Xtended

In this episode of Aviation Xtended, we welcome back Matt Falcus the person behind AirportSpotting.com, one of the best-known websites for anyone who enjoys airports, airliners and the ever-changing world of commercial aviation. 

Matt is an aviation writer, author, private pilot and the creator of the Airport Spotting Guides series, 

He’s spent more than two decades travelling to airports around the world in search of interesting aircraft, new routes and the best places to watch the action. 

He just returned from Oshkosh, so couldn’t miss the chance to see what a Brit thinks of this amazing airshow.

Contact Us: [email protected] 

Links

• Airport Spotting https://www.airportspotting.com/ 

• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/airportspotting/

• X https://twitter.com/airportspotting

• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/airport-spotting/

• YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@airportspotting 

• Destinworld Publishing (for books): https://destinworld.com/product-category/aviation/

Please leave us a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your podcast playing app. Here is a link to all the pod players https://pod.link/1611149544  

Buy our audio or ebook - Constant Endeavour – RAF Coastal Command: The aircraft, operations and aircrews of an overlooked RAF Command – from the Second World War to the Cold War https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0H2WDLS9Z/ 

Aviation Xtended Partners

• Royal Aeronautical Society https://www.aerosociety.com/

• Global Aviation Resource http://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/

• XTPMedia https://www.xtpmedia.co.uk/

• Ellie Carter https://twitter.com/dragongirl94

Xtended Podcast family

• AeroSociety https://www.aerosociety.com/events/catch-up-on-events/video-audio-archive/ 

• Airplane Geeks http://www.airplanegeeks.com/ 

• PCDU https://www.planecrazydownunder.com/ 

• Wings Over New Zealand Show http://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZ_Show.html

You can shop through this Amazon link (No cost to you but a small benefit to us:

• https://www.amazon.co.uk/?tag=xtenaeroradi-21&linkCode=ur1

In this episode of Aviation Xtended, we welcome back Grant McHerron and Steve Visscher from the excellent Plane Crazy Down Under podcast. Grant is also the host for the Australian Defence Magazine podcast. 

Australia has always mattered in aviation and defence, but over the past couple of years it has become much more visible on the world stage. From AUKUS and submarines to long-range strike, autonomous aircraft, maritime surveillance and the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific region, there is a great deal going on.

Grant and Steve share with us, what this means, how aerospace connects across the Australian defence sector and what role Australia has across the Pacific region. 

Contact Us: [email protected] 

Links

• Plane Crazy Down Under podcast https://www.planecrazydownunder.com/ 

• The Australian Defence Magazine Podcast https://www.australiandefence.com.au/podcasts

• A History of the Future podcast https://www.ahistoryofthefuture.com.au/

• The Clear Signal with Steve Visscher https://www.clearsignal.com.au/podcast 

• Southern Skies Media https://southernskiesmedia.com.au/

Please leave us a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your podcast playing app. Here is a link to all the pod players https://pod.link/1611149544  

Buy our audio or ebook - Constant Endeavour – RAF Coastal Command: The aircraft, operations and aircrews of an overlooked RAF Command – from the Second World War to the Cold War https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0H2WDLS9Z/ 

Aviation Xtended Partners

• Royal Aeronautical Society https://www.aerosociety.com/

• Global Aviation Resource http://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/

• XTPMedia https://www.xtpmedia.co.uk/

• Ellie Carter https://twitter.com/dragongirl94

Xtended Podcast family

• AeroSociety https://www.aerosociety.com/events/catch-up-on-events/video-audio-archive/ 

• Airplane Geeks http://www.airplanegeeks.com/ 

• PCDU https://www.planecrazydownunder.com/ 

• Wings Over New Zealand Show http://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZ_Show.html

You can shop through this Amazon link (No cost to you but a small benefit to us:

• https://www.amazon.co.uk/?tag=xtenaeroradi-21&linkCode=ur1

In this episode of Aviation Xtended, we talk to Helen Webb about the new UK airshow – The Hampshire Air Festival at Thruxton Aerodrome, 12th & 13th September 2026.

Something for everyone – A family event with a full air display, dusk flying display and an evening drone show (on Saturday). 

Key for aviation enthusiasts is a unique flying display that faces north for great photography opportunities. (The Mig 17-F will be flying at dusk so watch out for that afterburner)!

There is also a business networking event on the Friday (11th September) at Thruxton, whilst aircraft are arriving for the weekend, so a great all round event for everyone.

NOTE: This feature was recorded prior to the recent emergency UK Government fire announcement. As a result the fireworks display has been cancelled and a larger drone display planned to replace this.

