Log book stories still abound but I’m now on the last volume of my small collection of RAF Form 414s.  Unbeknown to me back then, my time in the Air Force was fast coming to a close. When I was offered the job on the Tornado it was on the understanding that I would serve an additional year to amortise the cost of training and I was now in coming up to the completion of my term of service, 19 years or aged 38 which ever was longer.  If I signed on again it would be to age 55.  What's more, I needed to make up my mind as the RAF wanted 18 months of notice of my decision… would I stay or leave.   The F3 Tornado   He used a mixture of chicken entrails, throwing bones and gazing into his crystal balls to tell me my fortune   With their glory days behind them the young guns often treated Specialist Aircrew with scant respect and as their skills grew tired and their experience became tarnished with age they sometimes had little to offer but old war stories   The KC135 equipped for probe and drogue refuelling   RAF weather colour codes   My ATPL study books   An F3 equipped for QRA   The result of a midair collision     Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Ronnie Macdonald, Mike Freer, Trougnouf, US DOD, Mike McBey, Defence Imagery, the RAF, the MOD, the RAF Air Historic branch, the IWM, J Thomas, Midjourney and Adrian Pingstone.

In the words of it’s benefactor, “It has been described as the most exclusive Club in the world, but the entrance fee is something most men would not care to pay and the conditions of membership are arduous in the extreme.” Other clubs that sprang up during the World Wars are more a measure of the bravado, luck or good fortune of its members to make use of an aircraft’s emergency survival equipment but the club I will tell you about today is one that honoured the grim stubbornness of its members to overcome the pain and disfigurement of their injuries with stoical good (if rather dark) humour.  The Guinea Pig Club. The badge of the Guinea Pig Club   McIndoe   McIndoe and his patients   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the RAF, East Grinstead museum, the Library of Congress, the RCAF, the IWM, the RAF Benevolent fund and the Queen Victoria hospital.

Two of the Saratoga’s F14 Tomcats were tasked to defend the carrier against a simulated attack during Exercise Display Determination 87. The leader of this small formation included a senior pilot and skipper of a newly arrived Junior Grade Lieutenant Timothy Dorsey. Many years later, Dorsey would be nominated for promotion to a one-star Rear Admiral, an appointment that required Congressional approval.  What stood in his way was an incident that occurred during that fateful day in 1987.   USS Saratoga   Timothy Dorsey   F14 Tomcats on deck   An F4 tanking   HUD film of the engagement   US Navy wings   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the US Navy, US Air Force and the US Gov.

It is the beginning of 1981 but for me it was the conclusion of my first front line tour of duty. When my posting came I was devastated. I had been sent to instruct at No 4 Flying Training School, RAF Valley on the island of Anglesey in North Wales. A remote corner in the middle of nowhere doing a job I didn’t want. An F4 Phantom FG1 of No43(F) Sqn.   The Hawker Harrier GR1.   Survival Scramble.    The A10 Warthog.   The BLC Malfunction emergency checklist.   Greek Gunboats!   My posting to become a QFI loomed!   My much loved Yamaha along with our poo coloured Rover!   Climbing Mt Snowdon.   Dave would perish during Exercise Red Flag when he crashed his RAF Jaguar avoiding a simulated SAM engagement.   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Mike Freer, Senior Airman Matthew Bruch, CC BY-SA 3.0, the USAF, the RAF and myself!

The Sound Barrier was first broken in 1947... by 1949 Convair had submitted its initial bid for the USAF's first supersonic bomber. So much had to be learned in that time… the aerodynamics of supersonic flight, the construction materials that would be required and the engines that could power it were only part of the technological challenges that would be faced. It was truly a remarkable effort. The pilots that were chosen to fly this tricky Mach 2, 70,000 ft capable aircraft that could climb at over 45,000ft a minute, were highly skilled and Lt Col Henry, John Deutschendorf was one of them.   The opposing sides of the Cold War   The first generation of US and Soviet ICBM nuclear missiles   The B-58 Hustler   The Hustler's escape pod   The three B-58 cockpit hatches   John Denver   The Long EZ   Ghostbusters II   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Kingkingphoto, the USAF, NOAA and Impawards.

Whether the weather be cold, Or whether the weather be hot, We'll weather the weather, Whatever the weather, Whether we like it or not! Nowadays, however, we are blessed with more ways to get the weather than one can shake proverbial sticks at and, certainly in the world of aviation, it's all remarkably accurate even if it’s presented in a rather archaic code. Of course even that is pretty advanced when compared with the early days! Hippocrates   Galileo's thermometer   Early weather forecasting equipment!   The wrecking of the Royal Charter on the Island of Anglesey   Robert Firzroy, the father of met forecasting.   Gp Capt Stagg who forecasted the weather for Operation Chastise   The US Bureau of Metrology   An early radiosonde met balloon   A decode aid for aviation forecasts   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson, NOAA, Fenners and the RAF.

