# " THE PILOT IS SAFE " WWII ROYAL AIR FORCE & NAVY SEARCH & RESCUE OF DOWNED PILOTS 79324

This black & white wartime documentary is about the procedures, and the closely co-ordinated efforts made by the Royal Navy and Air Force, to locate and rescue downed pilots and aircrew. The rescue aircraft shown is a Westland Lysander, an airplane that was more or less obsolete by 1940 but well suited the role of spotter. After the fall of France, UK-based Lysanders went to work operating air-sea rescue, dropping dinghies to downed RAF aircrew in the English Channel. Fourteen squadrons and flights were formed for this role in 1940-41. The patrol craft shown are Vosper type motor torpedo boats, which were some of the fastest wartime British naval vessels in WWII. This film copyright 1941 and appears to have been directed by Jack Lee. Opening titles: The Ministry of Information presents The Pilot is Safe, produced with the cooperation of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force (:06-:39). British fliers bomb German airbases. Vapor trail in the sky from a British plane. Boats in the harbor are on standby to save the pilots if need be. Soldiers are watching as well to help keep pilots safe. Gun crews, coast guard, and civilians all watch the skies. A man sees a pilot parachuting down. He calls in what he's seen and the information is relayed. Operations room is contacted and then they relay the news. Boat crews get ready (:40-2:16) The parachuting pilot hits the water. Men race to the their posts. Pilots of a Westland Lysander, and sailors aboard a patrol craft get ready to deploy.…

- Kind: Film
- By: PeriscopeFilm
- Genres: War, Industrial and advertising
- Archive: [Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/79324-the-pilot-is-safe)
- Licence or status: none stated by the archive
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/ia/79324-the-pilot-is-safe?play=1)