Contact Us: [email protected] 

Links

• Air Show Website for details and tickets https://hampshireairfestival.co.uk/

• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HampshireAirFestival/ 

• Business Networking Dayhttps://www.hampshireairfestival.co.uk/business-networking-day/

• Helen Webb Aviation https://helenwebbaviation.com/ 

Please leave us a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your podcast playing app. Here is a link to all the pod players https://pod.link/1611149544  

Buy our audio or ebook - Constant Endeavour – RAF Coastal Command: The aircraft, operations and aircrews of an overlooked RAF Command – from the Second World War to the Cold War https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0H2WDLS9Z/ 

Aviation Xtended Partners

• Royal Aeronautical Society https://www.aerosociety.com/

• Global Aviation Resource http://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/

• XTPMedia https://www.xtpmedia.co.uk/

• Ellie Carter https://twitter.com/dragongirl94

Xtended Podcast family

• AeroSociety https://www.aerosociety.com/events/catch-up-on-events/video-audio-archive/ 

• Airplane Geeks http://www.airplanegeeks.com/ 

• PCDU https://www.planecrazydownunder.com/ 

• Wings Over New Zealand Show http://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZ_Show.html

You can shop through this Amazon link (No cost to you but a small benefit to us:

• https://www.amazon.co.uk/?tag=xtenaeroradi-21&linkCode=ur1

In this episode of Aviation Xtended, we talk to Lindsay Rumbold about aviation thriller, Banshee. It is a cracking Cold War story with the Vulcan very much at its heart. Its part aviation, part mystery and part spy thriller.

Lindsay talks about her love of the V-bombers, why the Vulcan was the right aircraft for this tale. We also explore how she went about making the flying, the people and the period feel so believable.

We also get into the often-overlooked world of the engineers, fitters and ground crews, the people who make the aircraft work. If you enjoy the Vulcan, V Bombers and the Cold War we think you’ll enjoy this one.

Contact Us: [email protected]

In this episode we take you behind the scenes of one of the Fleet Air Arm Museum’s most important restoration projects - the return of Fairey Barracuda DP872.

During a special visit to the museum, Pieter teams up with Dave Homewood from the Wings Over New Zealand podcast to explore the latest progress on the aircraft, which remains the world’s only surviving Barracuda.

Joining us are Dave Morris and Will Gibbs from the Fleet Air Arm Museum restoration team, who share an update on the work taking place inside the workshop.

From engineering challenges and original parts recovery to the stories hidden within the aircraft itself, the conversation offers a fascinating insight into what it takes to bring DP872 back to life.

Contact Us: [email protected] 

Links

• Fleet Air Arm Museum - the home of the Barracuda DP872 restoration project. https://www.royalnavymuseums.org.uk/visit-us/fleet-air-arm-museum 

• Fleet Air Arm Museum on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FAAMuseum/ 

• Fairey Barracuda DP872 Rebuild on Facebook - Project page for restoration progress and behind-the-scenes updates. https://www.facebook.com/FaireyBarracudaDP872Rebuild/ 

Please leave us a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your podcast playing app. Here is a link to all the pod players https://pod.link/1611149544  

Buy our audio or ebook - Constant Endeavour – RAF Coastal Command: The aircraft, operations and aircrews of an overlooked RAF Command – from the Second World War to the Cold War https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0H2WDLS9Z/ 

Aviation Xtended Partners

• Royal Aeronautical Society https://www.aerosociety.com/

• Global Aviation Resource http://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/

• XTPMedia https://www.xtpmedia.co.uk/

• Ellie Carter https://twitter.com/dragongirl94

Xtended Podcast family

• AeroSociety https://www.aerosociety.com/events/catch-up-on-events/video-audio-archive/ 

• Airplane Geeks http://www.airplanegeeks.com/ 

• PCDU https://www.planecrazydownunder.com/ 

• Wings Over New Zealand Show http://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZ_Show.html

You can shop through this Amazon link (No cost to you but a small benefit to us:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/?tag=xtenaeroradi-21&linkCode=ur1

Jonathan “Jonny” McNee BEM is an aviation historian and military aviation archaeologist from Northern Ireland whose work has literally brought lost Second World War aircraft (and their stories) back into the light.

Drawing on years of research and licensed excavations, he has helped uncover wartime aircraft that came down over Northern Ireland and along the Irish border.

His aviation work is voluntary and fits around a demanding day job as a Senior Marine Officer.

 In this episode, we talk with Jonny about what aviationarchaeology looks like. He explains how licensed digs are planned and carried out, the care that must go into preserving recovered artefacts to museum standards.

We explore some of his best‑known projects, including the “Donegal” and “Monaghan” Spitfires and his work on a Coastal Command Bristol Beaufort.

 We also talk about the Fairey Barracuda DP872 restoration in the Fleet Air Arm Museum and Jonny’s role in the project and how this whole aviation circle is always connected amongst us all (somehow)!

Contact Us: [email protected]

Please leave us a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your podcast playing app. Aviation Xtended Partners

·        Royal Aeronautical Society

·        Global Aviation Resource

·        XTPMedia

·        Ellie Carter

Show Supporters

·        TheAviation Historian http://www.theaviationhistorian.com/

·        AviationEnthusiasts Book Club https://www.facebook.com/groups/359410134220076

·        Aircrew Book Review https://aircrewbookreview.blogspot.com/

Xtended Podcast family

·        AeroSociety https://www.aerosociety.com/events/catch-up-on-events/video-audio-archive/

·        Airplane Geeks http://www.airplanegeeks.com/

·        PCDU https://www.planecrazydownunder.com/

·        Wings Over New Zealand Show http://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZ_Show.html

You can shop through this Amazon link (No cost to you but a small benefit to us:

     https://www.amazon.co.uk/?tag=xtenaeroradi-21&linkCode=ur1

In this episode Pieter steps away from our usual format to introduce Constant Endeavour – RAF Coastal Command, the first ebook and audiobook to emerge from the podcast.

