Latest / Flyer Magazine / Special Top Gun Edition - The FLYER Show - 14th May 2026

Transcript

Special Top Gun Edition - The FLYER Show - 14th May 2026 · Flyer Magazine

0:02
SPEAKER_05: 3.
0:04
SPEAKER_05: This is the Flyer Show in podcast form with Flyer.
0:07
SPEAKER_05: It's your weekly dose of general aviation news, views, and flying chat.
0:12
SPEAKER_05: In this episode, we're celebrating 40 years since the release of one of the greatest aviation films of all time, Top Gun, plus the usual observations, digressions, and opinions from the team.
0:23
SPEAKER_05: If you like aeroplanes, airfields, airspace, and the strange little world that surrounds them, you're in the right place.
0:33
SPEAKER_02: Negative Ghost Rider, the pattern is full.
0:51
SPEAKER_05: He's Encyclopedia Hicks.
0:53
SPEAKER_05: That's Annabelle Growler Cook.
0:58
SPEAKER_05: And that's Dave Dodgy Calderwood.
1:05
SPEAKER_05: As you can probably guess, we're feeling the need, the need for speed, because it is uh 40 years since uh the release of Top Gun, which might be pilot's favorite film of all time.
1:17
SPEAKER_05: We will have clips, stories, and some background, and yes, there may be even some dust in our eyes.
1:23
SPEAKER_05: Uh but before we get that far, uh it's time to say thanks to our sponsor Sky Demon.
1:28
SPEAKER_05: We couldn't do it without them.
1:30
SPEAKER_05: And uh here's this week's top tip.
1:32
SPEAKER_05: It's all about vertical navigation.
1:39
SPEAKER_02: Hi, I'm Tim from Sky Demon.
1:41
SPEAKER_02: Welcome to this week's top tip.
1:42
SPEAKER_03: In Sky Demon, vertical planning is very easy.
1:46
SPEAKER_03: If I plan a flight from Wickham Air Park up to Sywell, we can see that our main planning altitude is at 4,000 feet.
1:56
SPEAKER_03: But here we've got airspace starting at 3,500 feet.
2:00
SPEAKER_03: I'll double tap just to take the main map to this point.
2:04
SPEAKER_03: Here, where we exit the airspace, I'll just put a little turning point in.
2:09
SPEAKER_03: That way you can see the turning point here.
2:11
SPEAKER_03: And you can grab the leg before the turning point and just raise and lower it with your finger.
2:18
SPEAKER_03: I'm going to put it at 3,100 feet.
2:22
SPEAKER_03: This way, our fight is planned at that altitude before climbing once we're free of the airspace to the final altitude.
2:30
SPEAKER_03: You can also press and hold and press on leg properties.
2:35
SPEAKER_03: And here you can change the value to whatever you like.
2:42
SPEAKER_02: For our full user manual, go to skydemon.ero and choose help and support.
2:51
SPEAKER_05: So vertical navigation.
2:52
SPEAKER_05: I think people forget that little bar at the bottom, but I like it's a really useful thing.
2:57
SPEAKER_01: It is, and it's a lot quicker than going to each leg and manually typing out.
3:00
SPEAKER_01: And you can just click and drag.
3:02
SPEAKER_01: Just click and drag.
3:02
SPEAKER_01: Or the elastic.
3:06
SPEAKER_01: It's gonna be one of those days.
3:08
SPEAKER_05: It is.
3:08
SPEAKER_05: And and it's weather.
3:10
SPEAKER_01: Oh, it is, yes.
3:11
SPEAKER_01: Um well summer teased us a bit, didn't it, recently?
3:13
SPEAKER_01: And it said, I'm on the way, and now it's gone again.
3:16
SPEAKER_01: And it was freezing this morning, but let's go to the expert.
3:18
SPEAKER_01: Let's see what Simon has to say about this weekend.
3:21
SPEAKER_00: Even all, I hope you're doing well this evening, and that you're looking forward to getting some flying in during the course of this weekend.
3:28
SPEAKER_00: Um, it is looking like there'll be some flying for most of us, although there's some uncertainty over the timing of certain systems moving through, which I'll tell you more about in just a second.
3:36
SPEAKER_00: Um, this is the forecast cloud precipitation and pressure for uh at seven o'clock tomorrow morning on Friday.
3:43
SPEAKER_00: You can see a few showers affecting northern and western Wales, the northern coast of Cornwall, a few showers northern and uh eastern Scotland, as well as parts of eastern England, but generally the cloud is broken, and there's some sunny spells.
3:55
SPEAKER_00: Now, through the course of Friday, I think there will be some showers that develop, particularly along southern coasts of England, some further showers for western Scotland, but mostly scattered elsewhere.
4:04
SPEAKER_00: And you notice that the cloud quite broken as well.
4:07
SPEAKER_00: I think we're looking at typical bases, probably coming in at around about three to four thousand feet, and the top's probably twelve to fifteen thousand feet.
4:16
SPEAKER_00: High ground may just give enough of a lift to um the cloud to be able to generate a shower, but generally not bad.
4:22
SPEAKER_00: The flow coming in from the northwest, and we're looking at typical speeds across the country, are probably around about 15 to 20 knots.
4:29
SPEAKER_00: So actually, that looks pretty good tomorrow.
4:31
SPEAKER_00: Now, Saturday, this is the day where I have to put a question mark on it.
4:35
SPEAKER_00: You see this rain coming into Ireland.
4:38
SPEAKER_00: Um, this is the chart for seven o'clock local on Saturday morning.
4:42
SPEAKER_00: I actually think that will probably be the position more likely at around three o'clock in the afternoon.
4:50
SPEAKER_00: So I think on this forecast chart that rain is coming in too quickly.
4:54
SPEAKER_00: I think for most of us, actually, it is gonna be a decent day, some decent spells of sunshine, yes, cloud increasing from the west.
5:01
SPEAKER_00: Yes, there could be an isolated Chaheim there, and bases typically around 4,000 feet, tops, around 10 to 12,000 feet until that rain comes in, and then bases of a thousand to three thousand feet, and the tops are around twelve to fifteen thousand feet.
5:16
SPEAKER_00: But just watch the forecast carefully.
5:19
SPEAKER_00: Um, just make sure my timings are still there.
5:21
SPEAKER_00: But as I say, I think for most it is looking halfway decent, and probably that rain gets into the western.
5:27
SPEAKER_00: I agree with the positioning of the rain by uh seven o'clock local on Saturday evening.
5:33
SPEAKER_00: It is there or thereabouts that many western areas are clagged up.
5:37
SPEAKER_00: Watch out for the channel as well, which could become non-veifiable as the day goes on during the course of Saturday.
5:44
SPEAKER_00: The wind's coming around into a westerly, generally fairly light.
5:47
SPEAKER_00: We're looking about 10 to 15 knots for most.
5:50
SPEAKER_00: But as I say, watch that visibility deteriorating quickly across western and southern coasts.
5:55
SPEAKER_00: Now for Sunday, the rain clears eastwards quite quickly on Sunday, may leave some residual showers across central and eastern areas of the country, but then more rain or showers getting into western parts of Scotland and Ireland in the afternoon, making non-VFR conditions here.
6:11
SPEAKER_00: Marginal to non-VFR in those showers across the southeast, possibly some QNs in there as well.
6:19
SPEAKER_00: But in between, it looks as if it should be a fairly decent base of around three to five thousand feet tops at about twelve thousand feet, but the base is decreasing in the west to between about one and two thousand feet we topped so 15,000 feet later as that front moves in.
6:38
SPEAKER_00: So you see, it isn't actually a bad weekend at all.
6:42
SPEAKER_00: Just keep an eye on the timing of the arrival of that rain.
6:46
SPEAKER_00: Um, those of you who have already been to Aviation Weather School will be doing that.
6:49
SPEAKER_00: You'll know how to do it because I've shown you how to do it by using the charts.
6:52
SPEAKER_00: If you've not been to Aviation Weather School Part 1 yet, then my next online course presented live by me is going to be held over the uh consecutive Tuesday evenings the 16th and 23rd of June between 6:30 pm and 9 pm.
