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. Boat is enroute. A plane takes off, followed by another. Multiple boats head out. Pilot i the water gets into a raft and gets rid of his parachute (2:17-3:37). Three planes search for the pilot. Men look out at the water. Officers discuss the whereabouts of the pilot. A Navy sailor comes in and is handed a piece of paper. Boats look at sea. Men on the boat communicate with one another. Boats move forward (3:38-5:29). A plane in the sky, the pilot studies the water. No sign of the pilot at sea. Suddenly, the raft is seen in the water. The pilot of the plane waves at the pilot in the ocean. The plane turns around. Rescue craft continue to head towards the downed pilot. A sailor steers the boat. Navy men wear life vests and move around the boat. A sailor points out the raft on the water (5:30-7:30). The raft is on the water. The boat turns and slows. The pilot in the raft is given a rope and pulled to the side of the boat. The pilot is rescued by the crew. Plane flies in the sky. In an officer’s club of the Royal Airforce, men drink with the pilot and listen to the news of his rescue; a silent toast is given (7:31-8:48). End credits (8:49-9:00).

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com