Top Landing Gear
89 episodes - English - Latest episode: 25 days ago -The Aviation podcast for everyone, flown by a pilot, a TV presenter, a pop star and a fencer!
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Episodes
Aboard Aviation Filming's Fleet of Boeing 747s
March 25, 2024 23:01 - 32 minutes - 44 MBWelcome to Top Landing Gear and our bonus edition of Full Flaps from Dunsfold Aerodrome. In our previous episode we spoke with Aviation Filming's owner Mike Woodley. In this episode we make our way out onto the apron and get guided tour around the three BA Boeing 747s with Aviation Filming Aerial Coordinator and Pilot Jamie Chalkley.
Mike Woodley - Aviation Filming
March 18, 2024 23:01 - 1 hour - 86.3 MBWelcome to Top Landing Gear Full Flaps and our full length interview with Mike Woodley, owner of Aviation Filming Ltd based at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey. The company specialises in aviation content for film and TV, including a huge number of the Bond films. Among Aviation Filming's fleet are three former BA Boeing 747s which are regularly used as film props and a very famous Douglas Dakota. We met up with Mike in his office beneath the control tower of Dunsfold in May 2023 to hear som...
Dunsfold Aerodrome: Home of the Hunter and the Harrier
March 12, 2024 08:31 - 1 hour - 137 MBWelcome to Top Landing Gear as we turn our attention to an airfield that is close to all of us, both emotionally and geographically: Dunsfold Aerodrome, home of the Hunter and the Harrier. It was also used as the studio and test track for BBC Top Gear (a poor man's version of Top Landing Gear - wheels instead of wings!), home to the sadly defunct annual Wings and Wheels airshow, and the base for Aviation Filming, which provides aircraft and facilities for the film and television industry, i...
A Tour of Croydon Airport with A380 Captain Ian Walker
February 13, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 131 MBJoin the Top Landing Gear team as they are given a tour of Croydon Airport by A380 Captain Ian Walker, former chairman of the Croydon Airport Trust. Opening in the 1920s, Croydon was London's, indeed the UK's main international airport. Arguably the birthplace of commercial air travel, it was also the starting point for many of aviation's historic records, including those set by Amy Johnson. Visit https://www.historiccroydonairport.org.uk/ to find out more, book your own visit and disco...
Croydon Airport
February 05, 2024 23:00 - 44 minutes - 60.8 MBTop Landing Gear returns as we continue series 5 by going further back in aviation history than we've ever gone before, to the earliest days of commercial air travel with our visit to the historic Croydon Aerodrome. Opening in the 1920s, Croydon was London's, indeed the UK's main international airport, and as well as virtually being the birthplace of commercial air travel, it was also the starting point for many of aviation's historic records, including those set by Amy Johnson. So this is ...
THE YEAR: 2024 - AND TOP LANDING GEAR IS BACK!
January 31, 2024 23:00 - 32 minutes - 45 MBWe delivered our last podcast - as in most recent -back in May 2023 - when we were in the middle of series 5. We were literally on our way to Roy's studio to record our next editions when he told us not to bother - because his house was being razed to the ground after a tumble direr caught fire. Because of that and Roy's constant touring with his band Scouting For Girls, this is the first time we've been able to get back together. So here's a quick catch-up with the 4 of us with all our lat...
Top Landing Gear is coming back...
January 30, 2024 10:23 - 48 seconds - 1.1 MBWe are coming back! A short trailer to get you in the mood for the rest of Series Five (Part Deux)
Bizjet Falcon 7X Captain, Mark Blois-Brooke
May 09, 2023 11:03 - 1 hour - 140 MBWelcome to Top Landing Gear Full Flaps, where we bring you the most thrilling stories and captivating interviews from the world of aviation. Today, we are thrilled to present our full-length interview with none other than Bizjet pilot extraordinaire, Mark Blois-Brooke. Our hosts, Rob and Roy, had the privilege of meeting Mark in his operating base at Farnborough Airport, the largest and most prestigious business aviation airport in the UK. With his extensive experience and expertise, Mark r...
