All our episodes

Ep.197 – Wings Over Britain – The Return

In 2023 Dave Homewood from the Wings Over New Zealand podcast visited the UK to record and document Kiwi aviation involvement in World War Two by visiting some of our historic aircraft, museums, airfields and memorials. Dave is returning in 2024 but with a slightly different agenda. We caught up with Dave as he planned the return ‘Wings Over Britain’ visit.

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Ep.196 – Operation Gratitude and Target Hong Kong

Steven Bailey discovered that the story of the U.S. Navy airstrikes on Japanese-held Hong Kong during the final year of World War II had never been told. Operation Gratitude involved nearly 100 U.S. Navy warships and close to a thousand aircraft. His new book ‘Target...

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Ep.195 – V Bombers, Britain’s nuclear frontline

Dr Tony Redding is a military historian and author with a particular interest in RAF Bomber Command. He joins us to talk us through the operational capability and credibility of Britain’s airborne nuclear deterrent during the peak years of the Cold War.

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Ep.194 – the perfect aircraft pit-stop

Continuing our focus on how data and technology has changed the aviation sector we welcome Diana Franganillo Luque from Indra and Udi Segall from Intell-Act to discuss an exciting project to integrate all airport, airline and air traffic data using AI to streamline the ‘Perfect Aircraft Pit-stop. 

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Ep.193 – Holland 1940

Ryan Noppen joins to help us understand the overlooked air battle between the Netherlands and Germany that thwarted the German invasion of Holland in 1940 for five days. 

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Ep.190 – Lockheed Blackbird, Beyond the Secret Missions

This updated edition of Paul Crickmore’s classic Lockheed Blackbird: Beyond the Secret Missions is based on 850 pages of documentation and images declassified by the CIA covering the A-12 Oxcart programme. Paul joins us to talk about the A-12 and SR-71, the missions and their challenges, but also to discuss the changes in this new edition which includes a 40% increase in words, three new chapters and an additional 60 new photos.  

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Ep.189 – Ellie and the time machine

In 2000 a team of retired pensioners set about building Scotland’s only World War One aircraft, the Sopwith Strutter. That airframe is now ready to fly and Ellie is in the prime position to test fly it. Find out why they built the aircraft, the challenges they faced and how the team now go about taking her to the air. 

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Ep.188 – Stanford Tuck with Helen Doe

Legendary battle of Britain fighter ace Stanford Tuck is the subject of a new book by Helen Doe.  ‘Stanford Tuck Hero of the Battle of Britain, the life of the great fighter ace’, is published by Grub Street and is available now. 

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Ep.186 – FlyV: Revolutionising Mobility By Air

Tomislav Lang, Managing Director of FlyVbird joins us to talk about the pioneering tech airline model that will revolutionise airline travel in the future. The methodology is based upon a low cost, on demand air service, driven by proprietary algorithm and software architecture.

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Ep.185 – Satellites and data

This episode we start a new focus on how data has, and continues to change, the aerospace and aviation sector. We will have a few episodes that will come out over the next month or two that specifically challenges our guests to talk about how data, the cloud, AI and machine learning are changing the aerospace sector.

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Ep.184 – Xwing

In 2021, Xwing made history by completing the world’s first autonomous cargo flight.  During the demonstration — Xwing’s CESSNA 208 Caravan backed out of its gate, taxied onto the runway, took off, flew a predetermined mission, landed, and returned to its gate. All...

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Ep.183 – Aviation history roundtable

What happens when you put three authors and publishers around a table to discuss the challenges of writing historical aviation content? Find out in this fascinating insight on what it is like to research, write and publish accurate and compelling historical aviation books and magazines. 

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Ep.182 – Hazard Spectrum with Nathan Gray

We continue our Test Pilot series with Commander Nathan Gray, who joins us to talk about his book ‘Hazard Spectrum’. With over 140 combat missions to his name, he is among the most decorated pilots in the British armed forces and we share Nathan’s journey to the top of the Fleet Air Arm, from student to F-35 Test Pilot.  

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Ep.181 – Kamikaze!

Mark Lardas joins us to talk about the ‘The Kamikaze Campaign 1944–45 – Imperial Japan’s last throw of the dice’ his book published by Osprey. Mark of course was a major part of our Coastal Command series, nominated for an International Aerospace Media Award. 

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Ep.180 – Wings Over Britain

Dave Homewood from the ‘Wings Over New Zealand’ podcast took on the almighty task of a 35-day tour of as many UK aviation heritage locations as he could squeeze in. All in the spirit of recording a new podcast series called the ‘Wings Over Britain’!  Hear Dave’s view of how lucky we are in the UK to have such a rich source of aviation history right on our doorstep. 