7:05
SPEAKER_00: Be super to see you there.
7:06
SPEAKER_00: I will show you how to spot weather windows five days in advance, show you how to forecast cloud bases and tops and rain and thunderstorms and hail and winds at different levels and the visibility and so much more, and build your confidence in your ability to read and understand and forecast the weather, whether you're doing it yourself or whether it's from official sources.
7:26
SPEAKER_00: Book your place now at weatherschool.co.uk.
7:30
SPEAKER_00: It'll be absolutely super to see you there for a very enjoyable and fun couple of evenings together.
7:36
SPEAKER_00: It's well worth the investment.
7:37
SPEAKER_00: Okay, I will leave you with that for now, whatever you're doing.
7:40
SPEAKER_00: Have a great, have a safe, flying weekend, and I'll catch you next week.
7:43
SPEAKER_00: Bye for now.
7:44
SPEAKER_05: Well, that looks like a bit of a mixed bag.
7:46
SPEAKER_05: Maybe I'm I'm just living in hope that spring will find us again one day.
7:51
SPEAKER_06: Well, there is potential for next week, apparently.
7:53
SPEAKER_06: Oh, okay.
7:54
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, yeah.
7:54
SPEAKER_06: But just not this weekend.
7:55
SPEAKER_06: Okay.
7:56
SPEAKER_01: Which weather podcasts have you been looking at?
7:58
SPEAKER_06: The Met Office.
8:00
SPEAKER_06: Okay.
8:01
SPEAKER_01: Good.
8:02
SPEAKER_06: So uh let's uh let's head to the news.
8:04
SPEAKER_06: Right.
8:05
SPEAKER_06: So the first story is about Doncaster Airport, Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
8:09
SPEAKER_06: Right.
8:09
SPEAKER_06: DSA as it's known.
8:10
SPEAKER_06: It's slowly reopening bit by bit.
8:12
SPEAKER_06: Air Ability are going to stage four days of flying uh at the end of this month, over the 26th to the 29th of May, flying some people who with disabilities.
8:21
SPEAKER_06: Um and they're sort of it's kind of like the early birds.
8:25
SPEAKER_06: I mean, two XL have already been flying some general aviation flights out of there.
8:30
SPEAKER_06: Um but uh the company that operates it operates uh Doncaster Airport, or will be operating Doncaster Airport, Fly Doncaster, says scheduled flights.
8:38
SPEAKER_06: Is it scheduled or scheduled?
8:40
SPEAKER_06: Scheduled.
8:41
SPEAKER_06: The company that uh operates the airfield, Fly Doncaster, says they'll be have scheduled flights in 2027.
8:47
SPEAKER_06: Now, the recent elections were a little bit worrying because there was a cohort of the new councillors who said they would not they did not want to honour the uh debt arrangements that the previous existing council had put in place.
9:01
SPEAKER_06: But now that they're in, they they've now said they will.
9:05
SPEAKER_06: So it's all it's all all good.
9:06
SPEAKER_06: Okay.
9:07
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
9:09
SPEAKER_01: Um sticking with airability, um, earlier this year uh 4Air delivered a pipestrel of Veles Electro to Air Ability for a 12-month sponsorship.
9:20
SPEAKER_01: The aircraft is based at Blackbush, and I was very kindly invited to go and fly it earlier this week uh and find a bit more about how it's going to be used.
9:28
SPEAKER_01: And this was actually my first experience of electric flight, and I loved it.
9:32
SPEAKER_01: I can I can absolutely see the benefits.
9:35
SPEAKER_01: Because if you think about flying in any aircraft with a combustion engine, there's a lot of noise, a lot of switches, a lot of things to think about.
9:41
SPEAKER_01: You need to get the engine warmed up, and that's before you even got in the air.
9:45
SPEAKER_01: But um with a Vellis, you've got four switches, and that's it.
9:50
SPEAKER_01: You go.
9:51
SPEAKER_05: Well, four switches, it's surely just on and off.
9:54
SPEAKER_01: Well, you've got to unplug it as well, so maybe that's fine.
9:57
SPEAKER_01: Um so I think actually it makes a really nice stepping stone that you can actually have the flight experience with real simplicity.
10:04
SPEAKER_01: Um, you haven't got the noise going on.
10:07
SPEAKER_01: Um and then as you gain experience and confidence, you can then move to a combustion engine.
10:11
SPEAKER_01: Um particular, the VELIS has the sort of goal wing doors that open so you can get the wheelchair right up next to it.
10:18
SPEAKER_01: Uh, and they're also looking to get approval to remove the control stick, which is going to make it even easier to get in and out.
10:25
SPEAKER_01: Um my instructor for the flight, Adam Twyle, was telling me that he's flown lots of people, including military and airlines.
10:33
SPEAKER_01: Uh, and everyone, including me, comes out with a big smile.
10:36
SPEAKER_01: And that's what they're really hoping is that by the end of the year, as many smiles as possible for airability.
10:42
SPEAKER_01: Fantastic.
10:42
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
10:43
SPEAKER_06: Okay.
10:44
SPEAKER_06: And four errors, what given this to arability?
10:47
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, for the year, for the year.
10:49
SPEAKER_06: Well done.
10:50
SPEAKER_05: Okay.
10:50
SPEAKER_05: Uh so uh some Popham news, not the airfield this time, but nearby uh to the airfield, and that's that there's a massive industrial and business park, 2.7 million square feet in size, um, that's being proposed for greenbelt land close to Popham.
11:06
SPEAKER_05: Um the site is on the other side of the A303, which runs along the east side of the airfield.
11:12
SPEAKER_05: Uh, and they're saying it's going to completely, well, it's not saying, it's it will.
11:15
SPEAKER_05: It will completely swallow um the farm that's currently there.
11:18
SPEAKER_05: Um so it's important to point out this is an entirely separate development that's being proposed for the airfield.
11:25
SPEAKER_05: Um, but it will um but obviously any significant new development in the airfield will influence plans um for Popham Garden Village, say the campaign group Popham Matters, uh, which is leading objections to the Garden Village proposed for the airfield site.
11:41
SPEAKER_05: Uh they go on to Popham Matters go on to say, our professional planning consultant has reviewed the plans, and we consider that the logistics park development per se poses no threat to the continued operation of the airfield.
11:53
SPEAKER_05: But understandably the residents of Popham Parish and many other residents in the surrounding area have grave concerns about the impact of such a development on themselves and the local area.
12:02
SPEAKER_05: Um so I think there's is there one week left to comment on this?
12:06
SPEAKER_06: Yes, about that, yeah.
12:07
SPEAKER_06: Um the main the main thing that people seem to be worried about, it's a logistics park.
12:12
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
12:12
SPEAKER_06: Which is means hit HGVs all the time.
12:15
SPEAKER_06: Huge amount of traffic.
12:16
SPEAKER_06: And the traffic around and the roads around that area apart from the 303 and the M3, they're just not developed.
12:22
SPEAKER_06: They just stop developed, yeah, the tiny little country lanes.
12:24
SPEAKER_06: No.
12:24
SPEAKER_01: So um so really peaceful part of the world, very beautiful.
12:28
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
12:28
SPEAKER_05: So while it may not impact on the airfield, if uh if you have a view and it will be helpful to all the people in that area, then please express it before the time is up.
12:38
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
12:38
SPEAKER_05: Um they'll we'll put a link in the uh video description.
12:41
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, okay.
12:42
SPEAKER_06: Bit of CAA news.
12:44
SPEAKER_06: Um they want feedback on the North West Transit Corridor, what used to be known as already.
12:50
SPEAKER_06: It's been open five minutes.
12:51
SPEAKER_06: No, no, February 25th it opened.
12:53
SPEAKER_06: So it's been open for just over a year.
12:55
SPEAKER_06: Um it used to be called, of course, the Manchester Low Level Route.
12:58
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, but apparently we can't say low-level anything.
13:00
SPEAKER_05: They don't like the idea.
13:00
SPEAKER_05: Low level is dangerous.
13:02
SPEAKER_06: They like they like corridors instead.
