Plane Tales
343 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★★ - 143 ratingsThe View from Our Side of the Cockpit Door
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Episodes
RAF Form 414, Vol 4
December 10, 2019 19:59 - 17 minutes - 18.5 MBThe very next installment of my flying logbook stories has me attempting my first arrester wire engagement, paying tribute to the Bell Rock Lighthouse and meeting the USAF's 527th Aggressor Squadron for combat training. Armed Phantoms of No 43 (F) Squadron, RAF Leuchars. Three F-5E Tiger II aircraft from the 527th Tactical Fighter Training Aggressor Squadron, RAF Alconbury. Bell Rock lighthouse under construction. Bell rock lighthouse as I remember it! Images under Crea...
Landshut
December 01, 2019 16:42 - 20 minutes - 19 MBIn the 1970's, Germany was in the grip of a terrorist nightmare, led by a far left militant group known as the Red Army Faction or the Baader-Meinhof Gang. Their most audacious act was, with the aid of Palestinian terrorists, to hijack a Lufthansa Boeing 737 named Landshut. For the passengers and crew this was the start of a 5 day nightmare during which they were subjected to awful treatment and murder. This is the story of flight 181. Hanns-Martin Schleyer in captivity following his a...
If It Ain’t Boeing…
November 24, 2019 22:03 - 19 minutes - 20 MBWilheim Böing, emigrated to the United States in 1866 and, after becoming a wealthy lumber merchant, sent his son William to an elite school in Switzerland and then Yale University. Now named Boeing, William followed his father into the timber business and in his spare time became one of America's first pilots. Soon he was putting his wealth and engineering background to the development of his first aircraft, the Boeing and Westervelt B&W1. This was the start of the enormously successful c...
The Highest Honour
November 19, 2019 22:00 - 18 minutes - 19.5 MBTwo men who risked everything to save their aircraft and, because of their bravery, were awarded their countries highest honour. These are stories which truly invoke the often misused sobriquet, hero. Jimmy Ward of No 75 (New Zealand) Squadron. The hatch that Jimmy climbed out of and the holes he made to crawl over to the blazing engine. Henry Erwin, recipient of the Medal of Honor. "Red" Erwin in 1995. The B-29 Superfortress. Images under Creative Commons licence with t...
Gawd ‘Elp All of Us!
November 09, 2019 21:53 - 19 minutes - 20.2 MBIt was the year 1919 and Billy Hughes, the Prime Minister of Australia, was travelling to attend the Paris Peace Conference. He cabled his Government, “Several Australian aviators are desirous of attempting flight London to Australia they are all first-class men and very keen, your thoughts?” The undertaking was momental since the longest distance ever achieved by an aircraft to that point was only a third of the required 11,000 miles, let alone attempting the journey in less than 30 days! ...
The Mig 007
November 03, 2019 21:48 - 20 minutes - 20.9 MBThe Mig-21, NATO codename Fishbed, was to become the most produced supersonic fighter in aviation history. In the 1950s, its secrets were being tightly safeguarded and Western military forces were very keen to find out more. Here is a spy story, more dramatic and blood thirsty than most fictional ones but one that put the new fighter right into the hands of the Israeli Air Force. Mig 007 in the Hatzerim museum. Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Oren Rozen, US Gov DIA,
Hirsute Across the Channel
October 27, 2019 01:13 - 18 minutes - 19.6 MBA narrow body of water separates England from the rest of Europe... between Dover and Calais it's only 21 miles wide. Crossing it has become a bit of a right of passage for many forms of transport and aviators, with or without moustaches, have been no exception. These are the stories of some of those early attempts! Jean-Pierre Blanchard rows across the channel in a balloon! Louis Blériot sporting a fine aviator's moustache! Blériot completes the first crossing of the Channel by a ...
