The year on reflection….

Aviation, History, TV, Uncategorized

To the New Year and Beyond! (As Buzz lightyear once said… ish ha!)

As 2018 draws to a close, it gives me time to
reflect on the past 12 months and all the opportunity I’ve had. I’m looking forward to a new year and excited to see what 2019 brings.

My Series ‘Flying Across Britain’ which was broadcast in August on channel 4 was a big highlight. After working so hard on it during the Summer of 2017 it was really enjoyable to sit back, watch it come to life and enjoy the adventures I was lucky enough to go on.

So many people got in touch with me on social media off the back of this series – sending their comments and opinions. I love receiving people’s feedback and is honestly so great to see so many people who love something I’m so passionate about also.

It was unprecedented to receive such great reviews and as a result I found that lots of people were inspired to take to the skies either for the first time or revalidate old licences.

I’ve worked with Embraer throughout the year creating some really cool mini programs … Keep an eye on the Embraer YouTube channel, where you’ll be able to watch all of them. There’s also some yet to hit your screens.

Going into 2019 I’ll hopefully be traveling to China, Kazakhstan and many other countries with Embraer promoting their fantastic new commercial airliner the E190 E2.

I’ll also be venturing into new ground as I begin work with new broadcasters and organisations *watch this space* Make sure you follow my social media pages and here to keep up to date with all the latest offerings.

@Arthurvw1986 – Twitter
ArthurVWilliams – instagram

So much to be excited about in the near future and happy to have a breather over the holidays and spend time with family.

Have a great Christmas everyone and I’ll see you on the other side!

Passion for Flight…

Aviation

For as long as I can remember I’ve always loved aeroplanes, and flight. I was brought up in an area of Worcestershire where we had all types of aircraft flying at rooftop level over our house. From fast jets, to large cargo aeroplanes, helicopters and even the odd American or European jets. I loved sprinting out of the house to watch them, and decided very early on that flying was for me. That’s what I was going to do.

My first chance to take control of an aeroplane happened after an unexpected and terrible change in my life. I don’t think I would have had the chance to realise my boyhood dream had it not been for this disaster in my life.

Every cloud has a silver lining right!?

After my first trial lesson in a light aeroplane I was addicted! Id rediscovered how much I loved flight.

In the air you have absolute freedom to drift through the sky and play amongst the clouds. You have space, crisp, cold air and a perspective on the world that only the gods can share.

On the ground I would often feel restricted, anchored to a surface and only able to move on a horizontal plain. When I jump into a cockpit I can leap into the air, move in three dimensions, travel across continents over the hills, seas, deserts. Freedom.

Contentment and happiness overwhelm me, it’s an addiction.

I want to share with you a famous poem written by the late John Gillespie Magee junior that captures the feeling perfectly.

High Flight 

‘Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds – and done a hundred things you have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung high in the sunlit silence. Hovering there,I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung my eager craft through footless halls of air…Up, up the long, delirious, burning blueI’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy graceWhere never lark nor even eagle flew and, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod the high untrespassed sanctity of space,Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.’

Thank you!

Aviation, History, TV, Uncategorized

Flying Across Britain

Since Flying across Britain hit our screens on channel4 just two Sundays ago, you have been getting in touch in the masses!

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve received thousands of messages through Twitter, letters in the post, texts, emails etc. It’s been really difficult for me to respond to all of them and so I wanted to put a message out to show my appreciation for your kind comments and say thank you for watching and supporting.

Throughout filming the whole team worked so hard and with such passion and I really think it shows through in the series. We wanted to show British aviation in all its glory, not just focusing on the big heavy duty stuff but right down to the grass roots as well.

When you have a platform such as a massive UK terrestrial broadcaster you have a huge reach to get your voice heard about the things you’re passionate about. I’m lucky enough that I get to do that. For me aviation is that, my passion, and particularly general aviation, which needs this boost at the moment.

I’ve been really encouraged by everyone who has written to me saying they are going to get back into flying, and get their kids involved or even just inspiration for tomorrows day out.

A BIG and truly heartfelt thank you to you all for allowing me to share my passion.

Please do keep getting in touch, I love reading your comments and I’m sorry if I haven’t been able to get back to all of you yet. All in good time.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the series.

In episode three we visit the stunning west Scottish Highlands and Islands. Set amongst the breath-taking mountains and the vast Atlantic Ocean I go in search of a sunken American maritime aeroplane, try my hand at landing on Loch Lomond in a float plane and get a privileged insight into our national air traffic service at Prestwick centre.

Tune in this Sunday 19thAugust @ 7pm for the next instalment and if you want to catch up or watch any episodes again simply follow the link below.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/flying-across-britain-with-arthur-williams

All the best,

Arthur……and G-BDEY

The Marines as an education

Military, Uncategorized

Since becoming involved in the TV business, I’ve often wondered if I’m at a disadvantage or an advantage coming from a military background and not a university. I’ve thought about it enough that it’s prompted me to write this blog entry at least. The reason it’s played so much on my mind is that for the most part within my working community I’m quite often the only one without a degree. This makes me feel insecure.

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It sometimes even makes me feel out of my depth. Embroiled in a world that I don’t always feel I belong to. I’m sure there are others out there who feel the same in different industries? Fortunately for me I’m not the type of guy that would ever let a thought like this develop into anything more than an interesting topic for debate.