The pride of the Air India fleet, their first Boeing 747 was named after the Emperor Ashoka. The first of the Maharaja-themed aircraft it epitomised luxury and was, “Your palace in the sky.” On this New Year's day, however, its flight would last only a few seconds. The Emperor Ashoka Boeing 747   The cockpit   The Engineer's station.   The interior of a Maharaja-themed Air India aircraft   The famous Jharokha styled windows   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Air India PR, Oliver Cleynen, Snowdog, Mitchel Gilliand, Shahram Sharifi, Dharma and Searchtrail67.

'Twas the night after Christmas, when all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...                                             All images produced by Nick Anderson Photographic

It’s starting to look its age, it’s frayed at the edges, wrinkled and has bits that might fall off. No, not me, my first venerable old Royal Air Force logbook. So before it comes apart completely, I think it might be time to punish you again with a few more stories from its pages.     The Westinghouse AWG 11/12 radar.     43 Sqn F4 Phantom FG1 on QRA.   Engaging a USAF EC130.   Engaging a USAF EC130.   My treasured Blue Peter badge.   The Boy Pilot, John, Ballex and Budgie... heroes of the Blue Peter Special!   The AEW Avro Shackleton.     Another Bear.   The F5 Aggressors in their distinctive Soviet camouflage.   You can't meander around a Leander! An RN Frigate.   Hunting Jags over the wilds of Scotland.   The RAF Piddle Pack!   An RAF goon suit (aircrew Immersion Suit).   Images under Creative Commons Licence with thanks to Daderot National Electronics Museum, the Royal Air Force, UK Crown, Mike Freer of Touchdown Aviation, USAF and the US Gov.

Many of my aviation heroes are complicated people of nuance and contradiction but not this man. As I reflect on his life, so recently ended, I remind myself of his uncompromising, direct manner but also of his enormous courage and skill that brought Charles Edward Yeager to the world’s attention. Yeager grew up helping his father out on gas drilling rigs.   Yeager joined the Air Force as a Private and became a mechanic but he soon made his way into pilot training.   He was initially given a P39 Aeracobra to fly.   He was sent to Europe to flight, flying the P51 Mustang.   He named his own aircraft Glamorous Glen.   He qualified as an Ace in one day and then shot down a jet powered Me262.   After the war Yeager qualified as a Test Pilot.   Even as a very junior Test Pilot, Yeager was offered the chance to pilot the Bell X1.   Yeager finally took the X!, now named Glamorous Glennis, over Mach 1 becoming the first to break the sound barrier.   Yeager completed a long and successful career in the USAF.   Chuck Yeager passed away in 2020.   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to SMU Central University, USAF National Museum and the USAF.

The RAF Chinook helicopter has proved to be a versatile and determined workhorse for the British Armed services but none more so than the airframe Bravo November. This remarkable machine was the sole surviving Chinook of the Falklands war and it continued to operate in many operations in the Middle East. Even more remarkable was the bravery of it's pilots, four of whom received the Distinguished Flying Cross.   A US Army CH47A.   An RAF Chinook.   Argentinian forces invade Stanley.   British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.   Government House at Port Stanley.   HMS Invincible leads the task force out of British Waters.   The Atlantic Conveyor embarking aircraft.   The Argentinian submarine Santa Fe, previously USS Catfish.   An RAF Vulcan.   The sinking of the Belgrano.   The sinking of HMS Sheffield.   The sinking of HMS Antelope.   An Argentinian Super Etendard.   The Atlantic Conveyor ablaze.   Bravo November... the last Chinook.   Commandos marching across the inhospitable terrain of the Falklands... into battle.   A 105mm howitzer.   An upgraded BN during operations in the Middle East.   BN also served in the Afghan conflict.   Bravo November continues to serve to this very day.     Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the Royal Air Force, SPC Glen Anderson, the Argentine Navy, the Imperial War Museum, USN, Jefediahspringfield, Martin Sgut, Martin Otero, Royal Marines and the Ministry of Defence,      

When examining pilot deaths in WWI it was discovered that 90% were put down to pilot errors whereas only 2% were due to enemy action! Things didn't improve in WW2 either. A lowly 23 year old analyst challenged the assumption that cockpits should be designed to fit the Average Pilot. This is the story of Human Factors in Aviation.   An RAF pilot's annual assessment of ability.   Quételet, the man who invented averages.   The University of Ghent.   It was the study of Astronomy that gave rise to the first calculations of averages.   The study of the average Scottish Soldier.   Very few deaths during the First World War were due to enemy action.   The Second World War also saw an unacceptable number of deaths due to accidents.   The USAF conducted a large study into the size of their men to discover the dimensions of the average pilot.   Lt Gilbert Daniels discovered that not one USAF pilot matched the average!   The study of ergonomics let to better cockpit design.   Human factors also covers the limitation of the human body when flying.   Modern glass cockpits prevent many pitfalls from previous designs but bring their own problems.   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the US Congress, Frederik de Wit, the Deseronto Archives, the USN, the Australian War Museum, Henry Vandyke Carter and Airbus.      

