Author: Xtended

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.

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’.

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.

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.

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.