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The Aviation podcast for everyone, flown by a pilot, a TV presenter, a pop star and a fencer!
Episodes
Tuesday Jun 08, 2021
Tuesday Jun 08, 2021
Welcome 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 coming soon!)
This episode focuses on 'Bomber County' and an establishment we regard as the spiritual home of Top Landing Gear - The wonderful Petwood Hotel. A enchanting timeless place to visit and stay with enormous links to the RAF dating back to the WW2 when it was requisitioned as an officer's mess and became home to 617 squadron - The Dambusters l
Our special guest is the hotel's director and TLG friend Emma Brealey.
The Petwood is open now and makes the perfect base to explore Lincoln's distinguished aviation heritage. We urge you to visit! www.petwood.co.uk
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
Tuesday Jun 01, 2021
Hello and welcome to our second Full Flaps episode featuring the fabulous ‘Just Jane’ NX611 Avro Lancaster based at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre.
In this second bonus episode the TLG team are allowed inside the Lancaster… James takes the captains seat and is put in charge of the brakes. While Just Jane’s owner and museum visionary Andrew Panton gives us an interior tour of the aircraft and talks us through the engine start up. (whilst looking nervously at James)
The episode ends with a 5 minute uninterrupted sound recording of the four Merlin engines being fired up and Just Jane taxying off. Spine tingling.
The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre. is re-open now and after 2020 needs your support. Visit the museum or book your once in a lifetime, bucket list, Taxi ride experience today! Let's get Just Jane in the air once again!!!
Tuesday May 25, 2021
Tuesday May 25, 2021
With the Avro Lancaster celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2021, what better time to feature this iconic aircraft on Top Landing Gear. The whole of series three is built around TLG’s road trip to Bomber County, Lincolnshire, which is the base not only for the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and their Lancaster, PA474 ‘City of Lincoln’, but also for another very special Lancaster which could be joining the BBMF Lanc in the skies in the not too distant future.
The aircraft in question is NX611 ‘Just Jane’, which is being restored to flight at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby. It is already providing taxy runs for the public, and the hope is that one day it will carry passengers aloft in what would be the experience of a lifetime. The man behind this thrilling project is Andrew Panton, and he is our guest in this Full Flaps edition. He tells us the very personal story of how the whole thing started and just what is involved in getting a World War II heavy bomber back into the skies.
There’s lots more going on at East Kirkby too, and over the course of this two-parter Andrew fills us in on everything that they’re striving to achieve. In Part II Roy, James, Jez and Rob were lucky enough to climb aboard Just Jane on the move and share their boyish excitement about getting up close and personal with not just one, but two historic WWII aircraft at this wonderful wartime airfield.
Tuesday May 18, 2021
Tuesday May 18, 2021
We’re delighted to be back with a brand new series of podcasts. This series is built around our recent trip to Lincolnshire, Bomber County, and our visits to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and Typhoon Squadrons at RAF Coningsby, our Dam Busters tour at RAF Scampton, our microlight and gliding adventures, and a dinner to remember at our base for the trip, The Petwood Hotel, which was once the Officers’ Mess for 617 Squadron, the Dam Busters.
But our first episode is all about the Avro Lancaster, which celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, and about one Lancaster in particular, NX611 ‘Just Jane’, which is being restored to flight at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby. Our special guest is Andrew Panton, the man behind this exciting project.
We also have all our usual features, including Ask James and Jez’s Quick Facts, and there’s quite a turn up for the books in the outcome of the hugely popular and always highly anticipated Top Landing Gear Quiz. Plus Roy updates us on his impressive progress in going for his microlight licence, but embarrassingly admits that when he was taken for an adrenaline flight in an aerobatic Eagle biplane, he asked to go home early. It’s a crying shame. Despite that, we do hope you enjoy listening. It can only get better…
Tuesday May 11, 2021
Tuesday May 11, 2021
The wait is finally over.....
Well almost.... One week to go.
Series Three lands next week - On TLG Tuesday of course!
In this trailer Rob gives you a brief glimpse into some of the many aviation audio treats we have planned for the coming months... And to really whet the appetite we then re-run one of our favourite interviews from 2020.
Our Full Flaps extended conversation is with David Williams. A captain with Virgin Atlantic, who in 2014 was involved in a major incident when the 747-400 he was flying developed an unprecedented systems failure resulting in only part of the landing gear locking down for landing. David tells us in jaw-dropping detail how, for over three hours, he tried to literally shake the gear down by flying extreme manoeuvres never before experienced on a 747 laden with passengers. Indeed they weren’t even in the training manual. It didn’t work. He explains how he eventually nursed the aircraft back to Gatwick, but with so many systems malfunctioning, including the brakes, there was real concern as to what outcome awaited him, his crew and 447 passengers, one of whom was his own daughter. It’s a riveting account, never before told in such detail. The whole interview on Full Flaps will have you flabbergasted. Listen, and be amazed.
Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
We’re now well in to 2021 so we thought it was high time we produced our first podcast of the year. And how timely, just as Boris announces the roadmap out of Lockdown, we’ve recorded a Lockdown Special with our favourite aviation-themed films, books, TV programmes, websites and podcasts which we hope will inspire you as you look to fill some of those dreary lockdown hours, days, nights, weeks. I know. It’s almost over. We should have done this ages ago. But we didn’t. Sorry.