Having recently talked about of couple of embarrassingly awful US World War 2 aircraft it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t mention some from my side of the Atlantic that were knocked together in the jolly old British Isles! Sadly, there are way too many to cover so I’ll just take a deep breath and mention a few!   Adverts for Boulton and Paul garden sunrooms.   The Wonderful Airfix Defiant model.   The ungainly Rhino parachute that the Defiant gunners wore.   The Sopwith Camel that Boulton Paul built under licence.   Boulton Paul had become well known as a turret manufacturer.   The ungainly Rhino parachute that the Defiant gunners had to cope with.   Boulton Paul Defiants lined up on the ground.   Taken out of front line operations the Defiant found a place as a target tug aircraft.   The large and slow Fairey Battle.   The Battle's bomb aimer's position.   Bombing up a Battle.   How many apprentices does it take to push a Fairey Battle?   The Fairey Swordfish.   The aircraft due to replace the Swordfish, the Fairey Albacore.   An Albacore departs from HMS Victorious.   The damaged and sunk capital ships of the Italian Navy after the Battle of Taranto.   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Boulton & Paul Ltd, Airfix, the RAF, Air Historic Branch RAF, RN, and The Australian War Memorial Collection,

Part 2 of my interview with my mate Matt, steely eyed rocket man extraordinaire.   Goonhilly   Gyros and spacecraft in Telstar   The interior of Telstar   The magnitude of space junk around the world   The first live TV pictures transmitted via satellite   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to NASA, I Alison, Rama, NASA, US Gov, the BBC and Andrew Bulko

It was in the early predawn that Pilot Officer Richard Pryce Hughes crashed his aircraft on the heathland a little less than 500 yards from where I live. That was 78 years ago and I was yet to be born and where my house is was still a pine covered heathland. A marker has been erected to show the location of the crash and as we approach the 11th of the 11th my wife or I place a cross on the small monument in remembrance, lest we forget. The heathland upon which Pilot Officer Richard Pryce Hughes crashed.   RCAF recruitment poster.   The Handley Page Halifax.   A painting depicting a 1,000 bomber raid.   The 10 Squadron winged arrow - approved by King George VI in September 1937.   The Bomber Command memorial depicting a typical crew.   A Halifax during a raid.   The fate of a heavy bomber hit by flak.       The Bristol Blenheim.   The De Havilland Mosquito.   The graves of the two brave Hughes cousins.   The Canadian memorial to their bomber crews at Nanton.   The marker placed in memory of Pilot Officer Richard Pryce Hughes.   Each year as we approach the 11th of the 11th my wife or I place a cross on the marker in remembrance... lest we forget.   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the Royal Air Force, the Ministry of Defence, Google Maps, the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Orford Ness is a remote spit of marsh and shingle covered land that sticks out into the North Sea. Part of the chilly, windswept Suffolk coast of East England it became the secret location for a place where boffins could work on the latest experiments in aviation and nuclear weapons. It was also the place where one of the very last pilots to die in WW I would meet his end. In ancient times, Orford Ness was home to smugglers!   Orford Ness in modern times, not far from Bungay!   The village of Orford with its medieval castle and Norman church.   The RFC version of interrupter gear.   A Martello tower.   A Heath Robinson cartoon.   The Bristol Fighter.   Beacon tower.   The Blue Plaque.   The Orford Ness Pagodas.   The experimental Over The Horizon radar codenamed Cobra.   The grave of Lieutenant Oliver Byerley Walters Wills, R.F.C. who was killed at Orford Ness a few hours before the end of WW1.         Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Ananias Appleton, Google Maps, the RAF, Alesey Komarov, Andrew Helme, Peter Norman, George Wolfe and Chris Gunns.

I’ve done plenty of Tales about the triumphant aircraft of World War 2 that fought in the skies over Europe, Africa Russia and the Far East. Quite naturally, I guess, not so much is known about the horrible failures. Not all of the aircraft we will look at were quite that bad... many were just misguided ideas, old designs or put into the wrong role! Vultee P-66 Vanguard.    The Vanguard with its original cowling design which gave insufficient cooling to the big radial engine.   The Vanguards at Karachi during their ill fated transit to China.   The Bell P39Q Airacobra.   The Airacobra with the big supercharger cooling vents that created so much drag.   The rather unusual, for a fighter that is, Airacobra cockpit door.   Guns blazing, the Airacobra was indeed quite well armed.   The RAF 601 Sqn with their renamed Caribou (Airacobra)... not much admired, the soon requipped with Spitfires.     Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to SADSM, USAF, Bill Larkins, WMFerguson, National Museum of the Air Force and the RAF.  