So I lack the degree qualification. I also lack the few years of study getting to understand the crux of the job. These are pretty significant things to be lacking in such a competitive field! But let’s think about what I do bring to the table. The most crucial, I think, is that the Marines gave me the chance to really experience the world in all its ugliness and beauty.

Springing to mind are the vividest of memories which I’ll share.

When I think of beauty, I remember Norway. I was training in Arctic warfare and survival. It was just before Christmas and I was 160 miles within the Arctic circle with temperatures often dropping to -52 Celsius. I stood at the peak of a very high ridge line in the early hours of the morning, looking out over a breathtaking snow covered and moonlit tundra with not a road, house or single light in view. I remember feeling no wind at all and no noise. You could hear a pin drop and I’ve never experienced peace like it before. It was a lovely experience.

On the flip side to this – and many other moments like it – I had a tour of duty in Sierra Leone and remember witnessing how awful humans can be as I walked through the streets of Freetown seeing a ridiculously large number of people without arms, legs, ears, fingers.

We would look up into the back streets and there would be small groups of men who would gesture with their fingers across their throat at you. You could tell this is place that has been through evil times. I’ve been to many places but never witnessed poverty and fear like it.

Being a broadcaster is all about having something to broadcast about, and having this past life gives me an almost infinite number of things to talk about – an invaluable asset in a world of storytelling. It means I have something no one else has.

This point alone is enough to lay my mind at rest before you even consider the range of good qualities ex military personnel have like discipline, punctuality, and determination. These are all qualities I’ve had programmed in from training for the Marines – you simply don’t make the grade if these skills don’t form your default settings.

So if you gave me the choice today knowing what I’d be doing now, of joining the Marines after school or higher education, I’d say experience over qualifications any day of the week.

PyeongChang 2018 Winter Paralympic Games

Sport & Paralympics, TV

As another Paralympic Games comes to a close, I have a little time to now reflect on being a part of it.The Winter Games are experiencing a really exciting time of growth, especially for us here in Great Britain.Unlike with the Summer Paralympics, there are a lot fewer sports; six rather than the twenty-two sports there were in Rio 2016. Wow, how was Rio two years ago already?

Four years in Sochi there were 5 sports, snowboarding was making its debut at a Paralympic level; a demonstration sport with two events (Men’s / Women’s visually impaired standing snowboard cross). This year there were 6 sports with Snowboarding now as a standalone event as opposed to being an alpine event. It’s not been 100% confirmed but looking ahead to Beijing 2022, it’s likely that Bobsleigh will join the Paralympic event schedule too!

The Winter Games are constantly growing, athlete participation increases year on year as does ticket sales, countries competing and support.On top of this, from a British perspective we competed in double the number of sports we did in Sochi 2014. Owen Pick, James Barnes Miller and Ben Moore all debuted at the Games in the snowboarding. We also had Scott Meenagh competing in every biathlon and cross country event; Something we haven’t seen at a games in 20 years.

Ski slope

Team GB didn’t fail to fulfil their ambitions either. ParalympicsGB set an optimistic target of seven medals and by the close of the Games, the team of seventeen had met this – even if they left it almost till the very last event!

We also decorated our most successful Winter Paralympian, Menna Fitzpatrick who took home 1 bronze, two silver and a gold.

Hopefully, with all this success we will see an increase in funding from the UK’s Sport Council and then come China in four years’ time, we will be celebrating even more British success and even more great sport.

Exciting times ahead indeed!

Rio 2016 Paralympics

Sport & Paralympics, TV

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Rio 2016 Paralympics were the third games that I was lucky enough to anchor for Channel 4. And it doesn’t get any less terrifying – the prospect of presenting a live sporting event for a major UK broadcaster is a daunting task. But it is also exhilarating. You are the person that is presenting  coverage that matters, that people want to see – there isn’t anything quite like that feeling.

Between Ade Adepitan and I, we did 3 hours a day for the 11 days of the games, that’s 33 hours of live coverage on Channel 4. In the weeks, days and moments building up to going live again you wonder to yourself- will I be able to do this job well, do it justice and fingers crossed not look like a prat?

And then the sport begins… Once again you find yourself wrapped up in a celebration of pure greatness, you lose yourself in the atmosphere and there are no worries left about the job in hand, the anxieties, the doubts, it’s all about being a part of the movement you feed from the spirit of the games. The most important thing is the people – it’s what they achieve things that make you gasp in awe, but also bring you to tears of joy as you watch. A particular highlight for me, was a swimmer from Nepal with no arms finishing about a minute behind the pack but no one cared because the support from the crowd, the noise caused by the cheering almost raised the roof! He tried and he succeeded. And we loved him for it.

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So as I sit on our aeroplane flying home having time to reflect upon where the last two weeks have gone. There’s no better feeling than coming away from these games watched by the world knowing that you have been, in part, responsible for helping change people’s lives. It’s a feeling of complete euphoria.

And we really have help people change their perspectives – RJ Mitty put it beautifully in saying that “the Paralympics encapsulates all that is great about the human spirit, when people are broken and presented with huge challenges we have the chance to see what we as humans are capable of and its awe inspiring. In watching how others deal with issues that to most would seem insurmountable the Paralympians give people the strength to believe in themselves and motivate them to improve their quality of life. “

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So would I ever present the Paralympics again???

Silly question really. Where do I sign? J I might be a bag of nerves those moments before we go live, but I wouldn’t pass up such an overwhelmingly incredible journey. It is hands down, one of the most rewarding things I’ve done to date.