#85 Mike Ling - Red Arrows & Blades Aerobatic Team

At 3 years old Mike Ling attended an airshow at Biggin Hill and told his mum that he wanted to be a Red Arrows pilot. Fast forward 20 odd years and he became a Red Arrows pilot and not only that he spent the better part of a decade on the team and in various different roles,

Mike left the Royal Air Force in April 2019 as a Squadron Leader after 21 years of service. He has since become a commercial pilot, flight instructor and a full-time member of the Blades Aerobatic Team, the world’s only 'aerobatic airline' and part of 2Excel Aviation. Mike is the proud patron of two aviation charities; Fly2Help and the Nick Davidson Memorial Flying Scholarship Trust that help provide funding for young aviators to get their Private Pilots Licence.

Alex MacPhail and Mike Ling unpack the complexities of a high-risk operation and how you manage things that go wrong. They also share a fascinating story about how Mike had a mid-air collision where two aircraft flying head-to-head at a closing speed of about 1,000 km an hour, struck each other and the tale of the one went through the canopy of the other.
 
Please enjoy this conversation and remember to reach out via social media channels with your questions. Send me your comments.

ALEX MACPHAIL
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlexMacPhail1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexmacphail99
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/flyingmogul
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCztTx1LzCAnC4woeNOpU5-A
Website: http://www.alexmacphail.co.za
Alex MacPhail Podcast - LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/
alexmacphailpodcast

MIKE LING
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeLingPilot
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikelingpilot/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikelingpilot
Website: https://www.mikelingpilot.com/
Fly2Help - Website: https://nickdavidsonflyingtrust.org.uk/
Nick Davidson Memorial Flying Scholarship Trust: https://nickdavidsonflyingtrust.org.uk/