Any of Brien Wygle’s achievements would be enough for most of us to dine-out on for the rest of our lives. A World War 2 pilot who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy. A man who flew Hump missions in a vulnerable C-47s and who saw three of his comrades go down in a single day. A pilot who volunteered to fly bombing missions for the fledgling Israeli Air Force, who taught Howard Hughes to fly jet aircraft and who became a notable test pilot and yet was one of the most unassuming people you would want to meet. Much of Brien's love of flying came from magazines and building model aircraft.   As a young man Brien saw a formation of Hurricanes which lit the flame of his desire to become a pilot.   Brien's flying training started in the Tiger Moth.   Brien's first operational type was the Douglas Dakota.     Brien spend much time in the Far East flying dangerous mump missions and supply drops to the Chindits.   Back in Canada, Brien got some rare jet time on the De Havilland Vampire.   Joining Boeing, Brein started work flying the B47. Famously, Brien was the project test pilot for the Boeing 737.   Posing with Lew Wallick after a successful maiden flight of the B737.   Brien was also part of the crew that flew the maiden flight of the B747.   Brien Wygle passed away on the 15th of September 2929.   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Phil Major, MOD, RAF, RCAF, Bill Barnes Magazines, USAF, RAF, Boeing Corporation.

On the 18th of June 1940, Churchill stood in Parliament and gave a speech in which he stated that what General Weyland had called the Battle of France was over and that the Battle of Britain was about to begin. In the middle of this remarkable conflict was one Raymond Towers Holmes... Sir Winston Churchill   Hermann Göring   Preparations being made for the invasion of Britain   Joseph Kennedy, the US Ambassador to Great Britain   Adolf Hitler   The Me 110   The Supermarine Spitfire   The Hawker Hurricane   The Me 109   Battle of Britain pilots   The coverage of Chain Home   Chain Home operators   Arty Holmes in his fighter   Dog fights over London during the Battle of Britain   Dornier Do 17s   The secret weapon flamethrower   The Do17 without its tail plunges down towards Victoria Station   Wreckage of the Do17 that Arty brought down     Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to BiblioArchives, Bundesarchiv, the RAF, Wide World Photos, ROC, Adrian Pingstone, Imperial War Museum and the British Official Histories.

I was recently digging through some old airline paperwork and came across a delightful booklet from my old airline entitled Cabin Address from the Flight Deck - briefing notes and suggestions. The booklet is more than 20 years old so the content might, on occasions, fail to reflect current sensitivities but I thought it worth digging into so that I could share some of its suggestions with you.         Images with kind permission of cartoonist Capt John Reed AKA Figment.

Little Nellie was a rare breed of aviatrix the name of which has its origins in Ancient Greek. In more modern parlance, we have the familiar name autogyro… literally meaning self-turning. The way they work is the same way as a seed from a tree like a Sycamore flies and flying an autogyro is a novel form of taking to the air but one that saved 007! Juan de la Cierva - the First Count.   The world's first autogyro, Ciervas's C1   A replica of the C6   The Cierva C9   The Pitcairn autogyro showing the rotor drive shaft   The RAF's autogyro   A stamp commemorating the Russian TsAGI 1EA   The Fairy Rotordyne   The Bensen gyrocopter   Mailman Doug's gyrocopter on the west lawn of the Capitol after he was taken into custody.   The Focke Wulf Fw-61   Little Nellie   A modern autogyro   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to L'Aéronautique magazine, Pascual Marín, Gyromike, Diego Dabrio, Johannes Thinesen, NASA, Post of Soviet Union, NACA, Fair Use, Cheesy Mike and Asterion.

A continuation of the stories from Capt Nick's RAF Form 414... his flying logbook. BAe Nimrod MR2   The Old Pilot and a Bear   Norwegen F-5A   The Shackleton AEW2   A Canadian CL-28 Argus   The Avro Vulcan   The Skyflash semi active radar guided missile   An AQM37. The Stiletto was an air launched version.   A Skyflash missile firing from the F4 Phantom   Post missile firing treasure   Yours truly   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to The Old Pilot, Dale Coleman, Crown, Rob Schleiffert, USAF and an RAF Photographer.

Now a story about the US Navy Band may not seem to be my usual fare in Tales but bear with me and I must thank serving Band member and APG listener Tuba Tony for suggesting the topic for this story.   The United States Navy Ceremonial Band   The distant origin of the first Navy musicians.   The USS Macon   Eisenhower as a General and President   A DC3   A US Navy DC6   The Bandsmen lost in the tragic crash   Sugarloaf mountain   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to US Gov, Wiki Commons, US Navy, Library of Congress and the Washington Post.