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Ep.179 – N-4 Down, The Hunt for the Arctic Airship Italia

The true story of the largest polar rescue mission in history is pretty much unknown in most aviation circles. Until now! 
Mark Piesing author of the book N4 Down joins us to discuss this almost unbelievable story of human suffering and tragedy, political drama, incompetence and heroism. This story has everything! 

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Ep.177 – Hovercraft with Ben Avery

As we continue our focus on features across aerospace, let’s take a look at the hovercraft, which brings up the question of ‘where exactly does it fit in?’ To help us answer that question we are joined by Ben Avery. Ben is the Chief Pilot at Griffon Hoverwork and a Trustee and Head of Operations at The Hovercraft Museum.

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Ep.175 – Saratoga to Lithuania with Artyom Liss

Artyom Liss is a UK qualified general aviation pilot and was host of the fabulous aviation podcast ‘Two Thousand Feet’. In this episode we find out what it is like to deliver Piper PA32 Saratoga SP N505WC from the UK to Lithuania, the challenges, adventures, and experiences of this fabulous cross-country flight. 

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Episode 174: Whirlybird Rachel Ramsay

Rachel Ramsay is a UK qualified private pilot, with licences to fly helicopters, small planes and motor gliders. Rachel has a fabulous flying and travel blog and we wanted to find out about; multi-licence flying, writing for both a blog and an aviation publication and issues like…. favourite hotel to fly to and what does it take to fly down the River Thames in Central London?

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Ep.173 – Surviving Siberia

Graeme Rendall has appeared on Xtended before to talk about such diverse topics as Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon and the history of RAF Morpeth. On both occasions these episodes proved popular and we teased you with mention of a plane spotting trip Graeme made to Russia in 1992, just six months after the fall of the iron curtain; a trip that even until today has never been repeated. Graeme is back to tell us all about the journey recorded in his book “To The Ends Of The Earth: A Snapshot Of Aviation In North-Eastern Siberia, Summer 1992” the amazing and rare aircraft he saw and the whole post-Soviet Union aviation experience. 

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Ep.172 – VC10derness

Only 54 examples of the iconic and much-adored Vickers VC10 were built, yet it went on to become an innovator and market changer for international long-haul travel. Great British technology and its suitability for multiple roles lead it to have an extended life with the RAF as an airlifter and tanker.  In this feature we talk to Jelle Hieminga, an expert on the VC10, and webmaster for the highly entertaining and detailed web portal and encyclopedia for the VC10 – VC10.net  

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Ep.171 – Reaction Engines

With the UK leading aerospace company Reaction Engines now leading the way in technology application from space rockets to Formula 1 and into today’s market for sustainable flight, we have an exclusive opportunity to speak to Mark Thomas, Reaction Engines Chief Executive Officer, about the company, its products and its exciting future innovations.

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Ep.170 – Experimental test pilot, Chris Taylor

Chris Taylor has had a successful career as a Royal Navy officer, helicopter pilot, test pilot, instructor and as an internationally acclaimed civil certification test pilot. His latest book ‘Experimental Test Pilot: Military Aircraft Research Flying’ is his account of his ten years’ service as an experimental test pilot, at MoD Boscombe Down, the UK’s tri-Service home of military aircraft testing and evaluation.

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Ep.169 – Confessions of a Flying Instructor, with Tug Wilson

‘Confessions of a Flying Instructor: Teaching the RAF’s Fighter Pilots’ is Tug Wilson’s second book and he joins us to discuss the time in his career teaching new fighter pilots. As always, Tug is great company with Gareth in this sometimes hilarious, and at other times frightening, story of his time as a flight instructor.

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Ep.168 – North Korea Airshow

On our Journalist’s Roundtable discussion in Ep.161 (Trust Me I’m an Aviation Journalist), Rich Cooper mentioned the visit to a North Korea Airshow. We wanted to find out more and Rich introduced us to author and photographer, Gerry Manning, who was there. Gerry joins us to share the experience and we talk airliners and fighter jets as well as helicopters, cargo lifters and microlights. All sourced from behind the ‘iron curtain’!

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Ep.167 – Indian Airmen and the IAF in WW2 (Part 2)

In the second part of our feature Sree (KS Nair) talks to us about IAF Training, aircraft types and ground attack tactics. We expose some of the challenges around motivation as well as culture and work through the quote from many at the time that “The Indian Air Force was an experiment that was never meant to succeed”.