Private Jets
April 26, 2023 07:43 - 1 hour - 165 MBHello and welcome to Top Landing Gear, the aviation podcast for everyone. Join Rob, Jez, James and Roy as we learn about the glamorous world of business jets and hear a snippet of next weeks interview with Falcon 7X Captain and Chief Pilot for TAG Aviation, Mark Bois-Brooke.
The Spitfire Factory - Tony Hoskins takes us around the Airframe Assemblies workshop
April 18, 2023 00:02 - 1 hour - 204 MBWelcome to Top Landing Gear Full Flaps and the second part of our interview with Tony Hoskins who is restoring a rare photo reconnaissance Spitfire PR4 to full flight. Back in 2018 Tony and his team recovered the wreckage of Spitfire AA810 from a mountainside in Norway where it had laid undisturbed for 76 years having been shot down on a mission to photograph the battleship Tirpitz. The pilot Sandy Gunn bailed out but was later captured and sent to Stalug Luft III to become one of those imm...
Tony Hoskins - Restoring Sandy’s Spitfire
April 11, 2023 20:45 - 46 minutes - 107 MBWelcome to Top Landing Gear Full Flaps and the first part of our interview with Tony Hoskins who is restoring a rare photo reconnaissance Spitfire PR4 to full flight. Back in 2018 Tony and his team recovered the wreckage of Spitfire AA810 from a mountainside in Norway where it had laid undisturbed for 76 years having been shot down on a mission to photograph the battleship Tirpitz. The pilot Sandy Gunn bailed out but was later captured and sent to Stalug Luft III to become one of those immo...
Aerial reconnaissance and Restoring Sandy’s Spitfire AA810
April 04, 2023 14:51 - 51 minutes - 118 MBWelcome to Top Landing Gear and the first episode proper of Series Five. Along with our usual catch up and 'Ask James' feature we talk aerial reconnaissance and hear the remarkable story of a very special Spitfire. We speak to engineer and aerial restoration specialist Tony Hoskins who shares the incredible story of Spitfire AA810, a photo reconnaissance PR4 which was lost over occupied Europe whilst on the hunt for the German battleship Turpitz. He recalls the story of its remarkable pilot...
Audacious Aviation - Alan Pollock and the Hawker Hunter that flew through Tower Bridge.
March 30, 2023 22:30 - 2 hours - 138 MBA massive thank you to all our listeners. So many wonderful words across social media about the return of Top Landing Gear this week. After we mentioned it in last weeks episode we thought it only right to repeat our Audacious Aviation Podcast and 2020 interview with Hawker Hunter pilot Alan Pollock. A brand new TLG episode will be dropping next Tuesday.
The last 747 and airport near misses - Catching up on the latest aviation news and looking ahead to Series Five
March 27, 2023 22:06 - 51 minutes - 119 MBHello and welcome back to Top Landing Gear. The aviation podcast for everyone. After several months in the wilderness we’re back with a brand new series. Today we catch up on the latest aviation news and look forward to what’s coming up in Season Five of www.toplandinggear.com If you have a topic you would like us to consider or a question for our pilot and aviation expert get in touch via our socials or send us an email via [email protected] Thanks for listening
Series Five Starts Tomorrow
March 26, 2023 22:16 - 2 minutes - 4.72 MBTop Landing Gear is back... (Well it will be tomorrow on TLG Tuesday!) Here's a quick overview of what we've got coming up over the coming weeks. If you have a topic that you think we should cover this year or a question for our Ask James segment we would love to hear from you. Contact us via our socials or send us an email at [email protected] Until Tomorrow!
TLG on Eggheads Special
October 13, 2022 23:00 - 1 hour - 138 MBHello and welcome back to Top Landing Gear after a bit of a hiatus during the summer. But we haven’t been totally idle in that time. Having said that we’re not launching the new series just yet. This episode, to be brutally honest is unashamedly about creating a bit of self-publicity. As you have no doubt seen via our vast social media empire, the Top Landing Gear team recently appeared on the popular channel 5 quiz show Eggheads. How did we do? Well we're not at liberty to divulge that in...