There are many things that one might want to be remembered for. A fine physician, a pioneer aviator, a renown aeronautical researcher, an inspired inventor but perhaps not as the greatest charlatan ever to see his name associated with an airplane, even though his scout fighter the Christmas Bullet had a perfect kill record… it killed everyone who ever tried to fly it!     The AEA Redwing     One of Christmas's Patents   The Christmas Bullet   The Christmas Bullet   The Liberty 6 Engine Dr Christmas   Images under creative commons licence with thanks to the Library of Congress, US Gov, US Patent Office and the USAF.

At first glance he looks to be a rather scruffy and unkempt elderly chap but behind the heavy glasses there are two twinkling eyes that reveal more than you can imagine.  Indeed, appearances can be deceiving as this retired RAF Technician could have well been a steely eyed missile man as he controlled military satellites around during the Cold War.  Meet my mate Matt! Sputnik     RAF Oakhanger   Inmarsat equipment on board a ship   Not every launch was a success   Telstar   Voyager   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Nigel Chadwick, NRAO/AUI, Saber1983, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Dale Griffin USGS, then Science Museum and NSAS.

Back in 1997, on a sliver of land wedged between a gas station and a car park, a lone C130 Hercules could be found. It was mounted there near the entrance to the National Security Agency at Fort Mead in Maryland for a good reason. Not the original aircraft, as that crashed on foreign soil, it had been painted with the tail number 60528 to represent it.   The memorial to the crew of 60528   The C130 airborne   The plot of 60528 and the track of the intercepting fighters.   A Mig 17   Gun camera film from the attacking Mig17s   Gun camera film from an attacking Mig 17 showing the C130 in flames   The crash site of 60528   A USN Neptune   A Mig15   An LA11   An RAF Lincoln   The U2 spy plane   Gary Powers   The memorial to the crew of the C130   Arlington Cemetery   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the NSA, Soviet Defence Archives, 1Lt Kucharyaev, Soviet Air Force, Kirill Pisman, Adam Jones, Garry Goebel, RIA Novosti archive and IP Singh.  

If you are anything like the usual aviation enthusiast you’ll have a list of famous names in your head that you can quote at parties to bore your friends like, Wilbur and Orville, Bleriot, Richthofen, Lindbergh, Sikorsky, Whittle, Yeager and such but I wonder if you can place some of the others who deserve recognition.   Charlie Taylor   Hans Von Ohain   Ohain's HeS8 jet engine   The He178   The He280   Gloster E-28   Olive-Ann and TravelAir   The Staggerwing   Doolittle and the Mystery Ship   Louise Thaden     Bessie Coleman   Mae Jemison   Houdini   Colin Defries   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the USAF, the Air Force Research Lab, Embryriddle, RAF/IWM, SDASM, Flugkerl2, BAC, NASA, Museums Victoria,

He is dead now but you’ll find no stone to mark his grave since he has neither grave nor marker, which is a little odd for a much decorated American hero who fought for his country with outstanding bravery... but it was his wish and his family accepted that.   Boeing B-17D   The 509th   Project Alberta   The Trinity Test tower   The world's first atomic bomb just prior to the Trinity Test   The Trinity Test fireball   Little Boy   The mission map   Detonation   Hiroshima just after detonation   The Hiroshima Damage estimation map   Enola Gay returns   Tibbits in Enola Gay   Tibbits is decorated by Gen Spaatz   Enola Gay in the Udvar Hazy   Paul W Tibbits   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the USAF, US Gov, Project Alberta, Mr98, Berlyn Brixner, US Gov DOD, Jack W Aeby, United States Department of Energy, George R Caron, U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey, Armen Shamlian and elliottwolf.

In 1941 the German Navy commissioned its latest submarine, the U-134 and as it slid out of harbour to join the 5th U boat flotilla, Captain-Lieutenant Rudolf Schendel keenly anticipated the mission ahead. You may be wondering why this Type 7C U Boat should feature in a Plane Tale but bear with me as I introduce the K-74. Built a year after the U-134, the K 74 came from a company with an interesting origin, the Goodyear Zeppelin Corporation. This is their intriguing story.   The Type VIIc U-Boat   One of the few U Boats to survive the war.   Zeppelins over London   A British recruitment poster   The Goodyear Zeppelin Airdock   The Airdock interior   The Goodyear K Class blimp   K-Class blimp arrives in Gibraltar   The U-134's last patrol   The U-134 survives an attack   A K-Class on patrol   Attack report of the engagement between K-74 and U134   A K-Class is loaded with Depth Charges The K-Class crew man their gun     HMS Rother finally sinks U-134 with all hands     Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to NSA, UK National Archives, Darkone,  US Library of Congress, the Goodyear Zeppelin company, USN, Grossnick Roy A, Royal Navy and the US Naval Institute.

