Top Landing Gear

Welcome 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.    

Welcome 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 some of his incredible stories about the film and aviation industry. Enjoy! 

Welcome 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, including most of the Bond films. It's run by our splendid guest, Mike Woodley.

Join 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 discover how you can support or volunteer for the Trust. 

Top 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 a real step back in time partly because it was so long ago when we recorded the interview with the man who knows everything there is to know about Croydon's history, Ian Walker. We'll bring you the full recording of our visit to Croydon in our Full Flaps Edition, but here we get back into the swing of things with our magazine edition and all the usual TLG stuff, including Ask James, Jez's Quick Facts all about Croydon Airport - and of course the Top Landing Gear Quiz! Enjoy!

We 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 latest news and some of the aviation headlines that have caught our eyes in recent months.   Thank you for sticking with us, or if you're new to TLG - welcome - have you any idea what you're letting yourself in for?!  

We are coming back!  A short trailer to get you in the mood for the rest of Series Five (Part Deux)

Welcome 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 regaled us with his fascinating tales of life in corporate aviation, leaving us on the edge of our seats. And if that wasn't enough, you can now dive deeper into Mark's fascinating life with his book "Life in a Tin Can," available now for aviation enthusiasts and adventurers alike. So buckle up, and get ready to take off on an unforgettable journey with Mark Blois-Brooke and Top Landing Gear Full Flaps!

Hello 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. 

Welcome 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 immortalised in The Great Escape. Tony's aim is that 810 should become a flying memorial to the men and woman of the Photograph Reconnaissance Unit during World War Two. And as well as restoring the aircraft is campaigning to have a permanent monument to the PRU erected in London. We visited Tony at Airframe Assemblies on the Isle of Wight where 810 is being painstakingly restored. In this episode we take you around the workshop where you can hear how the restoration is taking shape. If you missed last weeks episode, please listen back to part one as Tony talks us through his ambitions for the project and the fascinating story of a very rare Spitfire and it's pilot.  Please visit to https://www.spitfireaa810.co.uk to find out more and  how you can support this incredible project. You can also purchase Tony's wonderful book ‘Sandys Spitfire', order signed prints of the aircraft or even have your name  engraved forever on the engine cowling HERE

Welcome 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 immortalised in The Great Escape. Tony's aim is that 810 should become a flying memorial to the men and woman of the Photograph Reconnaissance Unit during World War Two. And as well as restoring the aircraft is campaigning to have a permanent monument to the PRU erected in London. We visited Tony at Airframe Assemblies on the Isle of Wight where 810 is being painstakingly restored. In Part Two we'll take you around the workshop where you can hear how the restoration is taking shape. Here in part one Tony talks us through his ambitions for the project and the fascinating story of a very rare Spitfire and it's pilot.  Please visit to https://www.spitfireaa810.co.uk to find out more and  how you can support this incredible project. You can also purchase Tony's wonderful book ‘Sandys Spitfire', order signed prints of the aircraft or even have your name  engraved forever on the engine cowling HERE

Welcome 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 Sandy Gunn, who would be later immortalised in the mass escape from Stalag Luft III, and tells us about the aircraft's recent discovery in Norway and its painstaking relocation and planned restoration to flight.  Please visit the Spitfire AA810 project page, a project dedicated to the memory of all the men of the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit who risked, and gave, their lives during the second world war. 

A 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. 

Hello 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 info@toplandinggear.com   Thanks for listening

Top 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 info@toplandinggear.com Until Tomorrow!    

Hello 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 information until after it airs on Friday 14th October (630pm STREAM here Channel 5) So enjoy this summer catch up episode in the meantime... If you discovered us on Eggheads here is a taste of what we do. An aviation podcast for everyone. Think Top Gear with wings, and always with a quiz at the end.  Please subscribe and leave us a review if you've enjoyed it. All our previous episodes and interviews are available wherever you found this podcast.    

Welcome 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, and tell us how best to approach our travel plans this summer.  Jeremy's knowledge was so impressive and his passion so infectious that Rob invited (forced!) him to join the quiz. How did he do? Listen to the end to find out if he beat TLG's very own aviation expert James Cartner.    

Hello 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.

Hello 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 to the day since the first successful test run of his father's jet engine. Ian speaks with such passion and enthusiasm, not to mention incredibly detailed knowledge. You don't get much closer to touching history than this. I hope you enjoy it. As Ian was so generous with his time, we've split the interview into two parts, so here's part one – keep an eye out on the socials for part two – or it may already be there now.

The 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 devised, planned, rehearsed and eventually executed with the eyes of the world, and of The Queen, upon them.  

This 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 subject. And the quiz returns to Rob's safe hands after James made a brave, almost successful stab at it on our previous pod. And by the way, that will never happen again! So I hope you are feeling reassured enough to enjoy this edition – and remember to look out for the Full Flaps edition for the full length interview with Ian Whittle.  Enjoy!

Join 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 - Sorry Rob! Normal service will resume this Friday with our magazine episode dedicated to Frank Whittle and the Jet Engine.     

The 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 devised, planned, rehearsed and eventually executed with the eyes of the world, and of The Queen, upon them. 

Hello 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 disable the Argentine submarine the Santa Fe is almost a footnote. The interview is full of the most incredible anecdotes, and it's also fascinating to hear Chris's thoughts on the current state of the British military 40 years on, and his views on the developing situation in Russia. We recorded Chris's interview on April 20th 2022, 40 years to the day since he and the crew of Humphrey were briefed for that extraordinary operation involving the SAS which would take place just hours later. Hold onto your hats and settle in for an utterly riveting ride.