He reflects on why the team has been quieter on the main feed, and how turning episodic content into a complete story offers a different way to explore the air war at sea.

He also explains how the long-running Coastal Command series developed into a full narrative, drawing on years of conversations with historians, authors, and researchers who followed Coastal Command from the Battle of the Atlantic through the Cold War.

This short update shares what the project has meant: keeping Coastal Command stories alive, working with a wide range of contributors and turning detailed research into something people can enjoy listening to.

It also includes a 3½‑minute clip from the audiobook introduction, so you can hear the tone and scope of Constant Endeavour and how it grew directly out of Aviation Xtended.

• The audiobook is completely reengineered and edited to suit an audio book listen
• The ebook is a standalone read (not a transcript) but a full account of each episode in Pieter’s own words

Audio Book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Constant-Endeavour-Operations-Overlooked-Command/dp/B0H51CK479/

E Book LINK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Constant-Endeavour-Operations-Overlooked-Command/dp/B0H51CK479/

_____________________________________________________________

Contact Us: ⁠[email protected]⁠ 

Xtended Link Tree https://linktr.ee/aviationxtended

Contact Xtended: [email protected]

Also from XTPMedia – The Partnership Edge Podcast https://xtpmedia.co.uk/podcast/

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Aviation Xtended Partners

• Royal Aeronautical Society 
• Global Aviation Resource 
• XTPMedia 
• Ellie Carter 

Show Supporters 

• The Aviation Historian http://www.theaviationhistorian.com/ 
• Aviation Enthusiasts Book Club https://www.facebook.com/groups/359410134220076 

 Xtended Podcast family 

• AeroSociety https://www.aerosociety.com/events/catch-up-on-events/video-audio-archive/  
• AirplaneGeeks http://www.airplanegeeks.com/  
• PCDU https://www.planecrazydownunder.com/  
• Wings Over New Zealand Show http://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZ_Show.html 

You can shop through this Amazon link (No cost to you but a small benefit to us):
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/?tag=xtenaeroradi-21&linkCode=ur1

In this episode of Aviation Xtended, host Pieter Johnson is joined by Bob Davy and Keith Wilson, authors of 'Warbirds to Workhorses'.

Together, they explore aviation beyond the headlines, following the journey of the book from iconic warbirds to the quieter, often overlooked aircraft that shape everyday flying.

The conversation looks at judgement, workload, and the human realities of operating and photographing aircraft across very different eras.

Rather than chasing heroics, Bob and Keith reflect on what these aeroplanes really teach you once the romance fades and why honest storytelling matters in aviation today.

For full notes and links please visit:

https://aviation-xtended.co.uk/

The Xtended team welcomes back historian and author Jane Gulliford Lowes to discuss her latest book, The Invisible Campaign: Bomber Command Gardening Operations 1940–1945, with host Pieter Johnson.

Drawing on Air Ministry and Admiralty archives, squadron records and veteran testimony, Jane reveals how RAF Bomber Command’s aerial minelaying campaign (codenamed“gardening”) quietly sank or damaged hundreds of Axis ships and in fact destroyed more tonnage of enemy shipping than direct air attack. Yet it remains one of the least understood aspects of the air war.​

In this episode, Pieter and Jane explore why mining operations were developed from 1940 onwards, how Bomber Command integrated them into its wider strategy, and the evolving technology, aircraft and tactics used to plant“vegetables” from Hampden, Wellington, Stirling, Manchester, Lancaster and Halifax, in some of the most heavily defended waters in Europe.

They look at the human experience of low‑level, night‑time sorties over ports, estuaries and sea lanes from Norway tothe Bay of Biscay and deep into the Baltic, the real risk and loss rates behind the so‑called “milk run”, and why manyskilled specialist crews received little recognition during or after the war.

Jane also reassesses Arthur Harris’s view of minelaying, thesometimes tense relationship between Bomber Command and Coastal Command over anti‑shipping roles, and what this “invisible” campaign tells us about how we remember Bomber Command’s legacy today.

If you are interested in RAF history, maritime warfare or under‑told stories of the Second World War in the air, this conversation will change how you think about Bomber Command and the power of aerial mining.

For full show notes, links and images, please visit:

https://aviation-xtended.co.uk/

We talk to Rod Dean about ‘Fifty Years of Flying Fun’ which covers his half-century career in the air, from joining the RAF in 1962 to his work as a general aviation and airshow pilot.

Over his career Rod logged more than 7,000 hours on 59 different types of aircraft, including military jets like the Hunter and Jaguar, as well as vintage planes such as the Spitfire.

This is a fascinating reflection from flying fast jets through to warbirds.

For full show notes visits www.aviation-xtended.co.uk