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Ep.166 – Indian Airmen and the IAF in WW2 (Part 1)

The air war in India and Burma (World War Two) has not received the focus it deserves. In this episode we talk to author K.S. Nair (Sree) to look at this area of conflict, the contribution made to the allied efforts in both WW1 and WW2, as well as the evolution and early operations of the Indian Air Force.

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Ep.165 – China in space with Brian Harvey

The story of China is space is not one widely known nor properly understood in western corridors, although China of course has been launching rockets for almost a thousand years. In this episode we welcome back author and Chinese space expert Brian Harvey to help us address that.

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Ep.164 – Hydrogen Powered Flight with Cranfield Aerospace

Cranfield Aerospace Solutions’ (CAeS) are converting a Britten-Norman Islander 9-seat aircraft from conventional fossil fuel to that of gaseous hydrogen propulsion. This development is set to deliver the world’s first fully certified, truly green, passenger-carrying aircraft using hydrogen fuel cell technology.

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Ep.163 – Fairey Swordfish with Matt Willis

Few aircraft encompass as many contradictions as the Fairey Swordfish – the legendary ‘Stringbag’ naval torpedo bomber which was approaching antiquation at the start of the second world war yet struck mortal blows against some of the most powerful battleships in the Axis fleets.

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Ep.162 – Concorde with Mike Bannister

Mike Bannister joins us to talk about Concorde and his career flying the supersonic airliner. He became the youngest pilot on the Concorde fleet in 1977, was appointed the airline’s Chief Concorde Pilot in 1995 and regularly flew as Captain on all of the aircraft’s routes worldwide. 

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Ep.160 – Stalingrad Airlift

Consider for a moment repairing and loading aircraft at -30 degrees with no cover, flying in thick cloud through heavy flak and snow with no idea if you might get through or even deliver your precious cargo. Robert Forsyth talks us through the Luftwaffe’s Stalingrad Airlift, a less well-known event in the tragic Stalingrad story.

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Ep.159 – Space rocket launch sites

We are joined by Brian Harvey and Gurbir Singh authors of the book The Atlas of Space Rocket Launch Sites. The book is the first of its kind; an atlas of all major sites where space rockets have been launched since the World’s first Sputnik in 1958.

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Ep.157 – ‘The Debrief’ Volume 1 with Mike Napier and Tug Wilson

This is Volume 1 of ‘The Debrief’, a new Xtended feature where we bring aviation people together to tell stories and share memories. Our first guests are former Tornado pilot Mike Napier and former Phantom pilot Tug Wilson. Join us as they discuss operating fast jets in RAF Germany and beyond during the Cold War.

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Ep.156 – ‘Beyond’ with Stephen Walker

Stephen Walker is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and his films have won BAFTAs, an Emmy, Royal Television Society awards and the Rose d’Or. Today we talk to Stephen about his award-winning book ‘Beyond; The Astonishing Story of the First Human to Leave Our Planet and Journey into Space’.

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Ep.155 – RAF Morpeth and Northumberland Airfields

Graeme Rendall returns to tell us the story behind the airfield at RAF Morpeth. In World War Two, RAF Morpeth was extremely important to Bomber and Coastal Commands, as the station was home to an Air Gunners School which trained airmen how to shoot effectively whilst in mid-air.

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Ep.154 – Roundtable discussion on General Aviation

Ellie hosts our first roundtable discussion on the health of the general aviation sector as it recovers from lockdown. Our guests on the panel are CFI Charlotte Dadswell, PPL Holder Charlotte Rositter and Eire PPL holder and Medical Examiner Kieran Murphy.

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Ep.153 – Chinook Crew ‘Chick’, Liz McConaghy

We are joined by Liz McConaghy. Liz is from a small town in County Down and spent a total of seventeen years flying with the RAF’s Chinook Force. Liz talks to us about her flying career, the mighty Chinook and the after-effects of war, stress and the impact on her mental health.

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Ep.151 – RAF Greenham Common

We are joined by Jonathan Sayers a local historian who takes us on Greenham Common’s journey from Jacobean rebellion camp through World War 2 and into the Cold War where it became mostly familiar as a base for Ground Launched Cruise Missiles.

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Ep.148 – Tony Blackman and V-Bombers: revisited

While we take an Xtended break we mine the archives for some great content many of you may have never heard before. In this episode Tim talks to Tony Blackman about test flying the V-Bombers, how he got in to flying and what it is like to have Howard Hughes in the cockpit.

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