Sailor (TV series)

"Sailor" was a major BBC television documentary series, first shown in the late 1970s, about life on board the fourth HMS "Ark Royal", a British aircraft carrier. It followed the aircraft carrier on a five and a half month deployment to North America for the United States Bicentennial in 1976. The series was filmed after the completion of a major refit and coincided with the twenty-first anniversary of the commissioning of the "Ark Royal". It is particularly noteworthy for its depiction of fixed-wing aircraft operation in the Royal Navy before its demise in 1980, with the paying off and scrapping of "Ark Royal".It shows the Phantom,Buccaneer,Gannet,Sea King and Wessex air group from 809 Naval Air Squadron,824 Naval Air Squadron,849Naval Air Squadron and 892 Naval Air Squadron.

Also profiled are shipboard life,the medical evacuation of a US sailor by Sea King helicopter from the submarine USS Bergall,replenishment at sea operations etc.

Her commanding officer during this deployment was Captain Wilfred Graham.He later became a Flag Officer Portsmouth.He is now deceased.

The theme song was "Sailing" by Rod Stewart.