Traveling by air this summer? Interview and travel advice with aviation expert Jeremy Spake
July 23, 2022 12:10 - 1 hour - 96.3 MBWelcome to Top Landing Gear and our final episode of the series, one to put a spring in your step if you’re heading off on your summer holidays. As we are all too well aware, the aviation sector has struggled to bounce back from the pandemic, resulting in thousands of delays and cancellations. From pandemic to pandemonium; it’s a pantomime farce only not as entertaining! What will be entertaining is our special guest, celebrity aviation expert Jeremy Spake who will share his wit and wisdom...
Full Flaps - the Jet Engine - Interview with Ian Whittle, Son of Frank Whittle
June 29, 2022 23:07 - 51 minutes - 118 MBHello and Welcome to TLG and to the second stage of our Full Flaps interview with Ian Whittle, son of Sir Frank, the man who invented the jet engine. Ian told us so much in part one, you’d hardly believe there’d be more – but there is – and we couldn’t let an opportunity like this pass us by. So here once again is Ian talking to James Cartner and me Rob Curling at his Surrey home, almost 85 years to the day since the first running of Sir Frank Whittle’s revolutionary invention.
Full Flaps - The Jet Engine - Interview with Ian Whittle, son of Sir Frank Whittle - Part One
June 23, 2022 23:01 - 1 hour - 158 MBHello and welcome to Top Landing Gear Full Flaps, and to the full length interview with Ian Whittle, son of Sir Frank Whittle, the man credited with one of the greatest inventions of the modern age, something that changed the world forever – the jet engine. Ian is a pilot himself and flew the Gloster Meteor in RAF service, Britain’s first jet fighter, powered by the very engines his father had invented. James and I had the enormous pleasure of visiting Ian at his Surrey home almost 85 years ...
PLATINUM JUBILEE BONUS EPISODE - Typhoon Formation Pilot, SQN LDR Zane Sennett
June 23, 2022 13:14 - 33 minutes - 77.1 MBThe nation came together over 4 days in June to mark the extraordinary milestone of HM The Queen's 70 year reign. One of the highlights of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations was the flypast over London of 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, the Army and of course the Royal Air Force who flew 15 Typhoons in formation as the number '70'. Among them was Sqn Ldr Zane Sennett, who described to TLG in fascinating detail what it was like to fly in this mass formation, and how the whole operation was ...
Sir Frank Whittle and the Jet Engine
June 17, 2022 00:00 - 55 minutes - 127 MBThis episode of Top Landing Gear might in itself not be worthy of going down in history, but it’s all about one of the greatest inventions of the modern age, something that changed the world forever – the jet engine. And our guest is no less a person than Ian Whittle, the son of the man credited with that invention - Sir Frank Whittle. You’ll hear a clip of our interview with Ian here, but not before you’ve heard a uniquely informative Quick Facts from Jez on what is a pretty colossal subjec...
Lancaster - Our first impression of the 2022 Film
June 13, 2022 16:31 - 13 minutes - 31.9 MBJoin Roy, Jim & Jez in the pub after watching a screening of the new Lancaster movie. It was produced by the same people who gave us 'Spitfire' in 2018 - The film that made Jez cry in the cinema - Would Lancaster have the same effect? Jim also talks about how the airlines dealt with the increased Half-Term holiday demand. (Answer - not very well) and Jez gives us a quick review of Top Gun: Maverick. Rob was supposed to be with us but Roy accidentally bought the tickets for the wrong day ...
Full Flaps - Rear Admiral Chris Parry CBE
May 27, 2022 07:30 - 1 hour - 168 MBHello and welcome to TLG and our Full Flaps interview with Chris Parry, a RN Observer on HMS Antrim’s Wessex 3, known as Humphrey. Chris is a fascinating character, and some of the stories he tells us here about what went on down south during the Falklands Conflict 40 years ago, defy belief, not least the insertion and rescue of an SAS party on the Fortuna Glacier on South Georgia in the most unbelievably treacherous conditions. The fact that Chris also fired the first shots of the war to di...
