Top Landing Gear

Last week we left you on a cliffhanger! This week Sqn Ldr Dave Thomas reveals all!  After joining the Royal Air Force in 1988 as an Airman - Dave progressed to Pilot and joined the Reds from the Harrier Force – where he had excelled as a Qualified Weapons Instructor. Dave joined the Red Arrows in 2001 as Red 2 (The easy side!) and then progressed to Synchro Pair (Red 7) and then finally Synchro Le...

On this extended Full Flaps edition we are absolutely thrilled to be chatting to Ex Red Arrow, Sqn Ldr Dave Thomas.  Dave joined the Red Arrows in 2001 as Red 2 (The easy side!) and then progressed to Synchro Pair (Red 7) and then finally Synchro Lead – Red 6 – in the 2004 Season! After joining the Royal Air Force in 1988 as an Airman - Dave progressed to Pilot and joined the Reds from the Harrier...

Welcome to episode four of Top Landing Gear where we are featuring the top national aerobatic team in the world (well we think so anyway...) The Red Arrows. We'll be joined by former synchro pair leader Squadron Leader Dave Thomas who talks about his time with the Reds and explains what it takes to become a member of this elite squad and how they fly some of those jaw dropping stunts. Look out for...

We are delighted to have with us this week a man who certainly knows his way around an airshow. Not only is he a display pilot with the Army Air Corp Historic Flight and Chairman of the Historic Aircraft Flight he is also CEO of the British Airshow Display Association AND The Voice of numerous airshows up and down the county. With over 4000 hours on more than 20 different aircraft the Top Landing...

Millions of us are bemoaning the inevitable cancellation of airshows large and small up and down the country. So how are we going to get our airshow fix this summer? Well thankfully there are some very innovative people out there who, since we haven’t got any airshows to go to, will do the next best thing, and bring them to us. One such person is this week’s special guest George ‘Smokey’ Bacon, CE...

In the May of 1930 Amy Johnson became the first woman to fly solo from London to Darwin. In doing so she inspired generations of women to realise their own dreams. One of those women was Amanda J Harrison, who last year set out to retrace Amy’s epic journey in her De Havilland Tiger Moth. But Amanda’s story is about far more than taking on one of aviation’s greatest challenges.  She has severe dys...

This week’s edition of Top Landing Gear goes back in time 90 years to explore the story of one of the great aviation pioneers.  Join Rob, Roy, James and Jez for a look at the incredible Amy Johnson, the first woman to fly solo, and we mean solo, to Australia.  We find out about her aircraft the tiny Gipsy Moth, how she got into aviation and the remarkable tale of her journey from Croydon, South Lo...

Welcome to the Full Flaps edition of Top Landing Gear. This week we feature the entire TLG interview with Boultbee Flight Academy Chief Pilot Jim Schofield.  Jim flies Spitfires for a living - and if that isn't the coolest job in the world, he was also a test pilot for the F-35.  All four members of the team travelled down to Goodwood Aerodrome (Formerly RAF Westhampnett) just a week before lockdo...

On the latest edition of Top Landing Gear we salute the most iconic aircraft of them all… the Spitfire. 80 years ago the Spitfire was instrumental in helping this country through one of the most testing times in its history, and to this day it remains a symbol of hope, courage and fortitude. Join Rob, Roy, James and Jez as they eulogise about this beautiful machine, and Jez waxes lyrical about his...

Our very first Top Landing Gear Full Flaps episode, featuring the full length interview with Concorde Captain John Hutchinson.   John talks with Rob about his experiences flying Concorde. They discuss the aircrafts development, his training and how much fun she was to fly in the air. He also reminisces about the joy of keeping an 'open cockpit' and retells some superb stories about the more notabl...

Welcome to the Pilot episode of Top Landing Gear  Four friends invite you to join them as they get together to discuss their joint passion – aviation. (It’s the only thing they have in common; one is a pop star, another a TV presenter. There’s also a proper pilot, and … unique amongst probably any podcast anywhere -  a fencer.) TLG is not just for the converted aviation enthusiast. The tone and fu...

Top Landing Gear is an aviation podcast for everyone. Brought to you by a pilot, a presenter, a pop star and a fencer!  Episode One 'Spitfire' landing soon...