PODCAST

Plane Tales

Capt Nick

The View from Our Side of the Cockpit Door

leisure aviation

All Episodes

20:36

Still Waiting for Help, Still Praying

Plane Tales ·

2019/09/15

The North of Africa holds the world’s largest hot desert, known as The Greatest Desert, or more commonly by the Arabic word Sahara. The Lady be Good's WW2 mission hadn't gone well and crew of the were hopelessly lost and running out of fuel when the first engine failed. They decided to abandon the aircraft rather than risk a crash landing and they parachuted out over, what they believed to be, the sea… only to discover it was a sea of sand. The Lady Be Good as it appeared when discovered from the

en-US

19:44

Ramstein Flugtag 1988

Plane Tales ·

2019/09/08

It was a hot and sunny day at the United States Airforce Base at Ramstein near Kaiserslautern in West Germany… a perfect day for their 1988 annual air show. One of the best parts of the show was going to be the Frecce Tricolori, the Italian formation team, doing their stunning display. After several minutes of what was a great performance, the team started one of the most impressive manoeuvres, the pierced heart. What followed was a disaster beyond anyone's imagination... The Frecce

en-US

19:51

40 Second Boyd

Plane Tales ·

2019/09/01

As a military aviator he was exceptional. From a starting point that had him at a disadvantage, 40 seconds was how long it took him to get behind you for the kill! His flying skills weren't the reason we remember Colonel John Boyd as his ideas would change the whole direction of military aviation. A maverick who would lead a like minded group known as the Fighter Mafia, he was a brilliant as he was controversial. His lasting legacy would include the concept of fighter manoeuvre diagrams and the

en-US

18:26

All Weather Heather

Plane Tales ·

2019/08/26

Lokichokio, is a dusty, flyblown, Kenyan frontier town that is a long way from the tourist images of African safari lodges. There’s an airstrip there with a few buildings, offices and compounds, one with a pool and a bar. At 6 o’clock sharp, an attractive blonde could be found there sipping a G&T while the ice tinkled in her glass. With her short, blonde hair, good looks and brilliant smile, she could easily have been mistaken for the hostess of an English garden party. Meet 'All Weather Heather'

en-US

19:27

The Disappearance of Miss Hobart

Plane Tales ·

2019/08/19

The loss of his father early in his life led to David Warren's fascination with electronics. Although he grew up to be a scientist who specialised in chemistry, particularly aviation fuels and early rocketry, his little invention, a flight data and voice recorder, made a contribution to flight safety that has left a lasting legacy. David Warren with his original recorder device. The NTSB recover a Flight Data recorder from a crash site. A modern Flight Data Recorder. Images under

en-US

18:29

I Am a Dead Man

Plane Tales ·

2019/08/10

Captain Leul Abate was no stranger to hijackings… this was his third! An amazing story that ends in tragedy for many when, quietly sitting by the sea sipping cocktails, the residents of the beautiful Galawa Beach Hotel see a huge airliner plough into the water only 500 yards away. Images under Creative Commons licence and fair use with thanks to JetPix.

en-US

17:33

Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!

Plane Tales ·

2019/07/23

This story has graphic references to violence and injury and may not be suitable for all ages. For the operating crew the flight started just as it had done many times before. They were departing from Memphis in Tennessee and flying to San Jose in California in their McDonnell Douglas DC10 freighter. After an uneventful start, taxi and takeoff the crew were settling down to the normal routine of the climb and chatting easily amongst themselves, as pilots do... and then a deadheading crew member

en-US

19:30

Geoff Lee, Master Photographer – Part 3

Plane Tales ·

2019/07/19

Geoff Lee started his career as an apprentice photographer for Hawker Siddeley Aviation and progressed to become the Chief Photographer for British Aerospace Systems. His specialty was air to air photography, a field that put him in the cockpits of some of the world's finest fighters. His photographs have graced the covers of aviation publications and major newspapers throughout the world. I was delighted when he agreed to talk to Plane Tales and tell us about his remarkable career behind the

en-US

19:39

Geoff Lee, Master Photographer – Part 2

Plane Tales ·

2019/07/07

en-US

18:53

Geoff Lee, Master Photographer – Part 1

Plane Tales ·

2019/07/02

en-US

18:26

Cloud Suck

Plane Tales ·

2019/06/24

Towering cumulous clouds can often be harbingers of destruction and for pilots they should be respected and generally avoided by a wide margin. There is, however, a breed of pilot willing to court the danger present in these meteorological monsters… the violent updrafts and downdrafts, the heavy rain and hail, the turbulence, the freezing temperatures and the lightning! This is the story of one such pilot. Derek Piggott Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Ralph F