Falklands 40th – The Westland Wessex & Chris Parry
May 20, 2022 00:00 - 1 hour - 179 MBIn this edition of Top Landing Gear we continue to mark the 40th anniversary of the Falklands Conflict, focussing on one of the workhorses of the British Task Force’s airborne operation, the venerable Westland Wessex. Now of course our aviation ‘expert’ James Cartner was an RAF Wessex pilot, so we thought we’d let him compile the quiz, and be the quiz master. This is unlikely ever to happen again. Our guest was a Royal Navy observer on HMS Antrim’s Wessex 3, famously known as Humphrey. The m...
Interview with Squadron Leader Martin Withers, DFC - Display pilot for Vulcan XH558
May 13, 2022 00:06 - 27 minutes - 63.1 MBIn part two of our interview with Martin Withers, he relives the joy of displaying what was the last surviving Vulcan, XH558. It was an unexpected and hugely welcome chapter to his flying career after he had flown two of the historic Black Buck Raids during the Falklands Conflict in 1982. That was the only time the Vulcan had been used in anger as a bomber, and came right at the end of its RAF career. But the RAF kept two Vulcans for public displays, XL426 and XH558, known as the Vulcan Disp...
Interview with Squadron Leader Martin Withers, DFC - Vulcan XM607 pilot during the Falklands Black Buck raid
May 06, 2022 00:01 - 1 hour - 181 MBIn this 40th anniversary year of the Falklands Conflict we devote two Full Flaps editions to Martin Withers who flew Avro Vulcan XM607 on the historic Black Buck Raids on Stanley Airfield. Martin and his crew were actually the reserve crew for the mission, but when the primary aircraft went u/s, Withers and XM607 immediately stepped up to carry out one of the most extraordinary, not to mention longest bombing raids of all time. In part one Martin talks to us in detail about the build-up to t...
The Vulcan & the 40th Anniversary of Falklands War Operation Black Buck
April 28, 2022 23:00 - 53 minutes - 121 MBThis week’s podcast drops in a very timely manner as we release the first of our episodes marking the 40th anniversary of the Falklands Conflict. Specifically this week’s episode features the magnificent Avro Vulcan and the Black Buck Raids flown by our guest Martin Withers. The first raid, with Martin flying Vulcan XM607, set out from Ascension Island on the 30th April 1982, dropping its 21 1,000lb bombs on Stanley Airfield in the early hours of the 1st May. It is one of the most extraordi...
The Best of Top Landing Gear and Series Four Preview
April 21, 2022 23:00 - 50 minutes - 116 MBWe’re delighted to finally get series 4 of our aviation podcast Top Landing Gear up and flying – at last! We’re kicking off this first episode with a look back at some of our favourite topics and guest interviews from our first three series. There are two reasons for this: firstly they’re worth hearing again; secondly we weren’t organised enough to come up with a new subject in time. So for this week please enjoy, no really please try, our ‘Best of’ episode, including clips from our intervie...
Top Landing Gear returns...
April 20, 2022 09:23 - 1 minute - 4.16 MBTop Landing Gear Series Four starts this week. A quick two minute preview from Rob and a reminder of who we are, what we do and that there is a quiz!
BBMF Bomber Leader - Flight Lieutenant Neil ‘Faz‘ Farrell - Lancaster Pilot
November 23, 2021 09:46 - 40 minutes - 46.2 MBIn our final interview from our trip to Lincoln the TLG team talk to Flight Lieutenant Neil 'Faz' Farrell inside the iconic BBMF hangar at RAF Coningsby. As we walk around Lancaster PA474 Neil tells us about his experiences as Bomber Leader, what it's like flying the Lancaster and about his other roles in the RAF such as flying the E-3 Sentry and instructing others to fly the E-3, Lancaster and Dakota. We would like to thank Neil and everybody at RAF Coningsby and BBMF for all their time ...
