All our episodes

We talk to Gavin Hoffen about his new book ‘Restoration Force’ which features the often unseen and sometimes secretive world of cockpit restoration projects. We find out why and how these are accomplished, along with the outcomes these enthusiasts hope to achieve.

Ellie, Tim and Pieter discuss the latest UK defence review and its impact on air assets. There is a fascinating discussion around the strategic direction of air power and where it will evolve to using manned flight and unmanned technologies like combat drones.

We are joined by retired fast jet and airline pilot and internationally acclaimed author Michael Napier to talk about his latest book ‘Korean Air War – Sabres, Migs and Meteors 1950-1953’.

We are joined by airline pilot Katy Lee who takes us through her career from training to flying the Boeing 737NG. The current pandemic has affected the sector more than many others and Katy tells us about the fantastic work being done by the charity Pilots Together.

We are joined by Major Brian ‘Casmo’, Harris who has over 22 years service as an US Army Officer and Warrant Officer. After five years as an Armor / Cavalry officer as an M1 Tank and 120mm Mortar Platoon Leader, Brian has spent over 18 years as an Aviation officer with over 2,200 hours flying the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and AH-64D/E Apache.

We are joined by space journalist, international TV host and award-winning author Sarah Cruddas to talk about the Mars Orbiters and her new book, ‘Look Up’.

We are joined by Dr Bryce Evans. Bryce is an author, historian and Associate Professor in History and Politics at Liverpool Hope University. Ellie and Pieter learn about the history of how airline food came to be such a gastronomic challenge and how this evolved in the marketplace.

Tim and Pieter are joined by pilot and STEM ambassador Ellie Carter to look at the news and take a reflective view on 2020, looking for both the positive and less positive changes that affected the aviation and aerospace industry.

The Xtended team round off 2020 by taking a look back at the tenth anniversary of the Harrier’s UK retirement with Air Vice Marshal Gary Waterfall CBE, Joint Force Harrier’s last Commander.

After a short break the whole team is back to talk about the latest aviation books from 2020 and the new version of Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The Aircraft Restoration Company (ARCo) is a family owned business that specialises in aircraft maintenance, restoration and operational services, especially ‘warbirds’. They have restored over 40 different aircraft types from Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancasters to the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star and the F-86 Sabre. Tim travelled to Duxford in Cambridgeshire to talk to John Romain from ARCo about their recent project to recognise the National Health Service efforts during the recent pandemic – the NHS Spitfire. 

Naval Air Historian Matt Willis joins us to talk about the the Supermarine Seafire – a navalised version of the famous Spitfire, adapted for use on aircraft carriers. A total of 2646 were built and saw action with the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm from November 1942 until after the Korean War in the early 1950s.

Our guest for this episode is Lt Cdr Ian Sloan who has accumulated vast experience, including day and night, VSTOL embarked operations in the Sea Harrier and operational missions in Afghanistan in the Harrier GR9. As an instructor, he has delivered Advanced Flying Training to RAF, RN and Indian AF students in the Hawk, and has provided aviation assurance as the Hawk ‘Trapper’ on Naval Flying Standards Flight (Fixed Wing). He is also one of few people to have flown both Sea Harrier and Super Etendard.

We welcome Alexander Mladenov back to talk about the KA-52 Alligator (Nato codename – Hokum). We talk all variants from the early development of the V-80 single seat attack helicopter which materialised in to the KA-50 Black Shark through to the two-seat KA-52K Naval Variant.

Ellie Carter is Britain’s youngest licensed pilot, notably hitting the headlines on her 16th birthday after she became the youngest person in the country to fly solo in a powered aircraft. At 14 she was also the Britain’s youngest solo glider pilot.

We were delighted to be joined by Major Michelle Curran of the United States Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team.

Major Curran, callsign ‘Mace’ is just the fifth female Thunderbirds pilot and chatted to us from Las Vegas, discussing her route to becoming a fighter pilot and the challenges she met along the way.

For our 100th episode we welcome back Flt Lt Jon Bond (Red 6 – RAF Red Arrows) to update us on his progress over the past eight years from Tucano Display Pilot to Eurofighter Typhoon and on to the Red Arrows. We also go back to our roots to talk to the AirplaneGeeks about their success in reaching 600 episodes.

We welcome Rowland White back on to the show to talk about his latest book ‘Harrier 809 – Britain’s Legendary Jump Jet and the Untold Story of the Falklands War’.

We welcome Tim Davies back on to the show to reflect on his memories of the Tornado GR4 and look forward to Aeralis.

With seven authors introducing their books, two book club reviewers, over 50 books and over 10,000 pages, this bumper episode’s only focus is on aviation books. Enjoy the content and we hope they will help you choose some interesting aviation reads. We would like to thank GrubStreet Books, Fonthill Books and The Aviation Historian for supporting this episode.

In the second episode of our ‘Women In Aviation’ features we talk to two extraordinary and inspirational women.

On 24 April 1994, after encountering problems just seconds after taking off from Sydney Airport, DC3 VH-EDC ditched in to Botany Bay with all 25 souls on board saved. The pilot, retired Captain Rod Lovell talks to us about the ditching and blowing the whistle on his treatment by the authorities.

