Known affectionately as the Aardvark for its reputation as a terrain-hugger with a big nose, the General Dynamics F-111 was one of the United States Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force’s go-to combat aircraft. Mike Crain spent years in its cockpit for the latter, starting at the hilariously young age of 21! Our Jamie Gordon caught up with Mike for the lowdown on this striking and unique machine, its rare side-by-side co-piloting configuration, its spaceship-style ejection method, and even one or two epic dogfight stories along the way.

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You can join Gini and Jamie for more MavGeeks fun with a heavyweight pilots’ playlist soundtrack every Tuesday from 18:00 - 19:00 (GMT) on BFBS on DAB in the UK, or online at https://radio.bfbs.com/stations/bfbs-uk.