Discovery Channel - Air Aces War Heroes of the Skies (2012) Part 5 Robin Olds

Since the dawn of aerial combat in the First World War, the heroism of the men who put their lives at risk in the air has known no bounds. There were no more heroic airmen than the fighter pilots and bomber crews of the Second World War - men who sacrificed their own lives in order to save their crew or who, although in extreme pain, managed to get their aircraft home rather than risk becoming PoWs. Air Aces is the groundbreaking series that tells the stories of the most heroic airborne combat missions in history. Through the eyes of the heroes, experience realistic mid-air combat and see revealing interviews with the last surviving WWII veterans in Air Aces. From the WWII aircrew officer who doused a fire on the wing of his aircraft while 20,000 ft in the sky, to the phantom fighter pilot who took out four MiGs over Vietnam in the most celebrated dog fight of the modern era. Presented by Lord Ashcroft, these are all stories of superhuman endurance, selfless courage and heroism beyond the call of duty. Using real vintage aircraft, the series films the impossible by re-creating mid-air combat sequences. Featuring Spitfires, Lancaster bombers and Phantom fighters, as well as aerial stunt teams and state-of-the-art camera technology, the series dramatises the exploits of the world s greatest Air Aces. The series also features revealing interviews with the last surviving veterans and military historians, rare archival footage and cutting edge CGI to transport viewers back in time to experience the reality of air combat.

Part 5 Robin Olds

Michael Ashcroft profiles Brigadier General Robin Olds, the Second World War veteran who took command of the US Air Force's embattled 8th Tactical Fighter Wing in 1966. In July 1966, North Vietnam's fleet of MiG-21s is hammering the US Air Force, and the embattled men of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing need a hero to whip them into shape. Enter Colonel Robin Olds, a WWII veteran airman, who charged in and commanded respect with his unbreakable courage. But devising a tactic to beat North Vietnam in the air would not come easily. Olds and his men eventually came up with an audacious plan set a 20th Century Trojan Horse trap high up in the air. To do this they would need to masquerade their F4 Phantom fighter jets as THUD bombers to lure the North Vietnamese MiGs into open skies, then take them down in a ferocious dogfight. Dubbed Operation BOLO, the top-secret scheme was hugely complex – one false move could have proven deadly for them all. Olds won the confidence of top brass and got the green light. On January 2nd, 1967, the 8th Tactical, led by Olds, provoked a ferocious airborne battle and attempted to change the course of the Vietnam War.

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