This observational documentary series is filmed onboard the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious during a four-month deployment. The programme follows the professional and personal lives of the young men and women who are thousands of miles from home. In this episode, the crew prepares to host a dinner for naval royalty; the awesome Harrier jump jets arrive onboard; and love is in the air for one young couple.

After nearly two months at sea, HMS Illustrious has made it through the Suez Canal and is now docked in the Middle East – which means the officers are cutting a dash in their tropical whites. The Harrier jump jets are due aboard in five days, but before that, the crew must prepare for the arrival of another important visitor – the navy commanderin- chief. In the captain’s galley, a dinner fit for an admiral is underway, and it is down to the captain’s steward, Freddie, to make sure the presentation is perfect. But such elaborate preparations mean that Freddie will miss his shore leave. “It’s just part of the job,” he says, philosophically.

When he arrives onboard, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope is welcomed as if he were royalty. As the commander-in-chief of the whole of the navy fleet, he oversees 104 ships and some 35,000 sailors. “I have to train them, maintain them, ensure they’re stored, prepared and available to be used by the government as they require,” explains the commander.

In the kitchen, 19-year-old Shiner and his twin sister, Rachel, have been drafted in to help the captain’s chef with the big meal. “Starters went down well,” says Rachel as the evening gets under way, “so it’s all good so far.” And, with such delicacies as marinated fillet of beef and roasted fennel on the menu, the main course looks set to be just as successful.

Deep in the bowels of the ship, there are far less savoury matters that need attention. Dave Smith, one of the ship’s marine engineers, has been called in to sniff out a particularly smelly problem. The filtration system in one of the toilet blocks seems to have broken, meaning that an unpleasant stench now pervades the living quarters. But Dave’s technical skills take him right to the source of the problem. “All they had to do was flush it!” he says.

Before long, Rachel has finished serving the admiral and Dave is off maintenance duty, meaning that the pair can spend an evening in – together. Despite having a boyfriend back home, Rachel clearly has feelings for Dave. “It can get confusing,” she says. “But if you’re even thinking of being unfaithful to your partner, then there’s no point being with them,” she concludes. But the pair may have more than guilt standing in the way of their union. Onboard Illustrious, the navy’s strict ‘no-touching’ rule prevents Rachel and Dave from getting too close.

Up on deck, the pilots of 814 Helicopter Squadron, better known as the Flying Tigers, are in charge of six anti-submarine Merlin helicopters – and they are used to having the flight deck to themselves. But, with the Harrier jump jets due to arrive soon, the Tigers are feeling a little sorry for themselves. “It always seems when the jets come onboard that they sort of take over,” says Steve Hayton. But Steve insists he is not jealous of the Harrier pilots. “The pilots tend to be thought of by the rotary guys as shandy drinkers,” he explains.

On the following day, the jets of the Naval Strike Wing complete their 4,000-mile journey from RAF Cottesmore in the East Midlands. But lieutenant commander Toby Everitt is well aware that their arrival on ship can sometimes cause a stir. “These guys live onboard,” he says. “It’s their home, it’s where they work – and then suddenly a whole bunch of pilots turn up and think they are the best thing since sliced bread!” When the jets finally come in to land, nobody can deny that they make for an imposing sight – but the pilots find that touching down on a platform travelling at 30 knots can be a very tough challenge...