The Boeing 707, a classic airliner that set so many standards that still exist in modern airliners today. Charles Kennedy, author of the ‘Haynes Manual Boeing 707 1957 to Present’ joins us to discuss everything from those barrel roles in the Dash 80 Test aircraft, to the airframes still flying today.

Xtended returns to RNAS Yeovilton for this special episode on the Royal Navy International Air Day 2019.

For 100 years of transatlantic travel, #BA100 and the fiftieth anniversary of the Boeing 747, this episode is based around a classic interview with Captain Hugh Dibley FraeS.

Welcome to a brand new episode of Xtended and this time we are talking air to air refuelling with hugely experienced USAF tanker pilot Mark Hasara.

This episode features two role models in the aviation sector.

Gurbir Singh joins Tim and Pieter to discuss the history and current missions of the Indian Space Agency.

In a brand new interview for Xtended, former Chief of the Air Staff Sir Richard Johns CBE joins us to give a real insight into flight operations, the strategic defence reductions and inter-service rivalry. This is a fascinating and frank interview.

It’s a bumper news episode as Gareth, Pieter and Tim discuss the latest headlines in the military, civilian and space sectors.

We go behind the scenes of the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance to see how it operates and the challenges it faces as an emergency service run by a charity.

We revisit some of our previous World War Two era restoration features to see how they have progressed and where they are on the journey to completion.

We are joined by pilot and TV presenter Arthur Williams to talk about his new Channel 4 television programme ‘Flying Across Britain’, a journey he carries out in a wonderful Piper Cub.

We are joined by Rainer Groh, PhD MEng, Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow from the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bristol.

We are joined by Marc Dierikx, a Senior Researcher at the Huygens Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences to talk about his latest book; ‘Anthony Fokker: The Flying Dutchman Who Shaped American Aviation’.

Dave Homewood, the producer of the ‘Wings Over New Zealand Show’ podcast joins us and we find out how his interest in aviation led to one of the most comprehensive historical records of aviation in the Southern Hemisphere.

We are back with two interviews. Andy Jones is the producer of Plane Hunters and tells us about making video features on historical aircraft. Kevan James joins us to talk about his books on Heathrow and other airports.

Vincent ‘Jell-O’ Aiello from The Fighter Pilot Podcast joins us to talk about being a US Navy aviator, his new podcast and the F-18 Hornet, while Tom Dieusaert tell us why he wants better awareness of flying automation when we talk about his new book ‘Computer Crashes: When Airplane Systems Fail’.

Gareth, Tim and Pieter sit around the microphones and talk about aircraft, airlines, airports, airshows and rockets. No feature, no script, just aerospace discussion.

This episode features the Argentine view of the conflict with our guest Santiago Rivas. Santiago, a well-known aviation journalist and author gives us the Argentine angle on the Air Force’s and Navy’s approach to the conflict, how they operated and the results of their missions.

We feature interviews on the last surviving Supermarine Swift F4, How To Land a Plane and Duncan Menzies, in this aviation book focused episode. Our guest host is Simon Jakubowksi from the Aviation Enthusiasts Book Club on Facebook

In the third of our series on the Falklands Air War we look at two further aspects of the campaign – battle damage and maintenance of the Sea Harriers. This is followed by an examination of how the Islands were defended post-conflict.

This episode spans the spectrum of aviation, from test flying modern supersonic jets and weapon systems with Dave Gledhill, all the way through to a look back at the Cessna 300 and 400 Series of twin-engine aircraft with Ron Smith.

This episode features the Fairey Barracuda and a new book on the aircraft by Naval Air Historian, Matt Willis. We also feature an interview with PO Anthony Johnson RN, a Telegraphist Air Gunner in the Barracuda who served at the end of WW2.

We visit Air Day 2017 at Royal Navy Air Station Yeovilton to bring you interviews with the performers and attendees.

We continue our look back at the Falklands Air War on the 35th Anniversary of the end of the Falklands Conflict. We are joined in the studio by Naval Air Historian Matt Willis and are delighted to welcome Commander Nigel ‘Sharkey’ Ward DFC AFC RN Retired to the show, all the way from his home in Grenada.

Marking the 35th anniversary of the end of the Falklands Conflict, we look back at the air war through the eyes of the Fleet Air Arm. We are joined in the studio by Naval Air Historian Matt Willis to review our guest interviews and discuss the tactics and lessons from the conflict.

We are joined by Eddie Gould from G.A.S.E. for the story of how a retired Liverpudlian aircraft mechanic moved to Egypt to set up one of the world’s best GA ‘around the world’ support companies.

We are joined by Ed Scio from Sim155 to talk about Combat Air Patrol 2. It is a fascinating discussion on how flight simulators are designed and built.

In this episode we visit HMS Heron to talk about the forthcoming retirement from active service of the Royal Navy Westland Lynx Mk 8. We get to talk to those who have flown the aircraft with their stories of ditching, human aid missions and drug busting.