The ejector seat is still a subject of fascination for a lot of pilots, mainly those who have never been strapped to one. It’s often the opinion of folk not part of the small fast jet community that an ejection is a simple matter, you just pull the handle and ‘boom’ you’re safe.   The B58 Hustler   An ejector seat from the B-58 Hustler Smarter than the average bear!   North American Aviation test pilot George Smith.   The F100   Vought A-7E-5-CV Corsair II   The USS Constellation during her 1964–1965 WESTPAC cruise   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to J Clear, USAF, USAF National Air Museum, US Navy archives, US Gov, Hanna-Barbera and Robert L. Lawson.

On April the 1st 2011, a little known story of intrigue and tension within the usually calm and placid country of Canada came to light.  This little known affair which brought the United States and Canada to a breaking point revolved around the purchase of an unusual Fighter for the RCAF. This drama of the 1960s has become notorious in government circles and is variously referred to as, “The Stab in the Back-yard”, “The Fishbed Flap” “The Redhawk Incident” or more ominously “The Canuck Invasion Crisis”.   The Arrow is rolled out.   The Arrow is cancelled and cut up into scrap.   Scrapped portions of the Avro Arrow.   The Mig 21.   The first Canadian CF-121, Redhawk.   441 Sqn, the Stratocasters, are reformed with their Migs.   441 Sqn deploy to their new home in Cold Lake.   The first Redhawk is lost.   A grainy photograph reveals the truth!   The story is out.   Little evidence remains of the CF-121 Redhawk.   The old Cold Lake gate guard.   The truth is finally revealed.   Images published under Creative Commons licence with many thanks to parfaits, the Government of Canada and the amazing Vintage Wings of Canada.

I’ve talked a lot about alcohol over the past few Plane Tales and mainly about the negative aspects but it remains one of the few socially acceptable drugs that we can imbibe. With our propensity for travelling the world, fighter jocks, trash haulers, airline crews and the rest, have always managed to find some fascinating watering holes to frequent to let the stress of the day gently drain away in convivial company over a drink or two. With that in mind I asked the crew to tell me about one or two of their favourite establishments.   The brewing and consumption of beer has a long and interesting history.   The Royal Navy rum tub of HMS Cavaller.   Steph's Ski Bar.   Inside Molly's.   Great views of the slopes.   The entrance to Rick's Aero Club of East Africa.   The smell of bourbon, cigarette smoke, aviation gasoline and Wood polish.   The walls are adorned with fascinating artifacts.   And memories of pilots long past.   Because old pilots never die...   One of Jeff's favourites the Diego Garcia Officer's Club.   And the Randolph Officers Club.   Under which is found the wonderful old Auger Inn.   The tall windows of the Big Room in the Royal and Ancient golf club.   An evening out in Narita started in the Flyers Bar.   Moved on to the Bon Cafe for all you can eat teppanyaki.   Then to the Barge Inn.   And finally the infamous Truck (Trailer).     Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the Library of Congress, Hammersfan, Steph, Rick, Jeff, Nick and Gordon McKinlay.

Flying is an environment where the pilot's senses, coordination and mental faculties are vital to the safe conduct of a flight. Getting airborne having taken something that might impair one’s flying ability is a complete anathema to the vast majority of aviators so it is vital that we look at ourselves and our fellow pilots to recognise those who might need help.   The route taken by Aero 311.   The Bay of Bothnia.   An Aero DC3.   The crash site of Aero 311.   The JAL 8054 DC8 Freighter.   The DC8 crash site.     The Aeroflot Flight 821 crash site.   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the NTSB, Alma Media Suomi Oy, Jjm2311, Ritvara,  Aktug Ates, MAK,

When the gentlemen aviators of the First World War were looking for protective clothing to wear whilst doing battle over the trenches of the Somme, they visited establishments such as Alfred Dunhill’s where they were invited to alight for the best equipment.  This is the story of such wonderful flying garb as the Sidcot Suit, the Irving jacket and the classic American flight and bomber jackets.   A 1930 'Sidcot' suit.   The G1 Navy Flight Jacket.   Steve McQueen in his A2.   Chuck Yeager in his B10.     Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the FAST Archive, the Imperial War Museum, Solicitr, USAF, Dunhill's and Robinson and Cleaver.

Necessity is the mother of invention so it's often during war that the most amazing contrivances are developed... and some of the most ridiculous.  This is a look at a few of the less successful wartime inventions!   The Bat Bomb.   During testing, a few bats escaped and disaster followed!    A slab of Pykrete with a bullet mark.   The proposed Pykrete aircraft carrier.   The Bat guided bomb used in Project Pigeon.   The Fu-Go hydrogen balloon bomb.   A Fu-Go balloon found near Bigelow, Kansas on February 23, 1945.   A rendition of the proposed Nazi Sun Gun.   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to US Army, US Gov, USAF, CyranoDeWikipedia, Teramatt, US National Archives, and the US Navy Archives.