13:04
SPEAKER_06: The actual changes from the low-level route are quite minor.
13:06
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
13:07
SPEAKER_06: Um but uh uh but but it's uh CA has an obligation to review it and see what people think and see how it's working.
13:14
SPEAKER_06: The other bit of news at the CAA is that standards document 19A, which sounds really boring, but it's not.
13:21
SPEAKER_06: It's actually a really important uh document.
13:24
SPEAKER_06: Um if you're a a student, a PPL student, or an instructor of PPLs or an examiner, this document tells you how the skill test should be run and what's included.
13:34
SPEAKER_06: And I must admit, I didn't know about this when I did my uh my flying tests.
13:38
SPEAKER_06: It wasn't a skill test then, it was a the general flight test and a navigation thing.
13:43
SPEAKER_06: But I would really love to have known what was supposed to be included.
13:46
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, rather because that would have been helpful.
13:48
SPEAKER_06: It would have been a very useful document to have.
13:49
SPEAKER_06: Anyway, you can download it free from the CEA.
13:52
SPEAKER_06: Okay.
13:52
SPEAKER_06: And we'll put a link on in the comments.
13:54
SPEAKER_05: In the in the description.
13:55
SPEAKER_05: Fantastic.
13:56
SPEAKER_05: Or useful?
13:57
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
13:58
SPEAKER_01: Um me, I think.
14:00
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
14:00
SPEAKER_01: Uh so this week the Royal Aero Club annual award ceremony took place at Brooklyn's.
14:05
SPEAKER_05: Um Did you put on your posh rock and go?
14:08
SPEAKER_01: I wear a dress.
14:10
SPEAKER_01: How have you known me?
14:12
SPEAKER_01: I am so mistaken.
14:13
SPEAKER_01: I wear a dress once a year for the bl for the ball, and that's it.
14:16
SPEAKER_01: Uh-huh.
14:16
SPEAKER_01: Uh but I did wear yeah, smart clothes and nice shoes.
14:20
SPEAKER_01: But this is the first time they've moved away from the REF club.
14:23
SPEAKER_01: Um I think no, they had have once before, but this was kind of a major move away, and the idea is to get more space.
14:29
SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
14:29
SPEAKER_01: And I think actually the venue worked really well.
14:32
SPEAKER_01: So there was a really good number of people.
14:35
SPEAKER_01: And uh big shout out to the staff who did an excellent job looking after everybody.
14:39
SPEAKER_01: They were, yeah, food was good, food was hot.
14:42
SPEAKER_01: Um, more importantly, the awards.
14:44
SPEAKER_01: So they were presented by Air Vice Marshal Mark Fluin, which I think is a great bit of nominative determinism.
14:51
SPEAKER_01: Um, and there were uh there's a small number that I'd like to mention.
14:54
SPEAKER_01: So the Prince of Wales Cup was awarded to the British hot air balloon team uh for the European Hot Air Balloon Championships last August.
15:02
SPEAKER_05: Did they win?
15:05
SPEAKER_01: That's a complicated to answer, which is why I haven't mentioned it to save some time.
15:09
SPEAKER_01: Do go and look at the website if you're gonna find out.
15:11
SPEAKER_01: Um a silver medal was awarded to Matthew Bolshaw for services to general aviation um and to the Royal Aero Club.
15:18
SPEAKER_01: And and Neil Allen was also made that award.
15:21
SPEAKER_01: Um and last year he became world champion in the free flight class of model flying.
15:26
SPEAKER_01: Uh Don Cameron was there of Cameron Balloons, of course, and he was awarded the chairman's trophy.
15:32
SPEAKER_05: Absolute legend, Don Cameron.
15:33
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, big ledge.
15:34
SPEAKER_01: Nice to see him looking so well as well.
15:37
SPEAKER_01: Um and uh bronze medal was awarded to Steve Penfold, uh British team hang gliding pilot who died following an accident at the Hang gliding world championships last year.
15:49
SPEAKER_01: Uh, and um many of his family and friends were there at the awards, and it was an absolute pleasure to spend some time with them.
15:56
SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, a bit of a shout out to Steve.
15:59
SPEAKER_05: And a good a good time overall at the awards.
16:01
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it was a really nice event.
16:03
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
16:03
SPEAKER_01: Um lots of lots of interesting people there, some good conversations, really good feel.
16:09
SPEAKER_01: And because it's a Brooklyn's, it meant that um people could go off and look at aeroplanes in between.
16:14
SPEAKER_05: There's a Concord there, isn't there?
16:16
SPEAKER_01: There is.
16:16
SPEAKER_01: Amazing.
16:17
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, there's all sorts there.
16:18
SPEAKER_01: It's a great museum, actually, if you if you haven't been, it's it's worth a trip.
16:21
SPEAKER_06: Okay.
16:22
SPEAKER_06: I guess they didn't fly that Concord into into Brooklyn.
16:25
SPEAKER_05: They did not, no.
16:26
SPEAKER_05: It came from K it was.
16:28
SPEAKER_05: Encyclopedia resolve.
16:30
SPEAKER_05: It was stored at Philton for many, many years.
16:32
SPEAKER_05: It was uh a spares aeroplane for BA, and they took it apart and trucked it up to Brooklyn and reassembled it.
16:38
SPEAKER_05: So and they've also got the Concorde Simulator, I think.
16:42
SPEAKER_01: They have, yes.
16:43
SPEAKER_01: Uh and you can buy a flight experience in the Concorde Simulator if you've got an awful lot of money that you want to just spend.
16:50
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's not cheap.
16:51
SPEAKER_01: I did look.
16:52
SPEAKER_05: Wow.
16:53
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, tempting.
16:54
SPEAKER_05: Um is it just me?
16:55
SPEAKER_05: Yes, yes, just me.
16:56
SPEAKER_05: Uh so uh hangar home news.
16:58
SPEAKER_05: Uh since getting planning permission for 10 hangar homes on Ellis Skillin uh airport, uh developer and pilot Peter Day has been looking at ways of bringing the cost down to make uh all the units a little more affordable.
17:11
SPEAKER_05: Uh Pete has told Flyer uh by eliminating stamp duty land tax uh for each service plot at£150,000.
17:19
SPEAKER_05: Um he's say saying there's going to be a saving of up to£70,000 of stamp duty, as the build would be completely separate transaction uh and paid for um to the approved builder.
17:31
SPEAKER_05: So sounds like an interesting plan there.
17:33
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
17:34
SPEAKER_05: Um and uh it sounds like he's going for instead of instead of opting for conventional uh structural steel, which of course that's all gone crazy pricing.
17:43
SPEAKER_05: Yep.
17:43
SPEAKER_05: It sounds like he's going for uh a light something called a light gauge steel frame system, which is made of recycled steel.
17:50
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
17:50
SPEAKER_05: That's quite cool.
17:51
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
17:51
SPEAKER_05: Um and apparently that's half the weight of conventional systems, so um that just requires a a l a like a steel reinforced concrete slab.
18:01
SPEAKER_05: Um and uh he's estimating that the whole build is gonna be around about 350,000 pounds.
18:07
SPEAKER_05: So to get a hangar home, I mean what's that gonna be?
18:12
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, I think that that price doesn't include the fit out afterwards.
18:14
SPEAKER_06: No.
18:15
SPEAKER_06: Obviously that depends on what the finish.
18:17
SPEAKER_05: Yes, fit and finish.
18:18
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
18:18
SPEAKER_01: It just needs a kettle in the corner, doesn't it?
18:21
SPEAKER_05: But critically, um Yes, exactly.
18:24
SPEAKER_05: Kate yeah, kettle, cup of tea.
18:25
SPEAKER_05: Sleep in that airplane.
18:26
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
18:27
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
18:27
SPEAKER_05: Uh Peter has uh so Peter's gone on to make a special offer.
18:31
SPEAKER_01: Um This is the Fly Club members only?
18:33
SPEAKER_01: No, it's not.
18:34
SPEAKER_05: But it is.
18:34
SPEAKER_05: It's he's looking for um someone to come along for the first one built.