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) & Lancaster PA474
November 16, 2021 00:33 - 55 minutes - 63 MBThe team are finally back together as a foursome in the studio - well, not quite the studio but backstage at GLive in Guildford just before Roy takes to the stage on the Surrey leg of his SFG 2021 tour.In this episode we discuss all things BBMF and Lancaster after our 2020 tour to Lincolnshire. James was asked about bang seats, Jez's quick facts had to be quick - as the support band were just about to start kicking out some beats; and the quiz made a triumpant* return. Plus we hear a snipp...
RAF Chinook Display Team - Flt Lt Matt Smyth
October 21, 2021 22:00 - 17 minutes - 24.7 MBWelcome to TLG and to our series of interviews from the 2021 Bournemouth Air Festival. Regular listeners to TLG will know that our aviation expert James Cartner is a former RAF Puma pilot. As such he has some kind of weird chip on his shoulder about the mighty Chinook, alleging that all any Chinook crew will talk about is how much it can lift. For the rest of us, and I suspect for James as well although he’d hate to admit it, the Chinook is an incredible aircraft, and its impressive display...
Air Vice Marshall Simon Edwards - Assistant Chief of The Air Staff.
October 18, 2021 22:00 - 11 minutes - 15.6 MBWelcome to TLG and to our series of interviews from the 2021 Bournemouth Air Festival. We were extremely honoured to be invited to the Festival’s opening ceremony which was attended not only by some of the show’s participants but also some top brass, among whom was Air Vice Marshal Simon Edwards, Assistant Chief of The Air Staff. A former Hercules and C17 pilot, he’s now responsible for ASTRA, the RAF’s future strategy. Yet despite being such an incredibly important and impressive figure...
The Tigers Army Parachute Display Team - Pte Will Simms
October 15, 2021 00:00 - 12 minutes - 17.6 MBWelcome to TLG and to our series of interviews from the 2021 Bournemouth Air Festival. Both the RAF and the Royal Navy took part in the flying display at Bournemouth, as did the Army, who were superbly represented by the Tigers Free-fall Parachute Display Team. These guys from the Princess of Wales’s Regiment and Queens Division do this in their spare time as parachuting isn’t part of their normal army life – that tends to be left to the Parachute Regiment. But they’re all highly qualifi...
RAF Typhoon Display Team - Flt Lt Sainty
October 13, 2021 10:15 - 19 minutes - 22.2 MBWelcome to TLG and to our series of interviews from the 2021 Bournemouth Air Festival. There are those whose sole reason for attending an airshow is to watch and hear the old piston-engined fighters and bombers from WWII, and indeed few could argue with their reasoning. But for others, and I suspect the majority of airshow-goers, one of the greatest thrills is seeing the Typhoon being put through its paces, accompanied by the crackling roar of its twin jets rasping through the air. RIAT asi...
How do you book an air show? Interview with Bournemouth Air Festival Director Jon Weaver.
October 06, 2021 14:22 - 30 minutes - 41.6 MBWelcome to TLG and to our series of interviews from the 2021 Bournemouth Air Festival. Since its launch in 2008, the Bournemouth Air Festival has established itself as one of the UK’s leading public aviation events, and is estimated to generate in the region of £30 million pounds annually to the local economy. It’s certainly highly regarded by aviation fans and display teams alike as it attracts top acts in the air, at sea, on the ground, including most years music acts, not least Roy Strid...
The AeroSuperBatics Wingwalkers at the 2021 Bournemouth Air FestivalS
September 30, 2021 22:00 - 41 minutes - 57.5 MBWelcome to TLG and to our series of interviews from the 2021 Bournemouth Air Festival. No airshow would be complete without the intrepid AeroSuperBatics Wingwalkers who’ve been thrilling airshow crowds all over the world since they were founded back in 1984. They fly the Boeing Stearman, a biplane trainer from the 1940s, with the wingwalkers climbing from the open cockpit onto the top wing to perform various moves, while the aircraft perform aerobatics in close formation, at speeds of up to...