Après Moi le Deluge Part 4
October 19, 2019 22:02 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MBThe Upkeep mine was at last working and 617 Squadron had worked up to a level of skill that was unmatched amongst the Bomber Command units. The waters of the Ruhr dams had reached their peak and the moon was waxing gibbous towards being full. At last, all the preparation and training was going to be put to the test and the Dambusters raid was on! At last... Upkeep had proved itself capable of being successfully dropped. A painting depicting the attack. Air Vice Martial Cochrane, Wi...
Après Moi le Deluge Part 3
October 14, 2019 22:05 - 20 minutes - 18.4 MBThis is part three of a quadrilogy of stories about the Dambuster's raid on the great dams of the Ruhr valley by No 617 Squadron. Wallis faced an uphill struggle to convince the Air Ministry that his idea of bouncing a huge mine across the surface of the reservoirs, over torpedo nets and right up to the dam walls was feasible. When finally given the go ahead he only had a few months to complete testing and then build a successful weapon. In the meantime, a new Lancaster squadron had to be ...
Après Moi le Deluge Part 2
October 07, 2019 12:31 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBA man renown for his genius as a designer and inventor, Barnes Wallis turned his mind to helping Britain to win the Second World War by creating weapons that could defeat the industrial might of Germany. From his ten ton bomb Tall Boy to the bouncing bomb Upkeep, his remarkable talent ran from designing Airships to supersonic aircraft. This is his story. Barnes Wallis as a young man in Naval Service. Wallis's geodesic design employed in the Wellington bomber allowed it to survive despi...
Après Moi le Deluge
September 29, 2019 13:50 - 19 minutes - 20.5 MBThis is the first of the four part story of Operation Chastise, the bombing of the great dams of Germany's Ruhr valley during the Second World War. This Tale examines the life of Wing Commander Guy Gibson, VC, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar who took on the task of forming the Squadron of Lancasters which would achieve world wide fame following the attack. Gibson was, to some, a flawed character but his leadership, skill and determination to achieve his aim was never in question. Guy Penrose Gibson. ...
Well Defined
September 22, 2019 13:58 - 19 minutes - 19.7 MBA break from Tales of death and destruction with a little bit of aviation word play. What was your score?
Still Waiting for Help, Still Praying
September 15, 2019 14:47 - 20 minutes - 21.1 MBThe North of Africa holds the world’s largest hot desert, known as The Greatest Desert, or more commonly by the Arabic word Sahara. The Lady be Good's WW2 mission hadn't gone well and crew of the were hopelessly lost and running out of fuel when the first engine failed. They decided to abandon the aircraft rather than risk a crash landing and they parachuted out over, what they believed to be, the sea… only to discover it was a sea of sand. The Lady Be Good as it appeared when discovered fr...
Ramstein Flugtag 1988
September 08, 2019 01:32 - 19 minutes - 20.3 MBIt was a hot and sunny day at the United States Airforce Base at Ramstein near Kaiserslautern in West Germany… a perfect day for their 1988 annual air show. One of the best parts of the show was going to be the Frecce Tricolori, the Italian formation team, doing their stunning display. After several minutes of what was a great performance, the team started one of the most impressive manoeuvres, the pierced heart. What followed was a disaster beyond anyone's imagination... The Frecce Tr...
40 Second Boyd
September 01, 2019 13:26 - 19 minutes - 20.4 MBAs a military aviator he was exceptional. From a starting point that had him at a disadvantage, 40 seconds was how long it took him to get behind you for the kill! His flying skills weren't the reason we remember Colonel John Boyd as his ideas would change the whole direction of military aviation. A maverick who would lead a like minded group known as the Fighter Mafia, he was a brilliant as he was controversial. His lasting legacy would include the concept of fighter manoeuvre diagrams an...