In the tale, the Applegate Memorandum, I described the difficult birth that McDonnell Douglas had with the DC-10 when it’s safety record was permanently marred by a cargo door design flaw that plagued its introduction.  Sadly, this wasn’t the only issue that was going to discredit the aircraft in the eye of its passengers and they would ultimately condemn the world’s first 3 engined wide body as a dangerous failure.  Although the aircraft’s problems with its cargo doors could be firmly laid at the feet of McDonnell Douglas, the next disaster that the aircraft would have to cope with was not of the manufacture’s making, but of some operators who took it upon themselves to shorten engineering procedures.   Then incident aircraft N110AA   Cutaway showing the configuration of the wing mounted engines   The DC10 cockpit   The last moments of American Airlines Flight 191   The aftermath   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the Dale Coleman, Jyra Sapphire, Jon Proctor, the Bureau of Aircraft Accident Archives, the NTSB, the US Gov and American Airlines.  

In this, the final part of the Ian Palmer interviews we find out about another life threatening concern that Ian had to deal with and how it led to a wonderful relationship. After my many years in the world of aviation there aren’t many people I have met who would be willing to open up their lives in the way that Ian has done.  In doing so my regard and respect for him has done nothing but grow.  Should anybody listening feel that they want to seek Ian out to ask for his help or advice then please contact him at Ian@ianpalmer.com   Brain surgery isn't for the faint hearted but Ian, with typical understatement, tackled it head on!   Ian, back on the flight deck of his beloved Airbus A330.   Images with thanks to Ian Palmer.

The third Ian Palmer interview deals with Ian's attempts to overcome his condition of alcohol dependance and how his life moved on.   Ian rehearsing with his friend and mentor, Steve Gadd.   Images with thanks to Ian Palmer.

In this, the second of the Ian Palmer interviews we continue with Ian's story and he describes his move from a career in music to one in aviation.  We also find out how his condition of alcohol dependance starts to affect him.   Ian doing aerobatics in an Extra 300.   The unusual Piaggio P-180.   Ian meets the Iron Maiden drummer, Nicko McBrain.   Images with thanks to Ian Palmer and, under Creative Commons licence,Tibboh.

My father was beacon that led me into the world of aviation and steered me unerringly through my flying life more accurately than any gauge or needle on my instrument panel.  He grew up on the white sand beaches of Western Australia, fought in the Second World War on the Sunderland Flying boats of No 10 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force and continued to fly in peacetime, plying his way around the world on firstly the DC2 and finally the B747. He became a restaurateur, avocado farmer and eventually learned to rest with an occasional game of lawn bowls.  He even agreed to let me record some interviews about his life.  Sadly, he is no longer with us. A No 10 Sqn RAAF Sunderland flying-boat of Coastal Command sets out on patrol.   Flt Lt Andy Anderson with his Sunderland crew.   An Airwork Vickers Viking.   A Kuwait Airways Boeing 747.   His final years.   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to RuthAS and Adrian Pingstone.

Ian Palmer's life has hardly gone as smoothly as he might have wished.  Born into a family of musicians, particularly drummers including Carl Palmer of the band ELP, he started off as a very successful drummer himself.  What he didn't know was that he suffered from a condition that carries great stigma and frequently leads to ruin and death... alcoholism. This is the first part of an inspiring and brutally honest interview that follows his life from drumming into aviation. Title image: Ian Palmer with Steve White of the Paul Weller band, Brian Bennett of The Shadows and Pete Cater. Ian Palmer... drummer.   Images with thanks to Ian Palmer.  

Born in Wales to immigrant parents he would grow to a height of 6’ 6” and climbing into the cockpit of a World War II fighter was going to be a problem… but he managed it and before long had earned the moniker Lofty.  He would pen books that charmed children for generations and generations for Lofty, who was an army officer, fighter pilot and spy was better known as the renown author who sold over 100 million copies of his books, Roald Dahl.   Roald Dahl.   The Gloster Gladiator.   Roald Dahl's WWII flying helmet.   Roald Dahl in later life signing books in Amsterdam in front of an adoring audience.   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Paramount pictures, the US Library of Congress, the British Government, DeFacto and Rob Bogaerts.

Fifty three years ago a man fell to earth.  He came from space having survived the appallingly hostile conditions that exist there.  Apart from the hard vacuum, the electromagnetic radiation, the intense cold, the cosmic rays and other damaging particles that exist there.  Despite overcoming numerous failures on his Soyuz-1 spacecraft he had achieved the near impossible and piloted a manual reentry... all he had to do now was to wait for the life saving parachutes to deploy. Colonel Vladimir Komarov   The Soyuz 1 capsule.   The aftermath of the Soyuz 1 crash.   The commemorative plaque and the Fallen Astronaut sculpture left on the Moon by the crew of Apollo 15.   Vladimir Komarov with his wife Valentina Yakovlevna and daughter Irina.   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to NFCC, Smithsonian Institute, NASA and the US Gov.