18:39
SPEAKER_05: Uh and he says, as no hangar homes currently exist in the UK, there's an urgent need for a show home uh made with these systems.
18:46
SPEAKER_05: Uh and as an incentive, uh he's uh whoever is willing to have the first one built can have the service plot at half the cost.
18:53
SPEAKER_05: Um so that's£75,000.
18:56
SPEAKER_05: Um so that an open day for the external shell can be held at Enniskillen before the winter uh and another next spring for internal fit out.
19:03
SPEAKER_05: So great to see that.
19:05
SPEAKER_05: I mean Peter has been absolutely persistent in in moving and everyone dreams of a hangar home, but trying to get this done is in the in the UK is just almost impossible.
19:17
SPEAKER_05: And Enniskillin have clearly taken you know, taken it to heart and with Peter's enthusiasm, hopefully this will move forward.
19:24
SPEAKER_01: But what's interesting actually is uh uh somebody that I know that is not into flying at all.
19:30
SPEAKER_01: Strange, I know.
19:31
SPEAKER_01: I it's only one friend.
19:33
SPEAKER_01: Um they knew about this.
19:35
SPEAKER_01: Oh wow.
19:36
SPEAKER_01: So it's obviously got wider interest to the community than than just us.
19:41
SPEAKER_05: So yes.
19:43
SPEAKER_05: I I I I know some people will be like, why would you want to live above your airplane?
19:48
SPEAKER_05: But I would love that.
19:49
SPEAKER_05: I would just like every day get up, go downstairs, yeah.
19:53
SPEAKER_05: You would polish it before you're gonna be able to do that.
19:54
SPEAKER_05: I would I would be very happy.
19:56
SPEAKER_05: You would.
19:56
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, so yeah, no, fantastic.
19:58
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
19:58
SPEAKER_05: I hope that.
19:59
SPEAKER_05: Hope that find someone to move that forwards.
20:01
SPEAKER_06: Yes, it would be great to see see the idea come come to fruition.
20:04
SPEAKER_01: You think of moving again, Dave?
20:06
SPEAKER_06: No, no, no, no, I've done enough moves.
20:09
SPEAKER_01: Said that last time.
20:10
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
20:13
SPEAKER_04: Okay, uh club news.
20:14
SPEAKER_04: Annabelle.
20:15
SPEAKER_01: Yep.
20:15
SPEAKER_01: There's still quite a bit of May left to use the free landing fees.
20:19
SPEAKER_01: This month we have Causeway in Ireland.
20:21
SPEAKER_01: You could go over there and then pop to Enniskillen and have a look.
20:24
SPEAKER_01: Um, Perth in Scotland, Felthorpe in Norfolk, and Jersey, if there are any left.
20:29
SPEAKER_01: Um it was the first five uh visitors, but just give them a call and see.
20:33
SPEAKER_01: You might be lucky.
20:34
SPEAKER_01: Um webinars coming up.
20:37
SPEAKER_01: I am talking with Pete Stratton of the British Gliding Association about a safety webinar on shared airspace.
20:43
SPEAKER_01: Um and that one would be public, actually, not just for club members because um because of the safety angle.
20:49
SPEAKER_05: Fantastic.
20:50
SPEAKER_01: And if you missed it, we recently had a fantastic webinar with Nigel Webb on flying in and around the Channel Islands.
20:59
SPEAKER_01: Um, other recent highlights were one uh being confident on the radio with Darren Lewington and a licensing update with Ed Bellamy.
21:07
SPEAKER_05: Fantastic.
21:08
SPEAKER_05: And yeah, and don't forget flyer.co.uk forward slash membership.
21:12
SPEAKER_05: Membership for the best deal in aviation.
21:15
SPEAKER_05: Well, we think so anyway.
21:16
SPEAKER_01: And it's only six pounds a month.
21:18
SPEAKER_05: There we go.
21:19
SPEAKER_05: God, this is like absolutely seamless.
21:21
SPEAKER_05: It is.
21:22
SPEAKER_05: I should have said a week, shouldn't I?
21:23
SPEAKER_01: And then gone, oh no, that's not right.
21:26
SPEAKER_05: What was I thinking?
21:27
unknown: Yeah.
21:30
SPEAKER_05: So as we mentioned at the top of the show, uh, we are feeling the need The need for speed.
21:35
SPEAKER_05: Because it's 40 years since uh uh since amazing flying film uh Top Gun was released.
21:42
SPEAKER_05: Um and I th I think I've got to say, there can there can't be, I don't think there's any pilot who is out there who hasn't driven to the airfield once listening to Danger Zone, or maybe done a pre-flight of their aeroplane humm you know, humming the Top Gun theme tune.
21:59
SPEAKER_05: Um And I think if you deny that, then you're dead in the soul.
22:04
SPEAKER_01: Your pants or your pants are on fire.
22:06
SPEAKER_05: Yes.
22:08
SPEAKER_04: But I guess the question why do we love it so much?
22:11
SPEAKER_01: Aeroplanes.
22:16
SPEAKER_06: It's funny.
22:17
SPEAKER_01: It is.
22:17
SPEAKER_01: It's really clever, isn't it?
22:19
SPEAKER_06: So I think it's just it's um I think actually it's director.
22:23
SPEAKER_06: You're going to talk about the director in a second, but I reckon he he got it when he said it's it's rock and roll with aeroplanes, with pilots.
22:29
SPEAKER_01: The cinematography and the the filming just itself is just fantastic.
22:33
SPEAKER_01: Great soundtrack.
22:34
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
22:34
SPEAKER_05: So you did um.
22:35
SPEAKER_01: That was a silly question, wasn't it?
22:37
SPEAKER_05: It was.
22:38
SPEAKER_05: Um So did you know uh three years uh previous to the movie's release, uh there was uh an article in California magazine all about the pilots of um Naval Air Station Miramar.
22:49
SPEAKER_05: Uh and that was it's so the rumour is that Jerry Br um Jerry uh Jerry Bruckheimer, who was one of the producers, uh he was in the dentist and he picked this magazine up and uh and read it and went, Oh my god, it's Star Wars but with fighter jets.
23:04
SPEAKER_05: Cool.
23:04
SPEAKER_05: And that is what and it took a while for him to convince Paramount Pictures that that you know that this film needed to be made.
23:11
SPEAKER_05: Uh but uh yeah, he teamed up with Don Simpson and they had a guy, uh they had some guys write the screenplay for it, and eventually Paramount went, We sh we need to make this.
23:21
SPEAKER_05: Uh and uh they hired director Tony Scott and uh basically they hired him because he'd done a commercial for Saab Cars, and it was the legendary Saab Cars advert where the 900 Turbo was uh shown racing the Saab Vigan fighter jet.
23:39
SPEAKER_07: Just like that.
23:42
SPEAKER_07: Say boner.
23:43
SPEAKER_05: Oh, there we go, yeah.
23:45
SPEAKER_05: So that's that's how that came about.
23:47
SPEAKER_05: Um the he the film, obviously, huge commercial success.
23:51
SPEAKER_05: Uh it was through uh gross$357 million um globally against a production budget of$15 million.
23:58
SPEAKER_05: I can't believe it costs so little, to be honest.
24:00
SPEAKER_05: $15?
24:01
SPEAKER_05: $1.5.
24:01
SPEAKER_05: $1.5 million.
24:03
SPEAKER_05: I guess that was 40 years ago.
24:04
SPEAKER_05: That was$1983.
24:06
SPEAKER_05: But still.
24:07
SPEAKER_05: Um but basically it became the highest-grossing film of 1986 worldwide.
24:12
SPEAKER_05: Interestingly, uh it also became the best-selling VHS video release in the industry's history on pre-orders alone, and then went on to sell three million copies worldwide.
24:24
SPEAKER_06: Well, it's I've got a director's cut DVD.
24:26
SPEAKER_06: Ah, okay.
24:28
SPEAKER_01: I've got two.
24:29
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
24:30
SPEAKER_05: Uh and I think uh ultimately it gave pilots a whole lexicon of sound bites and imagery and things that is present in our flying today.
24:40
SPEAKER_05: Um So yeah.