All Weather Heather
August 26, 2019 01:14 - 18 minutes - 19.1 MBLokichokio, is a dusty, flyblown, Kenyan frontier town that is a long way from the tourist images of African safari lodges. There’s an airstrip there with a few buildings, offices and compounds, one with a pool and a bar. At 6 o’clock sharp, an attractive blonde could be found there sipping a G&T while the ice tinkled in her glass. With her short, blonde hair, good looks and brilliant smile, she could easily have been mistaken for the hostess of an English garden party. Meet 'All Weather He...
The Disappearance of Miss Hobart
August 19, 2019 13:31 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBThe loss of his father early in his life led to David Warren's fascination with electronics. Although he grew up to be a scientist who specialised in chemistry, particularly aviation fuels and early rocketry, his little invention, a flight data and voice recorder, made a contribution to flight safety that has left a lasting legacy. David Warren with his original recorder device. The NTSB recover a Flight Data recorder from a crash site. A modern Flight Data Recorder. Images u...
I Am a Dead Man
August 10, 2019 20:59 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBCaptain Leul Abate was no stranger to hijackings… this was his third! An amazing story that ends in tragedy for many when, quietly sitting by the sea sipping cocktails, the residents of the beautiful Galawa Beach Hotel see a huge airliner plough into the water only 500 yards away. Images under Creative Commons licence and fair use with thanks to JetPix.
Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!
July 23, 2019 18:11 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MBThis story has graphic references to violence and injury and may not be suitable for all ages. For the operating crew the flight started just as it had done many times before. They were departing from Memphis in Tennessee and flying to San Jose in California in their McDonnell Douglas DC10 freighter. After an uneventful start, taxi and takeoff the crew were settling down to the normal routine of the climb and chatting easily amongst themselves, as pilots do... and then a deadheading crew me...
Geoff Lee, Master Photographer – Part 3
July 19, 2019 02:24 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MBGeoff Lee started his career as an apprentice photographer for Hawker Siddeley Aviation and progressed to become the Chief Photographer for British Aerospace Systems. His specialty was air to air photography, a field that put him in the cockpits of some of the world's finest fighters. His photographs have graced the covers of aviation publications and major newspapers throughout the world. I was delighted when he agreed to talk to Plane Tales and tell us about his remarkable career behin...
Geoff Lee, Master Photographer – Part 2
July 07, 2019 14:17 - 19 minutes - 18 MBGeoff Lee started his career as an apprentice photographer for Hawker Siddeley Aviation and progressed to become the Chief Photographer for British Aerospace Systems. His specialty was air to air photography, a field that put him in the cockpits of some of the world's finest fighters. His photographs have graced the covers of aviation publications and major newspapers throughout the world. I was delighted when he agreed to talk to Plane Tales and tell us about his remarkable career behind t...
Geoff Lee, Master Photographer – Part 1
July 02, 2019 01:54 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBGeoff Lee started his career as an apprentice photographer for Hawker Siddeley Aviation and progressed to become the Chief Photographer for British Aerospace Systems. His specialty was air to air photography, a field that put him in the cockpits of some of the world's finest fighters. His photographs have graced the covers of aviation publications and major newspapers throughout the world. I was delighted when he agreed to talk to Plane Tales and tell us about his remarkable career behind t...
Cloud Suck
June 24, 2019 17:54 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBTowering cumulous clouds can often be harbingers of destruction and for pilots they should be respected and generally avoided by a wide margin. There is, however, a breed of pilot willing to court the danger present in these meteorological monsters… the violent updrafts and downdrafts, the heavy rain and hail, the turbulence, the freezing temperatures and the lightning! This is the story of one such pilot. Derek Piggott Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Ralph F. Kr...
Daks on D-Day Part 2
June 17, 2019 20:39 - 16 minutes - 21.3 MBAs part of the 75th anniversary of the D Day invasion of Nazi held Europe in 1944, Douglas DC3s, C47s and Dakotas came from around the world to reenact the Airborne troops parachute drops that first put Allied boots on the ground. In this second part of the story, I chat to Sherman Smoot, Betsy's Chief Pilot and Nick Comacho, a pilot of the C47, Betsy's Biscuit Bomber. Nick does some work on Betsy before taking her up on her next flight. Nick's father takes a look around Betsy before ...