How do you run an airshow over the sea? Interview with Dave Walton, Display Director of the 2021 Bournemouth Air Festival.
September 27, 2021 21:03 - 18 minutes - 25.6 MBWelcome to TLG and to our series of interviews from the 2021 Bournemouth Air Festival. Putting on an airshow requires an immense amount of organisation, and safety is of course paramount. But when a display takes place over the sea, and away from an airfield, who controls the display area and calls the aircraft in to begin their display? What if they need to hold, or if there needs to be a last minute change due to unforeseen circumstances? Dave Walton is Display Director for the UK’s Coast...
Rich Goodwin and the Pitts Special at the 2021 Bournemouth Festival
September 24, 2021 11:40 - 33 minutes - 46 MBWelcome to TLG and to our series of interviews from the 2021 Bournemouth Air Festival. One of the most eye-catching solo displays at UK airshows is the ultra high-energy performance by Rich Goodwin in his Pitts Special. A former RAF Tornado pilot, Rich has been performing aerobatics for over 30 years, and his phenomenal display has spectators gasping in disbelief as he hurls his tiny Pitts Special Muscle Biplane around the sky. Rich is also passionate about building and modifying these bipl...
The Red Arrows at the 2021 Bournemouth Air Festival
September 21, 2021 07:58 - 41 minutes - 56.4 MBWelcome to TLG and to our series of interviews from the 2021 Bournemouth Air Festival. With the 2021 airshow season in the UK drawing to a close, what better time to speak to Red 6, Squadron Leader Jon Bond, as he brings the curtain down on his 4 year stint with the Red Arrows. As Red 6 ‘Bondie’ is Synchro Leader, and also choreographed a brand new manoeuvre for the Reds this year called Boomerang. We also spoke to former Red 1, now OC the Red Arrows, Wing Commander David Montenegro, and Re...
FULL FLAPS - The TLG team go gliding with Lincolnshire‘s Trent Valley Gliding Club
September 06, 2021 23:05 - 38 minutes - 89 MBAfter several hi-octane podcasts celebrating the magic of the Merlin-powered Avro Lancaster, and the roar of the mighty Eurofighter Typhoon, we’re back with, not so much a bang, but definitely not a whimper either, in fact more of a whoosh. This week the TLG team goes gliding. None of us knew quite what to expect ahead of our gliding debuts, but, as you’ll hear in our Full Flaps episode, we loved it! We hope this episode will open your eyes, as it did ours, to the glory of gliding, and the ...
Gliding
August 30, 2021 22:56 - 1 hour - 109 MBAfter several hi-octane podcasts celebrating the magic of the Merlin-powered Avro Lancaster, and the roar of the mighty Eurofighter Typhoon, we’re back with, not so much a bang, but definitely not a whimper either, in fact more of a whoosh. This week the TLG team goes gliding. None of us knew quite what to expect ahead of our gliding debuts, but, as you’ll hear in our Full Flaps episode, we loved it! We hope this episode will open your eyes, as it did ours, to the glory of gliding, and the ...
FULL FLAP - In the Typhoon simulator with Flt Lt Nick Callinswood at RAF Coningsby
August 10, 2021 07:44 - 22 minutes - 50.4 MBWelcome to our second FULL FLAPS Eurofighter Typhoon episode. During our trip to RAF Coningsby the TLG team was given unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to the Typhoon operation. In this second episode you can hear Rob flying the Typhoon sim under the expert instruction of our host Flt Lt Nick Callinswood who went above and beyond in making sure we got more from our visit than we could ever have hoped for. We had so much fun that we thought it deserved two episodes, so make sure you ch...
