Plane Tales

A rookie B17 pilot on his first mission over Germany struggling home in his crippled aircraft and a veteran Me109 fighter pilot with 27 kills and over 400 combat missions flown, meet in the air.  The result should have been obvious but… Boeing B-17F radar bombing through clouds over Bremen, Germany, on Nov. 13, 1943. (U.S. Air Force photo)   A B17 formation over Germany.   An Me109...

Two tragic stories of aircraft losses that, in the most benign of circumstances, may well have resulted from letting a family member sit at the controls. An EC135.   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Michel Gilland and the US Gov.

Hansard in the document that contains, what is referred to as, the substantially verbatim account of every speech made in the Houses of Parliament since 1909.  It’s pages reveal some remarkable stories such as these military aircraft that were stolen… they included the purloining of a USAF B45 Tornado nuclear bomber!   North American XB-45 cutaway drawing. (U.S. Air Force photo) &...

Stories of aircraft that vanish without trace are bound to fascinate us.  The controversial disappearance of House Majority Member Boggs, seen in the title image with President Lyndon B Johnson, gave rise to much speculation as he was part of the Warren Commission which was investigating the assassination of JFK.  In another story we look at the life of the Flying Bandit… a gentleman Canadia...

The Modernist dream that was the Bijlmermeer had its problems and the last thing it needed was for a crippled aircraft to wreak destruction amongst its dwellers.  This is the tragic story of El Al 1862 and the fate of the Amsterdam neighbourhood it fell into.   Images made available under a Creative Commons licence and GNU Free Documentation Licence by Maaike98, D Frame and Torsten Maiwald.

The last of the 3 part interview with Sir Glen Torpy.  We chat about his work in some of the most demanding jobs to be found in the RAF, culminating with his appointment as the Chief of the Air Staff.  If you want to find out about the decision to remove the Harrier from service or what’s happening to the RAF Museums then this is one to listen to.

We get to the point in Sir Glen’s interview where he is heading to the Gulf to start flying operations and he recalls the the words spoken by Recce pilots of old, “Alone, unarmed and unafraid!”  If you want to hear what it’s like hand flying a Tornado over enemy territory, facing multiple air to air missile and AAA threats, at 150 feet above the ground, in the pitch black,...

Sir Glen Torpy GCB CBE DSO started his life within the Royal Air Force as most pilots do. At the end of his training, he was posted to a Jaguar reconnaissance squadron, the start of a great career. In this interview, he gives us a chance to follow his progress to the point where he takes Command of No.13 Squadron, flying the Tornado GR1A, and is about to deploy to the Gulf on operations. Sir Glen...

The 1st of April 1918 saw the formation of the world’s first independent Air Force.  Capt Nick takes a look at the Royal Air Force’s history and is joined by Sir Glen Torpy GCB CBE DSO past Chief of the Air Staff who gives his thoughts on the past 100 years and the upcoming celebrations.  

Suspicious of the Polish pilots who, after their country was invaded by Nazi forces during the Second World War, had fled to the UK, the high command of the RAF eventually allowed them to become operational.  No 303 Polish Squadron joined the RAF fighter units desperately fighting the overwhelming forces of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.  The results stunned everybody. The score of Ge...

The billionaire explorer Paul Allen rediscovers the aircraft carrier Lexington and an F4 Wildcat deep under the surface of the Coral Sea.  This is the story of the Lexington and the Wildcat’s last pilot.   USS Lexington shortly before WWII.   F4F-3 Wildcat in non-reflective blue-gray over light gray scheme from early 1942. Images with thanks to Paul G Allen, via Creative Commons, t...

Air travel is, statistically, the very safest form of transport but it wasn’t always that way.  Imagine living in Elizabeth, a suburb near New York’s Newark airport in 1951 when, within a period of only 3 months, aircraft began raining from the sky onto your neighborhood.   The crash site of Flight 1678M.   An American Airways Convair CV240.   A National Airways CD6. &#1...

Capt Nick delves into Volume 2 of his RAF Form 414… the PILOTS FLYING LOG BOOK.

Towards the end of the Second World War, Nazi scientists developed a series of futuristic weapons to use against England aimed to bring the British people to their knees.  Named Vengeance weapons, their presence in the skies over London was another German threat that had to be dealt with. A German Luftwaffe Heinkel He 111 H-22. This version could carry FZG 76 (V1) flying bombs, but only a few airc...

President of France, Charles de Gaulle is on a state visit to the United States of America and he asks to meet a French hero who holds the Légion d’honneur and who lives in New York.  Eventually, retired lift operator is found and brought to the President.  The man is Eugene Jacques Bullard and is almost unknown in the country of his birth but he holds a remarkable place in the history of av...

Watch the movie ‘The Right Stuf’ and you will see, portrayed, a desert bar near Edwards Air Force Base where a generation of great Test Pilots drank whisky and bantered with the bargirl.  The lady was Pancho Barnes and she was much more than a bargirl! Pancho and her Travel Air type R Mystery Ship.   Barnes in 1928, the image used on her pilot’s license!   Pancho servin...

After the Second World War, a tall lanky RAF pilot undertook clandestine missions from Hong Kong in a photo reconnaissance Spitfire FR Mk XIV.  At the absolute limit of its range and despite being pursued by Chinese fighters Flt Lt Ted Powels undertook some remarkable flights.  This is his story.   Images made available under a Creative Commons licence.  Photographer unknown.

An aircraft for the people, the ubiquitous Cessna 172 became, by far, the most produced aircraft in history and secured a place in many pilot’s hearts.  This is its story. Images under a Creative Commons licence by Daniel Piotrowski, P Alejandro Díaz and Adrian Pingstone.

The loss of Swissair Flight 111 in the most appalling circumstances wasn’t just a tragedy for those onboard and their loved ones, but for a whole community of people in the quiet town of Halifax and even more so for the folk near Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia. The memorial at Peggy’s Cove.   Images under Creative Commons licence, by  Aero Icarus  and  Aconcagua.

Every document or book within the Royal Air Force has a Form number.  One of the most precious to a pilot is Form 414, the PILOTS FLYING LOG BOOK.  Inside is a record of every flight a pilot undertakes.  Looking back through a log book brings back many memories.  These are a few of mine.

In the world of aviation, accurate communication is vital and when it breaks down the results can be catastrophic.  In poor weather, the crew of an Avianca 707 struggle to land at New York’s JFK airport.   An Avianca B707.   Images under Creative Commons licence, with thanks to Felix Goetting,  Veggies  and the NTSB.

Not every Plane Tale recording goes quite to plan!  A Merry Christmas to all my listeners! Image under Creative Commons, with thanks to  Soerfm.

Landing at the wrong airport is usually considered a bit of a blunder but for One Way Ferguson it was a way to put Buffalo onto the map!     Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Eduard Marmet, US Gov and  Atkach24 .

A humorous look at the history of the Phonetic Alphabet and brevity codes.   Image with thanks to https://m.johnlewis.com/mclaggan-smith-educational-‘nato-alphabet’-mug/p2725715

The tragic loss of Alaska Flight 261 and the negligent events that led up to the crash.   The recovered jackscrew. The spiral “wire” wound around the threaded portion is the remains of the acme nut internal screw thread that was stripped from the nut.   Images under Creative Commons with thanks to Ken Fielding and the NTSB.