Daks on D-Day Part 1
June 10, 2019 20:36 - 19 minutes - 24.8 MBAs part of the 75th anniversary of the D Day invasion of Nazi held Europe in 1944, Douglas DC3s, C47s and Dakotas came from around the world to reenact the Airborne troops parachute drops that first put Allied boots on the ground. In this interview I chat to Nick Comacho, a pilot of the C47, Betsy's Biscuit Bomber, that had flown over from the States to Duxford in England to take part. Refuelling the C47 prior to a flight from Duxford. The weather at Duxford was a trifle damp at time...
RAF Form 414 Vol 3
June 01, 2019 20:31 - 18 minutes - 24 MBI take another dip into my flying log book, RAF Form 414. We catch up with the young 'Old Pilot' as he joins his first operational squadron, No 43(F) Sqn, The Fighting Cocks! I was faced with a further 6 months of training to become a fully Combat Ready fighter pilot. Relying on my faltering memory I said that the jamming Canberras were on 100 Sqn... they were, of course, actually from No 360 Squadron! The F4 Phantoms of The Fighting Cocks. Air to Air refuelling. The Q shed at R...
I Counted Them All Out
May 23, 2019 20:27 - 18 minutes - 23.2 MBThe Falkland islands, a British Sovereign Territory, had been invaded by Argentinian military forces and in response the UK assembled a task force to sail the 8,000 miles required to dispatch the invaders and free the British residents there. Amongst the RAF Harrier pilots onboard HMS Hermes was Flt Lt Dave Morgan who took part in the first Harrier attack on the airfield at Stanley, the capital of the Falklands. This is the story of this mission. Argentinian soldiers occupy Stanley. ...
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
May 16, 2019 20:58 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBTwo of the most weird looking aircraft ever devised were actually immensely valuable in the development of the Hawker Harrier Jump Jet and in the training of astronauts! This is the story of two flying bedsteads! The NASA Lunar Landing Research Vehicle. The original flying bedstead, more properly known as the Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig. Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Disney, User:Geni and NASA.
The Court of Public Opinion
May 11, 2019 20:51 - 28 MBLt David Steeves was living the dream. He was a USAF fighter pilot and instructor flying the T33A shooting star when his jet failed him as he flew over the Sierra's mountain range. He ejected and then survived a traumatic fight for survival amongst the rugged terrain... he ought to have been hailed a hero. Enter the newspaper man Clay Blair and David Steeves life abruptly turned into a nightmare! DAYTON, Ohio -- Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star at the National Museum of the United States A...
Aviation Infestation
May 04, 2019 20:44 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBThe weird and wacky names that aircraft have don't usually include those of insects, particularly parasitic ones but there is no accounting for taste! From Gnats to Fleas, June Bugs to Crickets, aviation has them all and in this tale we find out about many of them. The dainty but impressive Folland Gnat which was only slightly larger than the single seat version, the Midge. The BE2, one of which was unsuccessfully launched from beneath a blimp. The parasitic Sparrowhawk fighte...
Into Thinner Air
April 29, 2019 20:38 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBMilitary pilots aren't the only ones in danger whilst cruising the upper reaches of the atmosphere. Passenger jets can be equally vulnerable with tragic results. These are the stories of two aircraft that sadly flew on to their destruction, with nobody controlling, carrying their unfortunate passengers to their death. Payne Stewart. The accident Learjet. The Learjet's flight path. A Helios B737. The flight path of Helios Flight 522. Images under Creative Commons lice...
Disappearing Into Thin Air
April 20, 2019 20:33 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBMilitary fighter aircraft that fly themselves around without their pilot on board is unusual, to say the least. Sadly this is often a situation that has tragic consequences. This tale is of three such events; happily one has safe outcome for the pilot... the others were not so lucky. An early Harrier prototype, the P1127. The Sea Harrier. A 75 Sqn F/A-18 in the foreground during a Red Flag exercise in the US. Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Alan...
