Astonishing how much this still gets under your skin after so many years. Doesn't matter Top Gun 1 and 2. This is still best.

The quality of those people was outstanding!

13:01 - 44 years later and poor seaman McGlocklin is STILL having to Re-live his dressing down via You Tube.......

My dad was engineer on ark royal 1964-1966 loved it so proud of my dad rest in peace

Served on the last ark 2006-2008 brings back a lot of good memories. CDR’s defaulters, remember it well !!!

Watching the deck crew during the landings is scary.  That must be one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.  Giant powerful engines, super-flammable fuel, needing to move fast to get planes out of the way, of course wet and slippery decks during bad weather, and worst of all the knowledge that a plane can crash onto the deck wiping everybody out.  My respect for those who do that job.

Classic random Bandy blowing his horn behind some swamping 2.5

17:00 I love the sequence with the light cavalry overture and the cut to the Westland sea kings!

SERIOUS balls to fly jets that big off a carrier that small.

I miss the days seeing the Ark coming home to Devonport!!!

My uncle was fleet air arm from 67 until 90 I never knew him as he died young but when I watch this I think of him being on board

Thank you so much for posting this great series, it takes me back to watching it in 1976 when i was a young lad.

I wish our new carriers were proper CATOBAR configuration like Ark Royal and Eagle were....

22.39 in. Alfie with blond hair and glasses showing that fat bloke pics of his kids. Alf's my dad! How funny to see this.

Good to see my old home again

Amazing how relaxed and friendly everyone is to each other, no Hollywood rubbish.

went aboard the HMS Ark Royal in near NAS Jacksonville.

Having served as an officer in the German navy from 1979 until 1985 I can very much relate to this splendid series. We even did an RAS with HMS Lyness that is shown here as part of the force.
However, what always annoys me is that some off the can sound is used for dubbing the aircraft engine sound, in this case the Seaking's Rolls Royce Gnomes at 1:41, that rather sound like a single Alvis Leonidis. Just a minor flaw I admit, but in an otherwise flawless episode of 'Sailor' it appears to be strange that the makers couldn't fix the typical Seaking sound.

Great series! From the days when we had a "proper" FAA!

I joined the Royal Navy at 16 years of age a farmers Son in 1973 from Lincolnshire, my first ship was on the Ark Royal, we soon departed on a massive tour of America and West Indies, I will never forget those fantastic days growing up with my mates, I left the RN in 1984 as a PO Clearance Diver working all over the World Saturation Diving on many dive support ships but the Ark Royal will always be in my thoughts and still is at the age of 68 I think of all my old chums, and all those very happy days
If you are young and thinking of joining the Royal Navy do not be put off from seeing the lads being disciplined, I always kept my head down worked hard and only see Captain [Wilf] Gerard Pierce RIP   for recommendations for recovery of crashed helicopters SAR Wessex and a Seaking or advancement through the ranks
When I retired as Offshore Contruction Manager I always looked on guys CVs to see if they had been in the armed forces as I new they were disciplined , good hard workers and esp team players  
God Bless Ark Royal and all who sailed on her