Xtended

We are joined by airline pilot Katy Lee who takes us through her career from training to flying the Boeing 737NG. The current pandemic has affected the sector more than many others and Katy tells us about the fantastic work being done by the charity Pilots Together.

We are joined by Major Brian 'Casmo', Harris who has over 22 years service as an US Army Officer and Warrant Officer. After five years as an Armor / Cavalry officer as an M1 Tank and 120mm Mortar Platoon Leader, Brian has spent over 18 years as an Aviation officer with over 2,200 hours flying the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and AH-64D/E Apache.

We are joined by space journalist, international TV host and award-winning author Sarah Cruddas to talk about the Mars Orbiters and her new book, ‘Look Up’.

We are joined by Dr Bryce Evans. Bryce is an author, historian and Associate Professor in History and Politics at Liverpool Hope University. Ellie and Pieter learn about the history of how airline food came to be such a gastronomic challenge and how this evolved in the marketplace.

Tim and Pieter are joined by pilot and STEM ambassador Ellie Carter to look at the news and take a reflective view on 2020, looking for both the positive and less positive changes that affected the aviation and aerospace industry.

The Xtended team round off 2020 by taking a look back at the tenth anniversary of the Harrier's UK retirement with Air Vice Marshal Gary Waterfall CBE, Joint Force Harrier's last Commander.

After a short break the whole team is back to talk about the latest aviation books from 2020 and the new version of Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The Aircraft Restoration Company (ARCo) is a family owned business that specialises in aircraft maintenance, restoration and operational services, especially 'warbirds'. They have restored over 40 different aircraft types from Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancasters to the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star and the F-86 Sabre. Tim travelled to Duxford in Cambridgeshire to talk to John Romain from ARCo about their recent project to recognise the National Health Service efforts during the recent pandemic - the NHS Spitfire.

Naval Air Historian Matt Willis joins us to talk about the the Supermarine Seafire - a navalised version of the famous Spitfire, adapted for use on aircraft carriers. A total of 2646 were built and saw action with the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm from November 1942 until after the Korean War in the early 1950s.

Our guest for this episode is Lt Cdr Ian Sloan who has accumulated vast experience, including day and night, VSTOL embarked operations in the Sea Harrier and operational missions in Afghanistan in the Harrier GR9. As an instructor, he has delivered Advanced Flying Training to RAF, RN and Indian AF students in the Hawk, and has provided aviation assurance as the Hawk ‘Trapper’ on Naval Flying Standards Flight (Fixed Wing). He is also one of few people to have flown both Sea Harrier and Super Etendard.