tremendous effort to produce, pilots, planes and engines for often a very limited deployment life. Some 20,000 air crew were killed in training, my dad lost 5 friends in Primary Navy Flight training during the war. As many were killed in training for D-Day as were killed in the original assault, about 6,000.

It did show the top leadership go at any cost attitude, this was really true in the Aleutians where almost all losses were due to weather. Looking forward to seeing the rest!
 
I've watched the first four episodes and so far I've enjoyed it. Good character development and excellent air combat scenes... Maybe a little excessive but after all it IS Hollywood and it's about the men and not the special effects. The CGI of bombers in formation is really impressive. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens now that one of the series' main characters, Maj. Gale "Buck" Cleven (played by Austin Butler) has been shot down on the second Bremen raid. Will definitely get the series when it comes out on DVD.
 
A large part of the European Air War was fought above my country, which alone is already a reason to purchase this series as soon as it is released on DVD.

Like Band of Brothers and Pacific, it will be worth the money.

Cheers,
Huub
 
Well my 2 cents after watching three episodes is that the CGI still leaves a lot to be desired, and the rather obvious models on the ground left me wistfully daydreaming of Twelve o'clock High 1949. Sorry to be a downer, I'm sure plenty still enjoy the series. Perhaps the recent experience of Apple+'s treatment of the Foundation series, a complete dissociation from the books, soured my senses :frown-new:. Otherwise my recovery is still rolling along, might even get back to fulltime work by early fall!
 
[Silly Joke mode ON]

How did Apple+ skirt the issue of NOT having strong female and non-binary flight crews?
Also, how could anyone fly a B-17 without an iPad?? :indecisiveness:

[Silly Joke mode OFF]

I'd like to check this out some day, BUT the first time a crash truck rolls up with its modern "Whelen" type siren going "woop woop", I'm out of there. :playful:
 
Hey, Navtech. :wavey:

Just what kind of Navtech are/were you? I did ESGN (duel channel INS), GPS, Radar, Loran, Navsat, DRAI, pretty much anything they could cram into a submarine. :wiggle:
I was an ET (subs) from 1987 to 1993. Just wondering if we had anything in common. :loyal:
 
Ive finally caught up with it, and i have to say its everything i'd hoped it would be. the story, the characters, the cinematography. a few little grips, i'd have liked to have seen more of the Tuskegee airmen and less of Crosby's mysterious girlfriend, and being a aviation nut, i couldnt help notice the B17s were F model's, with no G's, even at the end of the war, but thats me being picky :biggrin-new:. I also thought the British character's were a bit Knobbish, me being British, i guessed i noticed it more. Other than that, ive gone right back to the start and watch'd it all over again.
 
That's good to hear. Now the series are finished at Apple+, some comments start to arrive. Some good and some a bit disappointed. I guess when you look at the series just for the stories it might end a bit disappointing, however for aviation nuts like us, I think so good action in the skies easily makes up for a poor dialogue :biggrin-new:

Still looking forward, but I haven't seen the series has become on DVD yet.

Cheers,
Huub
 
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