Die Nachthexen
April 09, 2019 12:41 - 19 minutes - 20.5 MBSo feared were these pilots, flying almost silently over the German positions at night to attack any movement or light, that the Nazis called them Night Witches. With just the wind whistling through the wires of their old Po-2 biplanes, again and again the brave young women of the Soviet Air Force flew with such skill that many were made Heroes of the Soviet Union. Senior Lieutenant Irina Sebrova who flew 1,008 missions. The wood-and-canvas Polikarpov Po-2 biplane. Images under Crea...
Tenerife
March 30, 2019 12:17 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBRecorded on the anniversary of the world's worst air accident. A enormous loss of life that highlights the vital importance of standard radio procedures and the pressures of command. A word that still puts an icy hand around my heart when I hear it... Tenerife. The KLM 747. The Pan Am 747. Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Dutch National Archives, clipperarctic and Michel Gilliand.
Pi in the Sky
March 25, 2019 12:51 - 20 minutes - 21.3 MBThe art of Skywriting began with an ex WW1 fighter, the venerable SE5a, saved from the scrapyard. This is the colourful tale of airborne advertising! The last of Jack Savage's SE5a fighters that he used for skywriting, now to be found in London's Science Museum. Traditional Skywriting over the EAA Airventure Oshkosh. A novel marriage proposal on a flying banner. Images used under a Creative Commons licence with thanks to Alan Wilson, Sky Ads, FutureUApilot and the U.S. Navy.
The Short Life of Neerja Bhanot
March 20, 2019 22:05 - 19 minutes - 20.2 MBIt's common for airline Cabin Staff to be treated will little respect and the travelling public assume that they are little more than waitresses. However, if you have a heart attack, suffer anxiety, need oxygen or directions in the case of an emergency evacuation it's these highly trained professionals who will be the ones to help you. Some are also brave and resourceful beyond all expectations. One of those was Neerja Bhanot and this is her story. A poster for the film made about Neerja....
Capture Prone
March 10, 2019 21:57 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBThere is a particular class of Military personnel who, at least in my time, were referred to as Capture Prone. Whilst for me it was something that was treated as a mild annoyance, during conflict, being captured represents a true hazard. For the crew of a downed B-24 Liberator, Wham Bam Thank You Ma’am, during WW2 who faced the fury of the German people, it would be deadly. A Consolidated B-24 Liberator Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Jerry J. Jostwick and the U...
Some More of our Bombs are Missing!
February 28, 2019 00:40 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MBSix turning and four burning… what a sight it must have been to see the mighty Convair B36 Peacemaker fly. Less of a welcome sight would be watching a nuclear weapon being dropped by one in Canadian territorial waters only a few hundred miles North of Vancouver! This is the story of Bomber 075 and its sad ending! The later marks of the Peacemaker had an additional 4 jet engines! Convair XB-36 main landing gear. The US Mk4 nuclear bomb. Images under Creative Commons licence ...
One of our Bombs is Missing
February 19, 2019 21:57 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBA B17 crew training before deploying to Europe during WW2 managed to put a little town in Oklahoma on the map but not in the way they might like! The M38A2 100lb practice bomb was no small device when dropped from a few thousand feet! How the centre of Boise City might have looked on the night it was bombed! The B17 Flying Fortress. Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Doug Kerr, the USAF, Google World and Airwolfhound.
The Checker Board
February 15, 2019 17:57 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBHong Kong's old airport, Kai Tak, was always a challenging approach for any pilot, particularly during the Typhoon season but what was it like to actually fly around the Checker Board. Hopefully, this Tale explains all. One particular Captain's very last Kai Tak landing. Aircraft on the approach would just clear the apartment blocks of Kowloon. How the airport looked in the late '60s before the IGS was built. A 747-400 ran off the end of Runway 13 into the harbour. The milita...