FULL FLAPS Flt Lt Nick Callinswood and the Typhoon at RAF Coningsby
August 03, 2021 23:13 - 40 minutes - 93.3 MBWelcome to our FULL FLAPS Eurofighter Typhoon episode. During our trip to RAF Coningsby the TLG team was given unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to the Typhoon operation. Coningsby is one of two RAF stations in the UK which operates the Typhoon in the QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) role, safeguarding UK airspace. We toured the hangars, sat in cockpit of an operational Typhoon, and were given a highly detailed explanation of everything that makes this spectacular aircraft such a potent weap...
The Eurofighter Typhoon - The world's most advanced fighter jet.
July 27, 2021 09:10 - 41 minutes - 95.5 MBWe’re continuing with our trip to Lincolnshire, Bomber County, where we’ve been focussing on the Avro Lancaster. But in this episode we move right up to date with our visit to RAF Coningsby, one of the RAF’s Typhoon bases where our host for the day, Flt Lt Nick Callinswood, gave us incredible access as we explored and sat in an operational Typhoon, and gave all four of us instruction in the Typhoon flight simulator. So we’ve divided the full flaps episode into two parts as there’s so much g...
RAF Scampton Heritage Centre Tour with Colin Clitheroe FULL FLAPS
July 13, 2021 22:00 - 1 hour - 163 MBOn our recent visit to Bomber County, Lincolnshire, the TLG team visited RAF Scampton, home to 617 Squadron and from where, in May 1943, 19 specially converted Lancasters set out on that historic raid. This is our FULL FLAPS tour around the Scampton Heritage Centre, which included sitting at the desk of Wing Cdr Guy Gibson in the very office from where he planned and ran Operation Chastise, and touring the original hangars where those Lancaster's were prepared. Huge thanks to our wonder...
The Dam Busters Raid and RAF Scampton
July 05, 2021 23:24 - 52 minutes - 121 MBAfter Roy and James tried to go it alone in the previous pod, Top Landing Gear is back at full strength for this one. Throughout this series we’ve been focussing on the Avro Lancaster which this year celebrates its 80th anniversary. And this episode features the Lanc’s most famous mission of all, Operation Chastise, ‘The Dam Busters Raid’. On our recent visit to Bomber County, Lincolnshire, the TLG team visited RAF Scampton, home to 617 Squadron and from where, in May 1943, 19 specially co...
Supermarine Spitfire prototype K5054 and Spitfire Pilot 'Jim Schofield'
June 21, 2021 22:00 - 1 hour - 171 MBWith the Curling Brothers unavailable, Roy And James got together to mark the 85th anniversary of the first public display of the Supermarine Spitfire prototype K5054. We catch up on the latest aviation news, answer a superb 'Ask James' question and conduct arguably the best Top Landing Gear quiz ever! It is also the perfect excuse to repeat our interview with the Spitfire pilot Jim Schofield. Chief pilot at the Boultbee Academy Where YOU can fly in a Spitfire! Jim has flown over 100 typ...
The Petwood Hotel - Home of the Dambusters (617 Squadron) - Full Flaps
June 15, 2021 09:01 - 45 minutes - 104 MBWelcome to our full length interview with Emma Brealey, director of the magnificent Petwood Hotel in Lincolnshire. During the Second World War it served as the officers' mess for a number of RAF squadrons including 617 Squadron - The Dambusters. Petwood's ties with the RAF are particularly strong and it continues to host squadron reunions and gatherings. The hotel also boasts a wealth of memorabilia, and as you'll hear from Emma some wonderful stories. WARNING! This interview was conducte...
Lincoln 'Bomber County' and the Petwood Hotel
June 07, 2021 22:00 - 45 minutes - 104 MBWelcome to the second magazine episode of Series Three, all about the magnificent county of Lincolnshire and its long-standing aviation connections. Lincolnshire was the base for our incredible T.L.G trip last year where we visited NX611 'Just Jane' at the Lincolnshire Heritage Aviation Centre (see the last episode!), visited the BBMF and the Typhoon squadron at RAF Conningsby, watched the Red Arrows at RAF Scampton, and even got a chance to go gliding and microlighting. (These episodes com...