24:42
SPEAKER_05: Uh Annabelle.
24:43
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
24:44
SPEAKER_05: You've got you've been looking into Charlie.
24:47
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so well I didn't need to look too far because I already knew quite a bit about the story of Charlie, Blackwood's character, played by Kelly McGinnis, of course.
24:56
SPEAKER_01: Um because you may not know that she was inspired by a real person.
25:01
SPEAKER_01: And originally the character was going to be a groupie or a gymnast.
25:05
SPEAKER_01: Um but then um I know, I know.
25:09
SPEAKER_01: Um but then uh on one of their visits to Miri Miramar, the team met Christine Fox, uh, who was using mathematical models to develop fighter tactics.
25:20
SPEAKER_01: Um and apparently she became known for the sound of her high heels going down the corridor, and so she got a call sign Legs, which is very 1980s, isn't it?
25:27
SPEAKER_05: It is very 1980s.
25:29
SPEAKER_01: Interestingly, um she actually um rose through the ranks and eventually became acting deputy secretary of defence, which was the highest post ever held by a woman at the Department of Defence.
25:42
SPEAKER_01: And she was one of my inspirations for learning how to fly.
25:45
SPEAKER_05: That's very cool.
25:47
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
25:47
SPEAKER_05: That's very cool indeed.
25:49
SPEAKER_05: Wow.
25:49
SPEAKER_05: I did read um so there was an article in Air and Space magazine a couple of years later.
25:54
SPEAKER_05: Uh and I think so someone said, Um, oh, do you fancy learning to fly?
25:58
SPEAKER_05: She's like, Well, it looks great, but I don't think I really want to do that.
26:02
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
26:02
SPEAKER_05: Very sensible woman.
26:04
SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
26:04
SPEAKER_05: Um did you know?
26:06
SPEAKER_05: So in Top Gun, there is the in the scene where we we see Charlie in the bar, the legendary um it's like we've you've got that loving feeling.
26:15
SPEAKER_01: And actually, if you look at a picture of Charlie and you look at a picture of Christine Hawkes.
26:20
SPEAKER_05: Similar, aren't they?
26:21
SPEAKER_05: Yes.
26:21
SPEAKER_05: Um never close, you know.
26:23
SPEAKER_05: Stop it.
26:24
SPEAKER_05: Okay.
26:26
SPEAKER_05: Um in that scene in the bar, uh we see Charlie with a uh with uh uh Maverick points and goes, you know, you're not wasting your time with that older guy.
26:36
SPEAKER_05: Turns out the older guy, he is the real Viper.
26:40
SPEAKER_05: Oh, really?
26:41
SPEAKER_05: Um so he was a chap called Pete Pettigrew, and he was one of the first instructors at um at the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School, which got the the much snappier title Top Gun.
26:52
SPEAKER_05: Yep.
26:52
SPEAKER_05: Uh in 1970, he flew uh the A-4 Skyhawk as an adversary.
26:57
SPEAKER_05: Um but he ha he has quite a mega history.
27:00
SPEAKER_05: Um after he was at Top Gun uh in May 1972, flying an F-4 Phantom from the USS Kitty Hawk, uh, he and his uh radar intercept officer shot down a uh uh Vietnamese uh People's Air Force MiG-21 with a sidewinder, and he became the only Top Gun instructor to achieve a confirmed air-to-air kill.
27:22
SPEAKER_05: That got him a Silver Star medal.
27:24
SPEAKER_05: Wow.
27:24
SPEAKER_05: Uh he flew 325 combat missions during uh Operation Rolling Thunder and Operation Linebacker.
27:31
SPEAKER_05: Uh they were big strike operations over North Vietnam, uh Vietnam.
27:36
SPEAKER_05: Eventually ended up being commanding officer of um of VF 302 at n at Miramar, uh so 1980 to 1982.
27:44
SPEAKER_05: Uh and then 83 to 86, he served as um consultant on Top Gun.
27:49
SPEAKER_06: Wow.
27:49
SPEAKER_05: Um which is amazing.
27:51
SPEAKER_05: And yeah, so you see he's called Perry in the film uh and he's he's Charlie's um Charlie like Charlie's um well the the bloke with Charlie.
28:00
SPEAKER_05: Yeah um but yeah um and sadly died June 2024, age 82.
28:04
SPEAKER_05: But I just thought that's a I've I d I'd never given much thought to that character.
28:09
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
28:09
SPEAKER_05: But it's it's such an amaz it's a it's like one of those brilliant little Easter eggs, as they now call it.
28:14
SPEAKER_05: Um Dave, you know about you know about a guy called Bozo, don't you?
28:19
SPEAKER_05: I do.
28:19
SPEAKER_06: Well so when Tom Cruise first went up on an F-14 for the first time, he was with a pilot called Lieutenant Lieutenant Commander.
28:28
SPEAKER_06: It's in America they call it Lieutenant, isn't it?
28:31
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
28:31
SPEAKER_06: Lieutenant Commander, Lloyd Bozo Abel.
28:34
SPEAKER_06: Uh after Bozo did some manoeuvres, Cruz finally had no choice but to reach for the sick bag.
28:40
SPEAKER_06: And as as he did so, um Bozo did a manoeuvre that put Cruz's head to the floor of the cockpit.
28:49
SPEAKER_05: Like worst case in it.
28:50
SPEAKER_05: You feel sick.
28:51
SPEAKER_05: Let me just put your head in the floor.
28:53
SPEAKER_06: That's right.
28:53
SPEAKER_06: So Cruz was trying to get the intercom to talk to Bozo, uh, and he finally got it and said, Bozo, didn't you see what's in your rear view mirror?
29:01
SPEAKER_06: And Bozo replied, Sorry, but then again, they don't call me Bozo.
29:05
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
29:06
SPEAKER_05: And of course, Bozo famously, uh they care that it was time for when they called the need to do the um the Buzz the Tower scene.
29:15
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
29:15
SPEAKER_05: Apparently they went to all the pilots and they went, We're gonna need someone to do this.
29:19
SPEAKER_05: And apparently he was like, he's like, that's me.
29:23
SPEAKER_05: So so Bozo was the real pilot who flew the tower flew the buzz the tower scene.
29:28
SPEAKER_05: And apparently at the time the um the producer said, Um, oh can you go past supersonic?
29:33
SPEAKER_05: And it's like, we can't do that, that'll be like devastation.
29:39
SPEAKER_05: But we'll go fast fast and it'll still look amazing.
29:42
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
29:42
SPEAKER_05: So um uh talking of stunts, uh obviously the film, at the very end of the film, uh you'll see uh this film is in memory of Art Scholl.
29:52
SPEAKER_05: And Art was an absolutely legendary um stunt um pilot who flew for a whole bunch of movies and television commercials and all sorts.
30:03
SPEAKER_05: Um incredible aerobatic performer as well.
30:05
SPEAKER_05: He'd um uh represented um the American been on the American team, uh, even came to the uh the World Aerobatic Championships at Halavington um in the eighties.
30:16
SPEAKER_05: Wow but Art was uh Art was uh tasked with flying the flat spin scene with filming that and had a camera on top of his Pitts S2.
30:26
SPEAKER_05: And um obviously the flat spin scene is where um Maverick and Goose have their engine flame out, and sadly, spoiler alert, goose dies.
30:35
SPEAKER_05: I know.
30:36
SPEAKER_05: Um but but in real life, um sadly, art was lost.
30:40
SPEAKER_05: Um the Pitts they uh Pitts uh art shared uh art was doing the flat spinning and um said I'm gonna do one more and um sadly went into a flat spin he couldn't get out of and the aeroplane spun into the ocean.
30:53
SPEAKER_05: Um the the biplane and art were never found.
30:56
SPEAKER_05: Never found.
30:57
SPEAKER_05: Never found.
30:58
SPEAKER_05: So just uh but yeah, but the uh but um to honour his his contribution, yeah, uh the um the filmmakers um uh dedicated the film to him.
31:08
SPEAKER_05: So yeah, just really, really sad.
