Watch Flying the Secret Sky: The Story of the RAF Ferry Command

Flying the Secret Sky: The Story of the RAF Ferry Command is a 2008 documentary film that explores the often-forgotten story of a crucial branch of the Royal Air Force during World War II. Narrated by Canadian actor Carlo Rota, the film takes us on a journey through history as we learn about the men and women who risked their lives to deliver planes from North America to Europe during the war.

The RAF Ferry Command was established in 1941 in response to the urgent need for aircraft in Great Britain. With the United States not yet at war, it fell to the Ferry Command to fly the planes across the Atlantic to equip the RAF. The job was not an easy one. The pilots and crew of the Ferry Command faced treacherous weather, mechanical failures, and the constant threat of attack from German U-boats.

Throughout the film, we hear from veterans of the Ferry Command who recount their experiences. Many of these men and women were barely out of their teens when they joined the service, and they speak of the thrill and terror of flying solo across the ocean. One veteran recalls how he was forced to bail out of a plane over the ocean and spent two days in a life raft before being rescued. Another veteran recounts how his plane was shot down and he spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war.

The film also explores the logistics of the Ferry Command's operations. The planes needed to be delivered to specific airfields in Great Britain, and the pilots had to navigate by dead reckoning, using only maps and compasses. The film uses archival footage to illustrate the difficult conditions under which the Ferry Command operated.

Despite the many challenges they faced, the men and women of the Ferry Command managed to deliver thousands of planes to Great Britain over the course of the war. The success of the Ferry Command was instrumental in the outcome of the war, as the RAF was able to maintain air superiority over the Axis powers.

The film is well-researched and contains many fascinating details about the Ferry Command that will be new to most viewers. For example, we learn that many of the planes flown by the Ferry Command were not combat-ready, and needed to be modified before they could be used in battle. The film also explores the contributions of women to the Ferry Command, and how they were often relegated to non-combat roles.

One of the strengths of the film is its use of archival footage. We see actual film of pilots taking off from airfields in North America, as well as the dangerous conditions they faced over the Atlantic. The footage serves to underscore the bravery of the men and women of the Ferry Command, and how their contributions have often been overlooked in the annals of history.

Overall, Flying the Secret Sky: The Story of the RAF Ferry Command is a fascinating documentary that sheds light on an often-overlooked aspect of World War II. The film is particularly engaging because it allows the veterans of the Ferry Command to tell their own stories, and their accounts are both poignant and informative. With its combination of archival footage and firsthand accounts, the film serves as a fitting tribute to the men and women who risked their lives to deliver planes across the ocean, and helped turn the tide of the war.

Flying the Secret Sky: The Story of the RAF Ferry Command is a documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 13 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.0.