The Hardest Job in the Air Force
February 10, 2019 16:43 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MBOn the APG show we have been discussing why the percentage of airline pilots in a stable relationship is so much higher than the average population. In this interview we discover what it's like to be a pilot's wife. The photograph I took of Mrs A on the day we met. Taking the kids on their daly ride around the Base to see the kangaroos! The Airline Pilot's Wife.
34 Seconds to Touch Down
February 02, 2019 16:20 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBWe have recently been listening to Adam Spink describe the sight of a Boeing 777 crash on the threshold of runway 27L at Heathrow airport whilst he was the Air Traffic supervisor in the tower. On this tale we look at the technical reasons for why BA38 lost power on its approach. Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the NTSB.
Adam Spink and Speedbird 38, Part 2
January 26, 2019 14:22 - 19 minutes - 20.6 MBThe second part of the interview with Adam Spink, the Heathrow tower Supervisor and Birthday Boy on the day that Speedbird 38 crashed on the threshold of Runway 27L at Heathrow. In this final part we talk about the aftermath of the accident. Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Maarten Visser, Alchetron, the AAIB and UK Gov.
Adam Spink and Speedbird 38, Part 1
January 19, 2019 18:23 - 19 minutes - 18.3 MBObserving a large wide body airliner crash is, mercifully, a rare occurrence but to have one crash onto your airfield when working as the Air Traffic Supervisor in the control tower puts it in a completely different category of amazing! This is Adams story of the day it happened to him at London's Heathrow airport. G-YMMM, the accident airframe a few years before. Speedbird 38 after the crash. Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Marc-Antony Payne, Aero Icarus.
The Widow Makers
January 12, 2019 00:33 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBWidow Maker is an epitaph attached to aircraft that present a particular risk to the life of the pilot. Many times this name is inappropriately used but in some cases, sadly, it is all too valid. This is the story of two such aircraft. The Martin B-26B Marauder. A USAF recruitment poster featuring the Marauder. Chuck Yeager in the NF104, an aircraft that would nearly kill him after he lost control and ejected. His helmet was punctured and the oxygen within caught fire badly burni...
Bathtubs, Potatoes, Shoes and Flatirons
January 06, 2019 19:11 - 19 minutes - 20.3 MBThere are some sleek and elegant aircraft out there and some pretty ugly ones too! Despite gaining nicknames such as the Flying Bathtub and the Flying Potato, many of these amazing flying machines did a great job in furthering our understanding of spaceflight. This is the story of the Lifting Body aircraft. Three of the NASA experimental lifting body aircraft. The Mig105 Spiral, nicknamed the Flying Shoe. Images shown under creative commons licence with thanks to NASA and Bernhard ...
Christmas Outtakes 2018
December 31, 2018 16:01 - 11 minutes - 11 MBNot every Plane Tale recording goes according to plan...oops!
Flown West
December 23, 2018 13:24 - 19 minutes - 20.2 MBAeronauts, ducks, aviatrices, anhedral, terminals, slips and skids all have their place in aviation but where do these strange terms come from... particularly that old phrase, "He's flown West."
Mare’s Tails and Wooly Fleece
December 16, 2018 14:48 - 18 minutes - 18.8 MBLuke Howard, the man who changed castles into Cumulus and mares tails into Cirrus. No weather forecast would be complete without his system. Cumulus cloud. Cirrus cloud. Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Acabashi and PiccoloNamek.
Killing Myths
December 10, 2018 14:58 - 20 minutes - 20.9 MBAn attempt to distill the crash of Air France 447 down to the the simple causes and dispel some of the fanciful and unhelpful theories that surround this accident. The accident aircraft, an A330-200. The location of the wreckage of Flight 447. Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Pawel Kierzkowski, Valter Campanato/ABr and Roberto Maltchik Repórter da TV Brasil.