31:11
SPEAKER_01: So um but talking of amazing flying scenes Yeah, so um obviously I said at the start that cinematography is one of the things that I think is most impressive about the film, um and it's how they did it is really interesting.
31:27
SPEAKER_01: So they were actually filmed um from a Learjet, specifically Clay Lacey's Learjet, fitted with his Astro Vision Camera system.
31:36
SPEAKER_05: That's such an 80s name, isn't it?
31:38
SPEAKER_01: It is, it is.
31:39
SPEAKER_01: Um, and this is well worth um showing a picture.
31:43
SPEAKER_01: Well this is I'll just leave it to leave it to your imagination.
31:46
SPEAKER_01: Um it used a periscope-based lens system to keep the camera inside, uh, meaning that the Learjet could fly alongside the F-14s.
31:55
SPEAKER_01: And I I think that's what makes the aerial sequences so special, because they were shot from a platform that could actually keep up and up close.
32:03
SPEAKER_05: Apparently, though, um so the Learjet could only manage 250 knots with the periscope fitted.
32:10
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
32:10
SPEAKER_05: And apparently that was quite slow for the Tomcats and the F5s, which are quite fast.
32:15
SPEAKER_05: So um uh if anything beyond 250 knots with the periscope, apparently the periscope would vibrate.
32:22
SPEAKER_01: That's even worse.
32:23
SPEAKER_05: No one likes a vibrating periscope.
32:26
SPEAKER_01: No one moving on to Top Garden Maverick, the Cinejet was used.
32:33
SPEAKER_01: Uh this is an L39 albatross with a camera gimbal mounted on the nose.
32:38
SPEAKER_01: It was developed um developed, developed by a guy called Kevin LaRosa Jr., who designed it in Microsoft Paint.
32:46
SPEAKER_05: Well, yes, I love that.
32:48
SPEAKER_05: First concept, yeah.
32:49
SPEAKER_05: Um that that is a proper piece of kit.
32:52
SPEAKER_05: That is amazing.
32:53
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and what what is great about this is it could fly fast enough to get up close to the super hornets.
32:58
SPEAKER_01: Um, and there's some video which we might be able to show where he's basically information right behind them and then he counts three, two, one after burners, and it just shoots.
33:05
SPEAKER_05: And the acceleration is just bonkers.
33:07
SPEAKER_05: And I think that same system they then took because um to make it even more versatile, uh, they've got a phenom uh private jet as well, haven't they?
33:15
SPEAKER_01: And they can run two cameras on that and shoot like two different scenes at the same time.
33:20
SPEAKER_01: At the same time.
33:21
SPEAKER_01: So actually, the uh the idea is that the aerial director of photography sits behind Kevin while he flies, so they could get right into the dog fights, um, fly through the canyons, um, and as I said, get really close to the afterburners.
33:33
SPEAKER_01: So that's yeah, that's really fascinating.
33:35
SPEAKER_01: Maybe we can put a link to the video that I found about that.
33:38
SPEAKER_05: I think we should definitely definitely do that because that's worth watching.
33:41
SPEAKER_05: And it's it's worth saying that I in that there is we often talk about the internet rabbit hole of research.
33:47
SPEAKER_05: There is so much material about the making of Top Gun.
33:50
SPEAKER_05: There's some brilliant interviews with um pilots who were involved.
33:55
SPEAKER_05: Um in the last kind of four or five years, there's been some brilliant collaborations where uh people have found talks to like five or six guys who are all involved with the original filming, and they talk about how uh helped with like the dialogue and and it's like uh some of the scenes, it's like, well, we're gonna need to do it like this, and the filmmakers know no, we know we know how to do it better, and eventually they go, No, tell us how to how to do this.
34:21
SPEAKER_05: So um it's yeah, there is some fantastic stuff around, but I think the thing about Top Gun overall is it has left us with uh favourite scenes and favourite quotes, and you've been looking into this, haven't you?
34:35
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, well for many people, including Ian, uh Ian Seeger, yeah, his favourite scene is where the commanding officer is talking to Maverick and Goose, um giving because they've just you know.
34:47
SPEAKER_06: They've just saved Cougar, haven't they?
34:48
SPEAKER_06: They've just saved Cougar, got the uh mix out to bug off, as they say.
34:51
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
34:52
SPEAKER_06: And uh he says, You two characters are going to Top Gun.
34:55
SPEAKER_06: For five weeks, you're gonna fly against the best pilots in the world.
34:58
SPEAKER_06: Just remember one thing you screw up this much, and you'll be flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong.
35:08
SPEAKER_05: And many pilots.
35:09
SPEAKER_05: I think as as Ian pointed out to us uh uh while we were talking about this in the week, it's like he he was Oshkosh, and it it turned out you can find you can find little rubber dog shit.
35:21
SPEAKER_05: Who would imagine that that would be its item for sale at Oskosh?
35:30
SPEAKER_06: Maverick and Goose might inv you know, catch up with the MiG.
35:35
SPEAKER_05: Because I was inverted.
35:37
SPEAKER_01: That's right, yes.
35:38
SPEAKER_01: And who's not said that amongst us?
35:40
SPEAKER_05: I think any pilot out there who's gone, oh no, I've never said that.
35:43
SPEAKER_05: You're absolutely a liar.
35:45
SPEAKER_01: Those pants are still on fire.
35:47
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
35:47
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
35:48
SPEAKER_06: A later scene, it's probably one of my favourite scenes, is when when the big dog fight is going on, and Maverick, uh, because he's lost goose by this time, is distancing himself.
35:57
SPEAKER_06: He's flying above.
35:58
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, he he goes through a bit of a crisis.
36:00
SPEAKER_06: He has a little bit of a moment, yeah, and but he re-engages.
36:03
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
36:04
SPEAKER_06: And uh so after Maverick re-engages, his his back seater at this point is Chap called Merlin.
36:10
SPEAKER_06: A chap called Merlin, but a guy called Merlin.
36:12
SPEAKER_06: A guy called Merlin.
36:13
SPEAKER_06: And uh anyway, they've got the uh got the MIG right on their tails, and this is really live fire at this point.
36:18
SPEAKER_06: And uh so uh Merlin's sweating a bit, he's doing all this, looking around, saying, What are you doing?
36:24
SPEAKER_06: What are you doing?
36:24
SPEAKER_06: You're slowing down.
36:26
SPEAKER_06: Maverick says, I'm bringing him closer.
36:27
SPEAKER_06: And that's the famous one where he suddenly pulls on the air brakes, he goes, He goes, hit the brakes, and we'll fly on by.
36:36
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, so that's uh that that's a really good flying scene, I think.
36:40
SPEAKER_06: That is fantastic.
36:41
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, yeah.
36:42
SPEAKER_06: Um there is a false scene which isn't from the original film, it's from the Maverick film.
36:46
SPEAKER_06: But I I think you have to include the F-14 Escape, where they steal the F-14 and uh Rooster jumps in the because you remember that Maverick is in the cockpit, it all started, yeah, and you know, trying to remember where everything is.
36:59
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, Rooster's never been in a rooster's never been in a 14 before.
37:02
SPEAKER_06: He jumps in the back and he looks at it and says, Oh my god, this thing is so old.
37:06
SPEAKER_06: And then of course they have to take off on a on a bomb out taxiway.
37:10
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
37:10
SPEAKER_06: And front wheel, the nose wheel does it.
37:12
SPEAKER_06: Note gets knocked off.
37:13
SPEAKER_06: And then that's that brilliant scene where uh they're on the run into the uh to the carrier.
37:18
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
37:19
SPEAKER_06: And uh uh suddenly there's a pop, and Rooster says, Don't tell me we've lost an engine.
37:26
SPEAKER_06: Meravak says, All right, I won't tell you that.
37:31
SPEAKER_05: It is absolutely full of um full of favourite quotes.
37:35
SPEAKER_05: Your favourite quote?
37:36
SPEAKER_05: From the show.
37:38
SPEAKER_07: Ah It's gotta be talk to me, goose again.
37:42
SPEAKER_05: Another phrase that every pilot has uttered at one time, I'm sure.
37:45
SPEAKER_05: Yes.
