From Script to Sky: Crafting a TV Show and Soaring in a 1942 Tiger Moth

Admin note: Last fall, ACC student, Nicole Wruth created a short video production as part of her course work to air on Bell Fibe TV. Part of her production was a flight in our Tiger Moth. I asked her to write a guest blog post about her adventure! A big thanks to Nicole for doing this, the footage of the Moth is fantastic! Find Nicole on Instagram at @NicoleWruth

Last October something amazing happened, I managed to get myself a flight on a 1942 Tiger Moth airplane. Was I scared? Maybe a little. The airplane did seem a little “flimsy” by today’s standards, but once I got up in the air overlooking rivers, trains and felt the breeze on my face, all my troubles seemed to float away. Here is how it started.

For the past two years I have been a student at Assiniboine Community College studying Media and Communications. Before this I had studied Fine Arts and a few years later became a public-school teacher. I have always had that inkling to do something different, and that different was to work on television (whatever that meant). So, after 6 years of teaching, and a few self-help books later, I found myself back in college at 32 focusing my attention on something I have always wanted to do. We did so many things; radio personality, created mini-docs, podcasts, live multi-cam, and in my second year, we got the opportunity to create our own TV show in partnership with Bell TV (the producer came to Brandon to hear our pitches and everything). I had so many ideas but managed to break it down into one show idea that the producer liked. I chose to make it about my other passion, travel. My show idea had a bit of a twist, it was going to be about local travel, traveling in your own backyard. Partly because I couldn’t afford the plane ticket to Italy mid semester (haha), and partly because I am guilty of traveling the world, yet neglecting the sights and sounds of what is just down the road. So, the basis of my episode is just that, can I find the same sort of thrills that I find when travelling, here at home.

Now that my idea was intact, the Bell TV producer gave me the thumbs up, I was good to go! There was a A LOT of moving parts to this show. I was going to host, write, direct, find my experts, “hire” two classmates as camera people, fly a drone and then edit. All while trying to make it look like it was all filmed in one day, aka, I must get this done before it snows, and it can snow any minute kind of pressure. First thing I did was search for my experts. I needed to find an adventure, good food, and a historical site in Brandon. For historical site, I immediately thought of the beautiful biplane at the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum that I remembered seeing a few years ago in their hangar. I remember being shocked that you could book a flight in it! This brings me back to my original point of the show, flying this plane has always been a possibility but I have never done it. But if I was traveling in some European country as a tourist and saw that you could have a ride in a biplane, well, I would 100% do it. So, I paid the museum a visit to see if they wanted to be a part of the show.

A chat, a few emails and one phone call later I found myself with a camera crew, wireless mics, GoPro and a drone on a sunny day ready to film me meeting pilot Robert Glover. Like I said, there were a lot of moving pieces. It was my first time hosting a show and first time directing a two-camera shoot. A week before I got special permissions to fly my drone and organized to have my crew driven out to the runway. The museum staff and the Brandon Airport staff were so helpful and kind. We spent some time filming on the ground as I interviewed pilot Robert about the plane and then we took off!

I can’t tell you how incredible it was to fly in an open top plane, a bi-plane! As Robert said, there is truly something magical about being up in the air seeing those two golden wings beside you. It was stunning, and I felt completely relaxed. The golden fields, rivers, I could even see some cows running and a train passing over a bridge. I never wanted the flight to end.

My episode is called Is Brandon Boring and has recently aired on Bell Fibe TV and is now allowed to be shown on my YouTube (link at the bottom). Be sure to check it out and feel free to share with your friends! Creating this episode was a tremendous learning experience. Are there things I would have done differently? You bet! Am I proud of the result? Definitely! I have a whole new appreciation for my new home of Brandon. As well as creating TV (haha).

Nicole has recently graduated from Media & Communications and plans to run her own media business doing video work, photography, mini-documentaries, and podcasts. You can check out her recent work on www.studionicole.ca and her Instagram page @nicolewruth .  She currently works for Trident Films.

Check out her episode “Is Brandon Boring” by clicking below:

The BCATP and the RCAF

This year marks the Centennial of the RCAF, which officially came into being on April 1, 1924. The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum is planning several events to honour this milestone.

While the RCAF was formed in 1924 and has its roots as the Canadian Air Force even earlier, the Second World War is when the RCAF really hit its stride. Entering the war, the RCAF was a small force with a strength of only 4,061 personnel and 270 aircraft. After the war, the RCAF grew to become the fourth largest in the world, with more than 215,000 personnel in uniform, including about 17,000 members of the Women’s Division. The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), signed into being on December 17, 1939, played a major role in that growth. With the massive construction of over 200 training facilities, production of aircraft, and influx of personnel eager to stop Hitler and fascism. More than 7000 hangars, barracks, drill halls, and other buildings were constructed. Over 130,000 aircrew were trained in the BCATP, including personnel from across the Commonwealth and beyond. Of these almost 73,000 were Canadian.

The RCAF operated 86 squadrons during the war, including 47 overseas. They flew bomber, fighter, reconnaissance missions around the world. Over 17,000 died in the war, all of whom have their names etched onto our WWII RCAF Memorial Wall. Not all those who trained in the BCATP served overseas, many become instructors, ground crew and other support to keep the BCATP running. Training was not without dangers as well, over 800 lost their lives while training.

The importance of the BCATP to the war effort was not lost on the leaders of other countries, Franklin Roosevelt called Canada the “aerodrome of democracy” and Sir Winston Churchill said it was Canada’s greatest contribution to allied success.

Many books have been written about the BCATP (click here – some books are listed at the bottom of the page), and its importance in the development of Canada as a nation and role in the growth of the RCAF can not be understated.

References

Grand ReOpening: April 1

We have been working hard to prepare for our re-opening on April 1, 2024!

In honour of the RCAF’s 100th anniversary, the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum is hosting a free open house on Monday, April 1st from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Come join us for an afternoon as we re-open for the season.  Visitors will be invited to travel back to the 1940s while touring a WWII vintage hangar, aircraft, vehicles and hundreds of artifacts from that era, as well as the RCAF WWII Memorial wall that honours all of the RCAF that lost their lives during WWII.

Coffee and dainties from Chez Angela will be served.

For the past few weeks and up until the big day, we will be repositioning aircraft and vehicles, sprucing up displays, adding and updating others, and renewing some signage, as well as general clean up to get ready for this re-opening. Mark your calendar and be sure to drop in for a visit, we are looking forward to welcoming you and celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force, which officially came into being on April 1, 1924. The BCATP played a significant role in the history of the RCAF. We have some great RCAF 100 merchandise available in the gift shop too.