The German name for the Shrike songbird is Würger, which also means Strangler and by coincidence, was also the name given to the Focke-Wulf 190, a World War II fighter which quickly became one of the most feared Axis fighters of the 2nd World War.  Various dubious plans were made to get hold of one to reveal its secrets but then along came Oberleutnant Armin Faber.   Armin Faber's gift in RAF markings.   The Shoreham Aircraft Museum.   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the Imperial War Museum, FO Watkins and the Shoreham Aircraft Museum.

Dick Andrews was flying over the battle of A Sầu in Vietnam and feeling deja view as he saw what was going on beneath him.  It took his mind back to the day in WWII when he landed his P38 Lightning in a field to rescue his leader who had crash landed there.  Now he was watching the same thing happening below except a Skyraider was landing amongst enemy Viet Cong and not German troops.  A remarkable coincidence and a remarkable pair of stories.     Bernie Fisher wearing his Medal of Honour in 2008.   Fisher and Myers after the rescue.   Fisher's damaged A-1E.   Dick Andrews and Dick Willsie squeezed into the same P38 cockpit.     Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the USAF and March Field Air Museum.

I was about to enter the Devil's Triangle, the Limbo of the Lost, the Twilight Zone or the Hoodoo Sea… more commonly referred to as the Bermuda Triangle.  What dangers awaited, would I disappear like the famous loss of the 5 Avengers of Flight 19!  Listen to this terrifying story of myth and mystery!   A fine example of a Pseudoscience.   The Bermuda Triangle.   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Lt Cdr Horace Bristol, US Navy, Alphaios and People's Cyclopedia of Universal Knowledge (1883)

I left you last time after we had returned with our Hornets from New Zealand having had a very productive and interesting few weeks working with the Kiwi A4 Skyhawks.  We soon settled back into our Squadron HQ at RAAF Williamtown and started to work up some Maritime Strike tactics against the ships of the Australian Navy.  These were early days for the Australian Hornets and the anti ship missiles that were to be purchased had yet to be properly integrated into the aircraft’s weapons system... and so continues the Tales from the Old Pilot's Log Books.   The Hornets mix it with the Navy!   It was the P3 Orion's job to find the ships and broadcast their positions   The RAAF had yet to equip their F18s with anti ship missiles but that didn't stop us training   We flew affiliation sorties against the RAAF Caribous so I got the chance to observe from the other side of the engagement   Called in from leave to fly an engine air test I did so with my holiday beard still attached!   The rake of the Hornet seat didn't suit my back leading to a nagging problem   On our way to Malaysia we staged through Bali   At RMAF Butterworth we stayed in the beautiful old RAF Mess   And could frequently be found in the Hong Kong Bar   Back home in Australia I started to suffer from vertigo and wondered if the dream had come to an end

Boeing was the most successful aircraft manufacturing company on the planet but a European consortium thought they could take on the world's best selling airliner, the B737, with a design of their own.  So was borne the A320 family of airliners with the most daring and radical of technological advances that the airline industry had seen since the advent of the jet engine.  But the birth of the A320 was marred by a controversial crash that might sink the project before it had got going! A tale produced to celebrate the A320 Podcast’s 100th show.   The larger A321...   ... and very much smaller A318.   Appendix 3 of the BEA final report into the crash of Air France flight 296.   The A320 and B737 in competition.     Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Ken Fielding, Bill Larkins, Austrian Airlines, Aero Icarus and the BEA.

What better day to celebrate the aviators of Ireland than on St Patrick's Day.  From the crash of Alcock and Brown to a tractor maker and a flying olympic competitor, the Emerald Isles have a fascinating aviation history. Henry Ferguson, perhaps better known as an agricultural machinery maker than a pilot.   Lilian Bland piloting her Mayfly.   Lady Heath featured top centre amongst the best known aviators of the '30s.   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Joseph D. Eddy and The Queenslander.  

The sequel to Passing Gas recalls what it's actually like to plug into a tanker and take on a fighter pilot's life blood... fuel!  Of course not every tanker mission goes as planned and some have ended in tragedy and one, by the smallest of margins, was saved from further disaster on an epic scale. Two MH-53E Super Stallion helicopters perform aerial refueling from a KC-130J Hercules tanker aircraft.   A K3 VC10 tanker of the Royal Air Force.   KC-135 Stratotanker refuels an F-16 during Operation Iraqi Freedom.   The casings of two B28 nuclear bombs involved in the Palomares incident on display at the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque, New Mexico.   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the US Navy, MCS James Turner, USAF, John E. Lasky, Marshall Astor and Chris Lofting.