37:46
SPEAKER_05: So um I think for me it's gotta be um it's uh it's the buzzing the tower.
37:52
SPEAKER_01: Negative ghost ride at the pattern is full.
37:54
SPEAKER_05: That's it.
37:55
SPEAKER_05: I forget what what's the uh what's the what's Maverick's line?
37:58
SPEAKER_05: It's like uh the quest fly by.
38:00
SPEAKER_05: That's it, yeah.
38:00
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
38:01
SPEAKER_01: I mean I don't know what the line is.
38:03
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, no, yeah.
38:04
SPEAKER_05: So But yeah, fantastic yeah, Top Gun is it's hard to imagine a life without it.
38:12
SPEAKER_05: Oh yes, yeah.
38:13
SPEAKER_05: It's hard hard to imagine that uh that any pilot where that film that film hasn't touched on your love of flying.
38:21
SPEAKER_05: So um how many times have you seen it?
38:24
SPEAKER_05: I can't probably can't remember actually.
38:25
SPEAKER_05: It's been I think it's the film I've seen more than anything.
38:29
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, yeah.
38:30
SPEAKER_05: Sometimes it's just been on the telly and you go, I can't not watch that.
38:34
SPEAKER_05: And sometimes you just go, I have to watch it.
38:36
SPEAKER_05: Yep.
38:36
SPEAKER_01: So I sat and watched it with my mum for the first time a couple of months ago.
38:41
SPEAKER_05: What did your mum think of it?
38:42
SPEAKER_01: I think she fell asleep.
38:44
SPEAKER_05: Oh, okay.
38:45
SPEAKER_01: But she then but she did now understand why I have this t-shirt though.
38:49
SPEAKER_01: And why I kept saying, Talk to me, goose randomly.
38:53
SPEAKER_01: She did enjoy it.
38:54
SPEAKER_05: So Top Gun, uh, yeah, 40 fabulous years.
38:57
SPEAKER_05: Uh have you got a favourite scene or a favourite quote?
39:01
SPEAKER_05: Um, or are you going to write in the comments?
39:03
SPEAKER_05: I've never seen this film.
39:05
SPEAKER_06: If you've never seen it, it's going on on IMAX cinemas for a week.
39:08
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, it's on limited, it's on limited risk release for the 40th anniversary.
39:13
SPEAKER_05: And is actually pretty widespread.
39:15
SPEAKER_05: I've even found it uh like a local cinema.
39:18
SPEAKER_05: So um yes.
39:19
SPEAKER_05: Tell us if you if you're gonna go and see it.
39:22
SPEAKER_05: So um, yeah, fantastic.
39:26
SPEAKER_05: So it's time for what caught your eye.
39:29
SPEAKER_05: And uh what did catch catch your eye, Dave Calderwood?
39:31
SPEAKER_05: Well, dodgy Calderwood.
39:34
SPEAKER_06: Last week we were at the Popham Microite Fair and uh we saw some really expensive, lovely microlites.
39:39
SPEAKER_06: We did.
39:39
SPEAKER_06: But there's another end of the scale when it comes to microlites, and on A4s, right at this moment, there's a 1987 Thruster TST Mark I.
39:47
SPEAKER_06: It's a classic, really.
39:49
SPEAKER_01: It makes that that's that's Wait! The TST Mark, that's the first aircraft I ever had a share in.
39:55
SPEAKER_06: I know.
39:56
SPEAKER_06: It's brilliant.
39:56
SPEAKER_01: It's yeah.
39:57
SPEAKER_06: 3,500 pounds.
39:59
SPEAKER_06: It's got a permit, it's absolutely ready to fly.
40:02
SPEAKER_06: Give me the link.
40:03
SPEAKER_06: It's been owned by two professional engineers for the past fifteen years, and the the inspector said when they uh when he went through the airplane this year, it's really looked after beautifully.
40:12
SPEAKER_05: That is that is an aeroplane that you really would need the quote, I feel the need, the need for speed.
40:18
SPEAKER_06: But you won't get it.
40:19
SPEAKER_06: No.
40:22
SPEAKER_01: I love the three and a half grand.
40:24
SPEAKER_06: I know, it's got a rebuilt engine, it's a Rotex 5032 stroke, which is one you have to mix the oil on the petrol votes.
40:31
SPEAKER_06: Okay.
40:31
SPEAKER_06: Uh but it's really fly away.
40:33
SPEAKER_06: It's asleep, by the way.
40:34
SPEAKER_05: That is unbelievable value.
40:36
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
40:37
SPEAKER_05: And and you have true love for thruster, don't you?
40:40
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
40:41
SPEAKER_01: It's brilliant.
40:42
SPEAKER_01: It's so much fun.
40:43
SPEAKER_01: And actually, I think they kind of look down on a little bit.
40:46
SPEAKER_01: But I have to say that I don't think as a as a freshly minted PPL I was ready for the TST.
40:52
SPEAKER_01: Really?
40:53
SPEAKER_01: It's not it's not easy to fly well.
40:56
SPEAKER_05: Right.
40:57
SPEAKER_05: But if but actually sounds like probably a good pilot skills trainer.
41:00
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, yeah.
41:01
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
41:01
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
41:02
SPEAKER_06: I think it's actually the prettiest of the of the thrusters.
41:05
SPEAKER_06: Yes.
41:07
SPEAKER_06: It's there's not much to it.
41:08
SPEAKER_06: It really is, you know, just a basic, basic aircraft.
41:11
SPEAKER_06: But it looked, it just looks great.
41:12
SPEAKER_06: It just looks perfect, I think.
41:14
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
41:14
SPEAKER_05: Wonderful.
41:15
SPEAKER_05: Well, I d I I don't reckon you can beat Valley like that.
41:17
SPEAKER_05: No.
41:18
SPEAKER_05: That sounds amazing.
41:19
SPEAKER_01: Very tempted.
41:23
SPEAKER_05: Annabelle.
41:24
SPEAKER_05: Uh Growler.
41:27
SPEAKER_05: That's gonna finish off.
41:30
SPEAKER_05: Just pause for a moment.
41:32
SPEAKER_01: It's okay.
41:33
SPEAKER_01: I'm fine.
41:34
SPEAKER_01: Um I I guess I I can't go past what caught your eye and not mention the float plane flying.
41:42
SPEAKER_01: Oh yes.
41:43
SPEAKER_01: Can I?
41:43
SPEAKER_01: Really?
41:44
SPEAKER_05: You've got uh I I was gonna say show us your sticker or show us your patch.
41:49
SPEAKER_01: Limited edition weed ram patch.
41:51
SPEAKER_01: Because you've been Yes, I have been up in Scotland flying the infamous Weed Ram with the equally infamous Hamish.
42:00
SPEAKER_01: Um and I have been doing my seatlane rating.
42:03
SPEAKER_01: So um I was checking through my logbook and it was uh 25 takeoffs and landings.
42:09
SPEAKER_01: Uh the course is eight hours of flying, but I did 10 because we had a little jolly at the end.
42:15
SPEAKER_01: Um Locks Lohmann, Finlasty, and Dune, uh got a backseat, um, fly onto Loch Or and then into Glenforcer.
42:24
SPEAKER_01: We did rough water landings, glassy water, sailing, docking, beaching, crosswind, um, rough water inspection, which is really cool because what you do is when it's very rough, you come down and you land and you don't actually touch down and you basically keep a bit of power.
42:38
SPEAKER_01: So you're in landing attitude and you just skim along top of the waves and go, Do you think it's safe?
42:43
SPEAKER_01: Yes, no, and then you chop the power or you carry on.
42:47
SPEAKER_01: Um and then if autos um and engine failures en route onto water.
42:51
SPEAKER_01: So probably the most intense flying that I have ever done.
42:56
SPEAKER_01: Um very long days, um, a very steep learning curve, but so so much fun.
43:03
SPEAKER_01: Like yeah, landing on a lock and then like ticking along on one mag, um turning the engine off, just coasting up onto the beach, wading out in the water, just yeah.
43:13
SPEAKER_06: Why just one mag?
43:15
SPEAKER_01: Because it's lower.
