Xtended

Please note, some parts of this episode include discussion about mental health and wellbeing issues. If you feel you may need to reach out for support in the UK:

For Veterans: Combat Stress 24/7 0800 138 1619 and if calling is too difficult text 07537 173683

For everyone: Samaritans 24/7 Helpline 116 123

We are joined by Liz McConaghy. Liz is from a small town in County Down and spent a total of seventeen years flying with the RAF’s Chinook Force.

Aged just 21, she was the youngest aircrew member to deploy to Iraq and, for four years, was also the only female ‘crewman’ on the Chinook. In her astounding career Liz completed two deployments to Iraq followed by ten deployments to Helmand Province in Afghanistan in support of the enduring Operation Herrick campaign.

Liz talks to us about her flying career, the mighty Chinook and the after-effects of war, stress and the impact on her mental health.

This is a frank and honest interview, and we thank Liz for being so open with us.

XTENDED BOOKSTORE – Chinook Crew Chick buy it here:

https://uk.bookshop.org/books/chinook-crew-chick-highs-and-lows-of-forces-life-from-the-longest-serving-female-raf-chinook-force-crewmember/9781399072922

Recorded 10th October 2022

Find everything Xtended on our Link Tree https://linktr.ee/aviationxtended

Contact Us: [email protected]

Commander Paul Tremelling spent nearly twenty years flying the Royal Navy's Sea Harrier, with several exchange duties, including flying the F-18 Super Hornet.

His book 'Harrier: How To Be a Fighter Pilot', gives an honest view of the life, challenges and rewards of being on the front line, flying fighter jets.

Paul joins us for a discussion about his journey and we occasionally stray into other territory!

Recorded 12th September 2022

Buy “Harrier: How To Be a Fighter Pilot”: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11161/9780241557044

Find everything Xtended on our Link Tree https://linktr.ee/aviationxtended

We start our new airfield series with RAF Greenham Common.

We are joined by Jonathan Sayers a local historian who takes us on the journey from Jacobean rebellion camp through World War 2 and into the Cold War where it became mostly familiar as a base for Ground Launched Cruise Missiles.

Recorded 6th September 2022

Find everything Xtended on our Link Tree https://linktr.ee/aviationxtended

Contact Us: [email protected]

Jonathan Sayers and Greenham Common

Our Title Sponsor - Event Fire Solutions

http://www.eventfiresolutions.co.uk/

Aviation Xtended Partners

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

Show Supporters

• The Aviation Historian http://www.theaviationhistorian.com/

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

For Aviation and Aerospace Podcasts join https://www.facebook.com/groups/FlightAudioandVideo/

On this episode we have the Editorial Team from the Royal Aeronautical Society talking about events over the summer and return of airshows.

Tim Robinson talks about his USA Boeing visit, Farnborough and the Swedish Airshow at Uppsala and Stephen Bridgewater joins us to talk about Oshkosh.

What a summer!

Recorded 5th September 2022

Whilst we take an Xtended break we mine the archives for some great content many of you may have never heard before.

In this episode Gareth talks to Dave Gledhill about flying and fighting the F4 Phantom FGR2, what the Tornado F3 was really like and the Cold War realities of a nuclear outcome!

You can also hear Dave in the following episodes:

· Ep.75 – Falklands Air War Part 3

· Ep.74 – Xtra – Operational Flight Testing and Cessna Twins

Recorded 2015

Contact Us: [email protected]

Find everything Xtended on our Link Tree https://linktr.ee/aviationxtended

Dave Gledhill

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

Show Supporters

· The Aviation Historian http://www.theaviationhistorian.com/

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

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

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

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

While we take an Xtended break we mine the archives for some great content many of you may have never heard before………

In this episode Tim talks to Tony Blackman about test flying the V-Bombers, how he got in to flying and what it is like to have Howard Hughes in the cockpit.

Find everything Xtended on our Link Tree https://linktr.ee/aviationxtended

Contact Us: [email protected]

Tony Blackman

Aviation Xtended Partners

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

Show Supporters

• The Aviation Historian http://www.theaviationhistorian.com/

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

For Aviation and Aerospace Podcasts join https://www.facebook.com/groups/FlightAudioandVideo/

Kim Gough is an Approach Air Traffic Control Officer, has a popular social media profile and is a trustee of the new charitable organisation – AiR Aviation in Reach.

We discuss the role of Air Traffic Control and Kim’s career in aviation, what was involved in training, on-going assessments and a ‘day in the life’.

Kim takes us through the role and ambitions of Aviation in Reach, how it will deliver change to an industry that whist exciting is not showing the diversity we need it to be.

Recorded 25th May 2022

Entering the aviation scene with his PPL at 17, Chris Taylor went on to have an amazing career flying over 400 aircraft types, a Royal Navy career flying Wasp and Lynx, leading to becoming a Test Pilot at the Empire Test Pilot School at Boscombe Down, later going on to become a Tutor at the ETPS. He later joined the UK Civil Aviation Authority as an aeroplane and rotary craft test pilot.

Now running Dovetail Aviation where he still test flies, Chris is a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, a Licenced Category 1 Test Pilot and a Flight Test Instructor…. on both aeroplanes and rotorcraft!

In this episode we talk test flying, the challenges and the hilarity, all recorded in his new book:

“Best enjoyed with a glass of wine”!

Gene Mikulka is the producer and a presenter on Talking Space the leading podcast on space and space exploration topics.

Gene has been our ‘go to’ expert for space exploration updates having appeared five times on Xtended over the past 10 years.

In this episode we look at the current plans for the ISS, how Boeing’s Starliner has faired on its LEO flight to the ISS. We also discuss SpaceX, Mars exploration and deep space exploration.

Bryan Wheelz is an Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic who has worked across multiple aircraft types. He has worked in aviation maintenance supervisory and management positions and is passionate about aircraft safety.

He is also the host of the podcast The Good the Bad and the Ugly: The Aviation Maintenance Industry – Raw!