In 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 man is Chris Parry, who regales us with some of the most extraordinary stories to have come out of the South Atlantic back in 1982. From firing the first shots of the war, to inserting and rescuing an SAS party in unimaginable conditions from the Fortuna Glacier in South Georgia, Chris's stories are jaw-dropping. You'll hear a clip of his interview in this podcast, the full interview will of course be in our Full Flaps edition.   'Down South : A Falklands War Diary by Chris Parry is available to buy and download HERE

In 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 Display Flight, which lasted until 1992. 558 then had a new lease of life with the Vulcan To The Sky Trust, giving countless enthusiasts many more years of breathtaking displays, many of them flown by our guest, the legendary Martin Withers. 

In 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 the mission, training for in-flight refuelling which was to be an integral part of the mission, the mission itself and the aftermath. It is a story of legend told by a legendary figure who made aviation history. 

This 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 extraordinary stories in modern aerial warfare, not least because of the massive distances involved. In fact at the time Black Buck 1 was the longest bombing raid ever undertaken. We hear a clip of Martin in this episode, but his full interview will become available in a ‘2-stage' Full Flaps edition: in Pt 1 Martin talks at length about the raid; in Pt 2 he shares the joy of displaying Vulcan XH558. As usual we'll have the usual TLG stuff: Ask James, Jez's Quick Facts all about his favourite aircraft of all time, (the Vulcan), and the TLG Quiz. What more could you want? (Don't answer that!)  

We'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 interviews with Alan Pollock of Tower Bridge Hawker Hunter fame, Amy Johnson re-creator Amanda J Harrison, David Williams's heroic landing of a damaged fully-laden Virgin Boeing 747, and Andrew Panton, the man behind the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre and Lancaster ‘Just Jane'. We've also done a retro quiz where the team was asked questions they've all heard before. Do you think it made any difference…?  And next week we'll have the first of our Falklands guests in this 40th anniversary year of the conflict, with Vulcan 607 pilot Martin Withers. Following that, Chris Parry joins us to talk about his extraordinary experiences with ‘Humphrey' the Wessex 3 which operated off HMS Antrim.  And there'll be more to come, including the son of Sir Frank Whittle, inventor of the jet engine, about both his and his father's remarkable lives in aviation. So please do look out for us @TopLadingGear and on our website www.TopLandingGear.com.   

Top 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!     

In 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 and help in allowing us such incredible access. We heartily recommend a trip to the BBMF visitor centre - access by guided tour only - Book your trip now!

The 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 snippet from our interview with ex Wessex pilot and current BBMF Bomber Lead Flt Lt Neil 'Faz' Farrell.*Triumphant in Rob's view - no one else was impressed -  nor will you be!

Welcome 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 has long been a crowd favourite. We managed to persuade Chinook Display Captain Matt Smyth, or Smitty, to talk to us, despite James's grudging hostility. I jest of course, and in fact during our 4 days in Bournemouth we became  great friends with the whole Chinook display team .. well, we like to think we did…    

  Welcome 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, he was happy to talk to Top Landing Gear. We'd had a rather early start that morning having set off from our homes at the crack of dawn and so may not have been at our sharpest. Still, we hoped that having a former RAF pilot in our ranks in the impressive shape of James Cartner, might have stood us in good stead in such elevated and illustrious company. You be the judge.

Welcome 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 qualified, as to be a display jumper you need to have an A-Licence which you can only get after a minimum 200 jumps. Private Will Simms from the team was kind enough to drop in on us the morning after a particularly Top Landing himself on Bournemouth Beach the previous day.  

Welcome 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 aside, there's not a lot of heavy metal at British airshows these days, so long may the Typhoon continue to thrill us. We caught up with 2021 Display pilot Flt Lt James Sainty, whose spectacular exhibition of speed,  power and agility creates a sensory overload. 

Welcome 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 Stride & Scouting For Girls who've been regular headliners on the main festival stage. Sadly Roy was unable to join us in Bournemouth this year, but the three of us went without him anyway, much to the disappointment of the organisers in particular who'd only invited us in the first place because of Roy's long association with the festival. But we were made to feel incredibly welcome and were hugely impressed by the scale of the event. We spoke to Bournemouth Air Festival Director Jon Weaver about the challenges involved in getting an event of this scale up and running, especially with all the uncertainty during the pandemic. And just how do you go about booking the acts, not least ensuring that the Red Arrows are available? We also spoke to the wonderful Michelle Roberts, Senior Press & PR Officer who was instrumental in getting us along, and who did such an amazing job looking after us, but for whom this sadly was to be her last year in the role.

Welcome 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 150mph and pulling up to 4G. Unfortunately on Day Three of the Air Festival, one of the aircraft sustained a technical malfunction during the display, and pilot Dave Barrell did a brilliant job of successfully ditching the aircraft in Poole Harbour, saving his own life and that of wingwalker Kirsten Pobjoy. Her great friend Emma Broadbent was the wingwalker on the other aircraft, flown by former Red Arrow and Jaguar Display pilot Andy Cubin, who circled overhead for some time, but landed back at Bournemouth unaware of the outcome of the crash. Needless to say there was huge relief when word got back that Kirsten and Dave were safe and sound. Our interview with Kirsten, Dave and Andy was recorded the day before the incident, hence there's no reference to it.      

Welcome 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 Coastal airshows, including Bournemouth, so who better to talk to us about everything that's involved in the smooth and safe operation of an airshow over the sea?        

Welcome 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 biplanes, and as well as talking to us about his display, he told TLG about some very exciting, and unusual plans for the future. 

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.  

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   

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.    

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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 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 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. 

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! 

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/    

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