43:16
SPEAKER_01: Because you want the you don't want the prop to be turning too far.
43:19
SPEAKER_01: Because A, it's fast.
43:20
SPEAKER_01: You move faster through the water, and then any spray damages the prop.
43:23
SPEAKER_05: And no brakes.
43:24
SPEAKER_01: No brakes.
43:25
SPEAKER_01: So it's all done on judgment.
43:27
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
43:28
SPEAKER_01: Um I do have to go back though.
43:31
SPEAKER_01: So one of the problems with seaplane flying is so few people do it.
43:34
SPEAKER_01: So I think in the UK at the moment there's four examiners.
43:38
SPEAKER_07: Oh wow.
43:38
SPEAKER_01: And of course you can't mark your own homework, and there was a bit of a problem with examiners because um there were there were five and one of them lost a medical a week before I went.
43:45
SPEAKER_01: Oh no.
43:46
SPEAKER_01: So I do have to go back up and do the skills test.
43:49
SPEAKER_01: Oh no, more seaplane flying.
43:51
SPEAKER_01: What a shame.
43:52
SPEAKER_05: Oh wow.
43:53
SPEAKER_05: But that's a I that does sound like uh I A Scotland fantastic scenery, B float plane, such a rare thing to come across in the UK.
44:02
SPEAKER_05: And the combination of those that just sounds amazing.
44:05
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, because I've done um I did an hour in Biscarot in France and I did an hour at Jack Brown's um and while they were fantastic experiences just not the same.
44:13
SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
44:15
SPEAKER_01: And um I was speaking to the um the examiner that I was flying with um about the number of women pilots who had done it.
44:23
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
44:24
SPEAKER_01: He said he's been instructing for 15 years.
44:27
SPEAKER_01: I was the second.
44:28
SPEAKER_04: No.
44:29
SPEAKER_01: And the first was also this year.
44:31
SPEAKER_01: Wow.
44:32
SPEAKER_01: So yeah I don't I don't know about other instructors but yeah very, very well I mean few people in general.
44:39
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, even fewer.
44:40
SPEAKER_06: What do you plan to do with your sleep aim rating once you've got it?
44:43
SPEAKER_01: Buy a seaplane enough it can flip floats to the Glass star.
44:47
SPEAKER_01: But um my plan at the moment is um well immediate plan.
44:52
SPEAKER_01: I'm looking to go out to Canada into the Rockies and fly the Volma Oh a Volmer sportsman.
45:03
SPEAKER_05: Yes.
45:04
SPEAKER_05: Encyclopedia a home built seaplane fantastic.
45:07
SPEAKER_01: Yeah flying boats in the Rockies can't go far wrong with that.
45:10
SPEAKER_01: Amazing.
45:11
SPEAKER_01: And then longer term I think um I can see myself making a pilgrimage back up to Scotland once a year for to do that again because I think that's I've got to say actually that it may seem a bit well it is quite niche but the flying skills that you learn are 100% transferable.
45:29
SPEAKER_01: Really?
45:29
SPEAKER_01: But um yeah I mean lots of little things like reading the wind that's gonna that's so useful to learn how to do that.
45:37
SPEAKER_01: And you know you're used to rounding on a runway or a grass strip that never changes.
45:42
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
45:42
SPEAKER_01: No two landings are ever the same on on water.
45:45
SPEAKER_01: So yeah really I'd I'd recommend it.
45:48
SPEAKER_01: If anybody is actually genuinely interested drop me an email and I can put you in touch.
45:54
SPEAKER_05: Fantastic.
45:55
SPEAKER_05: I feel that if I I I've done some float plane flying in the States but I I feel if I ever did the full rating I sometime I would fall off afloat.
46:06
SPEAKER_01: I did crawl along on my hands and knees a couple of times because just yeah it's very cold.
46:12
SPEAKER_05: And that just leaves me.
46:14
SPEAKER_05: And this is this was uh it's one of those it's like I recognise that and that's because an aircraft came up for sale this week that was probably the basis for one of my favourite flight tests of all time when I was working on when I was working off flyer.
46:30
SPEAKER_05: And it appeared on the cover of our June twenty uh June uh twenty fourteen and it was the fabulous Lockheed 12A Electra Jr.
46:38
SPEAKER_05: It's probably one of the most perfectly restored aircraft I'd ever seen uh and Ian and I had been out to we'd been out to Florida for some flight testing in February 2014 and I'd heard about this airplane it was quite a famous example of the type uh and a a a chap had bought it and I'd heard it had been restored and literally I'd I'd I'd found his email on the on the web and I just emailed him and said hello it's it's Ed and Ian from Fly here we're going to be out there can we come and fly your Lockkeed and he was like yeah absolutely and this this amazing guy was a chap called Dave Marco who still owns it today and we went out to see him and he has the most amazing fantasy hanger with a whole bunch of toys but uh uh so the lockkeed sits in this climate control thing and uh anyway he wheeled it out and we had a fantastic evening of flying this I think it it does it sits in uh Ian in Ian's mind of one of the his absolute favorites uh and this airplane twelve thousand twelve thousand man hours invested in it in the restoration of this should have given the women the job shouldn't they absolutely it would have taken six um uh one of a handful flying today Lockheed made a hundred and thirty of them in total uh and it won uh after the restoration it was an ostosh award winner six hundred and forty hours since new I think it's one point two million dollars but as when you think well that would buy you a brand new Cirrus or uh a Cirrus SR22 or I can have a beauty like this you go I'll have the Lockheed every day.
48:06
SPEAKER_05: Absolutely I'll stick a there we'll put a link in the description to uh to fly as flight test of that because that is online so absolutely fantastic machine.
48:16
SPEAKER_06: Well um uh if you seen something fantastic uh this week tell us uh what caught your eye in the comments so events well it's supposed to be a busy busy weekend with lots of uh lots of events going on depends on the weather though is but it doesn't look too too good anyway from today Thursday to Sunday the 17th there's war Warbirds weekend at uh Comton Abbas okay Friday and Saturday that's the 15th and 16th private flyer fest at uh Wickham Air Park on Saturday the 16th of May big breath because there's a lot going on Carnarvon 50th anniversary flying Ladies Day and Vintage Aircraft Club flying at Bobman Boltzhead Bruise flying Boltzhead obviously in Dorset uh Rendezvous RV flying at Shobden Flower bombing at Wickhamby Spring flying at Kenyon Hall microlight flying at Sutton Meadows in Cambridgeshire Topnav um that's on several places but I've lost the details through the month yeah ironic that he's lost the details of Topnav.
49:20
SPEAKER_06: That was the joke oh sorry oh ha ha very good yes Saturday and Sunday 16th 17th there's Get Into Aeros at Popham with the British Aerobatics that's a free event as well I think isn't it a free event and next week during the week uh on Thursday the 21st of May Popham again at Popham they start their evening barbecues but wait Dave you've missed two more on Sunday because there's War Birds and War Talks at Aces High which is including the release of Bill Perrin's book.
49:48
SPEAKER_01: Ah who was on the show yeah talked about his book uh from Spitfire to Vulcan and back again so that's being released there on Sunday and also on Sunday is Safety Forum at Ultimate High.
49:58
SPEAKER_05: Ah right yeah yeah fantastic well uh after all that I know that's a lot so yeah pick an event and off you go uh it just leaves me to say uh thank you to Sky Demon for sponsoring the show we couldn't do it without you if you like what you've just seen and you might be going no um give us a like uh leave us a comment or more importantly subscribe to the channel uh we we work hard to put out content and we couldn't do it uh if we didn't have uh the all of you following us so um there'd be no point in doing it there would be no point in doing it yeah um dodgy dave growler cook thank you very much for coming alongcyclopedia encyclopedia uh we will see you again uh tune in for more uh flyer show antics uh next week uh take care until then bye join the flyer club and be part of the UK's biggest GA community save hundreds of pounds with freelancing vouchers watch expert led webinars and access all the online content on flyer.co.uk all this and more from just six pounds per month or 62 pounds for the full year.
51:06
SPEAKER_05: Join today at flyer.co.uk forward slash membership