This edition has all the usual nonsense, including a really uplifting Ask James about how the pandemic is affecting aviation now and going forward. Even Jez’s Quick Facts struggle to raise much of a smile. But they are good. And quick … ish. But as ever, the real joy explodes with The Quiz! Fun, laughter, high quality competition are just three of the things we really wish we could have achieved. But we tried. We hope you’ll try equally hard to enjoy the podcast. Go on. Make an effort. We’ll also be posting additional recommendations for aviation-themed entertainment on the socials.
Top Landing Gear Series 3 proper will start airing in April. Although it might be May. It all depends on our road / route map.
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
Tuesday Dec 22, 2020
Happy Christmas! And we're ending 2020 and Series 2 with a real highlight. A Full Flaps interview with the brand new Red 1 - Team leader for the mighty Red Arrows - Squadron Leader Tom Bould.
As Team Leader, Tom is primarily responsible for all aspects of the display, from running the training programme to choreographing the show. He leads the nine-aircraft aerobatic display.
After being streamed to fly fast-jets in the Royal Air Force, Tom was selected to be a ‘Creamie' qualified flying instructor’ - a term given to pilots who are traditionally selected to become flying instructors due to being above average through their advanced flying training. He was subsequently chosen to be the Tucano display pilot in 2010.
Tom completed tactical weapons training and was chosen to fly the Typhoon. During his frontline tour, Tom had several deployments to the Falkland Islands as well as flying in exercises in Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.
Tom was selected for the Red Arrows for the 2015-2017 seasons and became a member of the Synchro Pair for 2016-17. Highlights include a tour to China and Pacific region in 2016 and a Middle East visit in 2017.
Promoted to Squadron Leader, Tom became a Flight Commander on IV(AC) Squadron at RAF Valley teaching the next generation of fast-jet pilots in the Hawk T2.
Re-joining the Red Arrows, the 2021 season will be his first year as Red 1 and Team Leader.
Huge thanks to Tom and mighty Red Arrows for this interview. We can't wait to see them in 2021 when things get back to normal. Thanks for listening. we'll be back with a brand new series in the spring.
Tuesday Dec 15, 2020
Tuesday Dec 15, 2020
Welcome to part two of our ‘Ask James’ Christmas Special, where our aviation expert James Cartner endeavours to answer at least some of the wonderful questions our listeners have sent in. (You’ve sent in so many great questions we’ll do some more in the New Year.) And if you did send one in, stay tuned as we’ll announce who’s won the prize for the best question as judged by us.
We hit a spectacularly low point with our aviation themed Christmas cracker ‘jokes’, and presents are handed out to one and all… well to everyone apart from Rob who did the handing out. But to be honest he does look more like Father Christmas than any of the others. And of course the pod comes to a scintillating climax with the Top Landing Gear Christmas Quiz! The guys love it!
Do make sure you’ve got enough of your favourite tipple or some kind of sedative to help get you through this episode. And just to let you know, there will be one more podcast before Christmas with a man in a red suit. All is revealed in this festive frolic. Wishing you a very Happy Christmas from all of us at Top Landing Gear!
#avgeek #aviation #chinook #RAF #Spitfire #Hawker #askjames #boeing777 #Toplandinggear #malaya #twoGs
Friday Dec 11, 2020
Friday Dec 11, 2020
On Saturday 5th December 2020, retired BA Boeing 747-400 G-BNLY made its final flight from Cardiff to Dunsfold aerodrome in Surrey. This aircraft was destined for the scrapheap, but because it is one of BA’s ‘retro jets’, Lima Yankee is painted in the iconic Landor livery, there was an enthusiastic campaign, which Top Landing Gear signed up to, to save it. Then the excellent news reached us that Mike Woodley of Aviation Filming at Dunsfold, had taken ownership. Mike kindly invited Top Landing Gear to be present on this auspicious occasion, where we caught up with BA 747 pilot Mags Sefari who was on the crew that delivered her that day, and a couple for whom Lima Yankee holds a particularly special place in their hearts. So we hope you’ll enjoy listening to what we think is the perfect good news story for Christmas. Speaking of which, to all our listeners and subscribers, have a great Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
Tuesday Dec 08, 2020
Tuesday Dec 08, 2020
Seasons Greetings, and welcome to the first of our Top Landing Gear Christmas Specials!
Our next two episodes are devoted to our aviation expert and pilot James Cartner. By ‘devoted’, what we really mean is James will be taking centre stage answering the many excellent questions our listeners have sent in, as well as some of our own. And of course we are all extremely devoted to Jimbo. What James doesn’t know about aviation could be written on a piece of paper stretching from the earth to the moon and back, and back again. But he sounds convincing and we believe everything he says. Jez’s Quick Facts about James sound more like a wedding speech, but nevertheless, James’s life has been so very nearly almost interesting. As always the undoubted highlight of the podcast is our Christmas themed quiz, which you would think would give Roy and Jez a decent chance of at least being competitive with our expert James. You would think. Anyway, pour yourself several really strong sherries before listening, and with luck you’ll sleep through the whole thing.
Part two follows next week, when we’ll be announcing the winner of the best question to have been submitted. I mean, it’s like Christmas has come early. Enjoy!