THIS was the terrifying moment a pilot was sent to NATO’s frontline to face off against three Russian fighter jets.
Cockpit cameras show the RAF’s busiest operational airbase at a time of high stakes and drama with the Russia and Ukraine painting a wartime backdrop.
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The footage captured the moment flying ace Jake, from RAF Lossiemouth’s 9 Squadron, finds himself in a tough battle against Russian fighter jets.
He recalls losing sight of them, and not being able to see the jets under his own plane.
“I’m starting to worry. They would just slow down for no reason, or speed up for no reason,” Jake said.
“It’s very difficult to determine where they are coming down from.
“Is it coming from Putin himself? Is this guy just trying to endanger my airplane because that’s what his mindset is?”
Jake explained how making a single mistake can lead to catastrophic consequences.
“If you fly within someone’s sovereign airspace, that’s a big deal. That’s a huge deal,” he said.
“It’s that uncertainty of what’s going through his mind, what’s his task, what is he willing to do to achieve it.
“If I make an error, the result can be pretty catastrophic.
“We’re here to show a united front. If you come into this country there are going to be consequences.
“But if I get caught up in the moment and accidentally collide with one of these aircrafts it could lead to an escalation into World War Three.”
He added: “The way your heart is going a million beats per minute. You just got all those things in the back of your head.”
Jake’s dangerous sky-high encounter is one of the many tense moments on Channel 4’s new series Top Guns: Inside the RAF.
With Lossiemouth being home to over 3,000 people, Top Guns will show the work that takes place on the frontline.
It will also gets under the skin of the men and women at the heart of the UK’s defence, understanding the crucial decisions that they make each day and what drives them to do this dangerous yet exhilarating job.
Lossiemouth is the place where Typhoons are on Quick Reaction Alert, fully armed and ready to launch in minutes to intercept any aircraft that threatens UK airspace.
Across six months, filming cameras were given unprecedented access to aircraft, pilots and crews who fly a range of vital missions.
Top Guns: Inside the RAF will stream on Mondays at 9pm on C4, and for free on Channel 4.
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Juliana Cruz Lima
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