Top Landing Gear

The Red Arrows at the 2021 Bournemouth Air Festival

Welcome 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 Red 10, Squadron Leader Adam Collins.

We were lucky enough to interview many more of the pilots who took part in this years hugely successful Bournemouth Air Festival. We'll be putting these out as podcasts in the coming days and weeks so keep your eyes peeled.

 

FULL FLAPS - The TLG team go gliding with Lincolnshire‘s Trent Valley Gliding Club

After 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 thrills it brings. It’s about far more than just genteelly floating through the air enjoying the view, although if that’s what you want it is one of life’s great airborne experiences. But it provides drama and excitement too, and as we discovered courtesy of our exuberant and generous hosts at Trent Valley Gliding Club at Kirton-in-Lindsey (www.tvgc.org.uk), there are things you can do in a glider you might never have thought possible.

 

#gliding #trentvalleyglidingclub #avgeek #avglider 

 

Gliding

After 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 thrills it brings. It’s about far more than just genteelly floating through the air enjoying the view, although if that’s what you want it is one of life’s great airborne experiences. But it provides drama and excitement too, and as we discovered courtesy of our exuberant and generous hosts at Trent Valley Gliding Club at Kirton-in-Lindsey (www.tvgc.org.uk), there are things you can do in a glider you might never have thought possible.

There’s all the usual stuff in the magazine episode too of course: Roy talks us through his attempts at his first landing in a microlight; Ask James covers quite a wide range of topics, which thankfully as our aviation expert James manages to answer; and Jez’s Quick Facts on gliding are, a bit like a flight in a glider, potentially never-ending. The TLG Quiz is as fiercely contested as ever with some top notch whingeing from both Jez and James. Please do join us for our latest podcast and be catapulted into the glorious world of gliding.    

FULL FLAP - In the Typhoon simulator with Flt Lt Nick Callinswood at RAF Coningsby

Welcome 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 check out last weeks episode too! Huge thanks to Nick and everyone at RAF Coningsby. 

FULL FLAPS Flt Lt Nick Callinswood and the Typhoon at RAF Coningsby

Welcome 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 weapon. We were also each allowed to fly 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 you’ll have to wait until next weeks to see how we got on in the simulator. Huge thanks to Nick and everyone at RAF Coningsby. 

The Eurofighter Typhoon - The world's most advanced fighter jet.

We’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 great stuff: the tour around the aircraft will be part one, or the leading edge slat, the flight sim experience part two, the trailing edge.

In the studio, James is interesting again when we ask him a question, and tells us that a Typhoon is faster than a Puma. We also talk about personalised aircraft registrations; and Ron Goodwin’s estate benefits nicely from Jez’s Typhoon Quick Facts which were so long, the entire Battle of Britain them tune had to be played twice.

The ever popular, ever brilliant but testing quiz turns typically niggly, with more needle than you’d find in your grandmother’s sewing kit, as Jez and James continue to try and stitch each other up. But we think the clip in the Typhoon hangar at RAF Coningsby will make the pain of listening to all that other nonsense worth your while. Please enjoy. We did. 

RAF Scampton Heritage Centre Tour with Colin Clitheroe FULL FLAPS

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 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 wonderful guide Colin Clitheroe, a volunteer whose incredible knowledge, passion and warm humour made this an unforgettable experience. As the MOD has confirmed it will be selling RAF Scampton, the Top Landing Gear team urge you to visit the heritage centre as soon as possible AND lend your backing to the Save Scampton campaign. We'll be talking to the campaign's founder in the next Pod. 

The Dam Busters Raid and RAF Scampton

After 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 80^th 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 converted Lancasters set out on that historic raid. Jez outlines exactly what was involved in one of his best ‘Quick Facts’ to date, yet despite his extensive research he bombed somewhat in the TLG ‘Dam Busters’ Quiz.

We’ll play a clip of our 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. Our Full Flaps edition will cover that visit in full, and in a bonus episode we’ll hear from Annette Edgar who’s launched an ambitious campaign to save historic RAF Scampton as a heritage site, following its scheduled closure in 2022. 

Supermarine Spitfire prototype K5054 and Spitfire Pilot 'Jim Schofield'

With 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 types and a century of front-line fighters: 1917 Bristol Fighter, SE5a, Spitfire, Mustang, Viggen, Jaguar, Harrier, Tornado, Gripen, Typhoon, F-15, F-16, F/A-18 and F-35. He was one of the first pilots to land an F-35 on a ship at night. He is a UK and US instructor, a display pilot evaluator, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, father of two and a lovely lovely  man! 

The Petwood Hotel - Home of the Dambusters (617 Squadron) - Full Flaps

Welcome 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 conducted before, during and after a delicious dinner with Emma in the squadron bar. As such it starts well but the TLG teams ability to remain coherent was severely compromised!! Look out for the bloopers at the end!

Visit the magnificent Petwood Hotel this year and make it the perfect base for a wonderful aviation themed holiday in 2021  https://www.petwood.co.uk/