Funnily enough, Radio 1 and legendary radio producer Dirk Maggs did a really, really good tie in featuring those two pilots.
The basic idea was that they're part of a Tornado squadron who, for various reasons, have astronomer Patrick Moore along on a training flight (I suspect, to take a look at the UFOs, what with him being y'know...smart). Anyway, as well as patrick Moore getting into a fistfight with an alien and winning it basically followed the pair of them as they evacuate up the country and eventually fall back to Kuwait, where I believe they're seen in the movie. Huge fun, mad as a box of frogs and better than the film. Although, I have to say I did enjoy Independence Day. I'm a bit of a mark for Roland Emmerich stuff.