en-US

16:37

Daks on D-Day Part 2

Plane Tales ·

2019/06/17

As part of the 75th anniversary of the D Day invasion of Nazi held Europe in 1944, Douglas DC3s, C47s and Dakotas came from around the world to reenact the Airborne troops parachute drops that first put Allied boots on the ground. In this second part of the story, I chat to Sherman Smoot, Betsy's Chief Pilot and Nick Comacho, a pilot of the C47, Betsy's Biscuit Bomber. Nick does some work on Betsy before taking her up on her next flight. Nick's father takes a look around Betsy before her

en-US

19:44

Daks on D-Day Part 1

Plane Tales ·

2019/06/10

As part of the 75th anniversary of the D Day invasion of Nazi held Europe in 1944, Douglas DC3s, C47s and Dakotas came from around the world to reenact the Airborne troops parachute drops that first put Allied boots on the ground. In this interview I chat to Nick Comacho, a pilot of the C47, Betsy's Biscuit Bomber, that had flown over from the States to Duxford in England to take part. Refuelling the C47 prior to a flight from Duxford. The weather at Duxford was a trifle damp at

en-US

18:58

RAF Form 414 Vol 3

Plane Tales ·

2019/06/01

I take another dip into my flying log book, RAF Form 414. We catch up with the young 'Old Pilot' as he joins his first operational squadron, No 43(F) Sqn, The Fighting Cocks! I was faced with a further 6 months of training to become a fully Combat Ready fighter pilot. Relying on my faltering memory I said that the jamming Canberras were on 100 Sqn... they were, of course, actually from No 360 Squadron! The F4 Phantoms of The Fighting Cocks. Air to Air refuelling. The Q shed at RAF

en-US

18:20

I Counted Them All Out

Plane Tales ·

2019/05/23

The Falkland islands, a British Sovereign Territory, had been invaded by Argentinian military forces and in response the UK assembled a task force to sail the 8,000 miles required to dispatch the invaders and free the British residents there. Amongst the RAF Harrier pilots onboard HMS Hermes was Flt Lt Dave Morgan who took part in the first Harrier attack on the airfield at Stanley, the capital of the Falklands. This is the story of this mission. Argentinian soldiers occupy Stanley. The

en-US

18:41

Bedknobs and Broomsticks

Plane Tales ·

2019/05/16

Two of the most weird looking aircraft ever devised were actually immensely valuable in the development of the Hawker Harrier Jump Jet and in the training of astronauts! This is the story of two flying bedsteads! The NASA Lunar Landing Research Vehicle. The original flying bedstead, more properly known as the Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig. Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Disney, User:Geni and NASA.

en-US

The Court of Public Opinion

Plane Tales ·

2019/05/11

Lt David Steeves was living the dream. He was a USAF fighter pilot and instructor flying the T33A shooting star when his jet failed him as he flew over the Sierra's mountain range. He ejected and then survived a traumatic fight for survival amongst the rugged terrain... he ought to have been hailed a hero. Enter the newspaper man Clay Blair and David Steeves life abruptly turned into a nightmare! DAYTON, Ohio -- Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star at the National Museum of the United States Air

en-US

19:27

Aviation Infestation

Plane Tales ·

2019/05/04

The weird and wacky names that aircraft have don't usually include those of insects, particularly parasitic ones but there is no accounting for taste! From Gnats to Fleas, June Bugs to Crickets, aviation has them all and in this tale we find out about many of them. The dainty but impressive Folland Gnat which was only slightly larger than the single seat version, the Midge. The BE2, one of which was unsuccessfully launched from beneath a blimp. The parasitic Sparrowhawk fighter

en-US

19:26

Into Thinner Air

Plane Tales ·

2019/04/29

Military pilots aren't the only ones in danger whilst cruising the upper reaches of the atmosphere. Passenger jets can be equally vulnerable with tragic results. These are the stories of two aircraft that sadly flew on to their destruction, with nobody controlling, carrying their unfortunate passengers to their death. Payne Stewart. The accident Learjet. The Learjet's flight path. A Helios B737. The flight path of Helios Flight 522. Images under Creative Commons licence

en-US

19:29

Disappearing Into Thin Air

Plane Tales ·

2019/04/20

Military fighter aircraft that fly themselves around without their pilot on board is unusual, to say the least. Sadly this is often a situation that has tragic consequences. This tale is of three such events; happily one has safe outcome for the pilot... the others were not so lucky. An early Harrier prototype, the P1127. The Sea Harrier. A 75 Sqn F/A-18 in the foreground during a Red Flag exercise in the US. Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Alan

en-US

319 results

Plane Tales

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

Expres Ráno

Expres FM

詭哭郎嚎

郎祖筠 & FMTaiwan製作團隊

Ron en Erik Podcast

Ron en Erik

Poor Man"s Pinball Podcast

Poor Men Ian and Drew

WeAreChange on Odysee

WeAreChange