by captjeff | Apr 8, 2018 | Plane Tales
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Sir Glen Torpy GCB CBE DSO started his life within the Royal Air Force as most pilots do. At the end of his training, he was posted to a Jaguar reconnaissance squadron, the start of a great career. In this interview, he gives us a chance to follow his progress to the point where he takes Command of No.13 Squadron, flying the Tornado GR1A, and is about to deploy to the Gulf on operations.
Sir Glen during his basic flying training at RAF Linton on Ouse, middle rank under the U and 3 heads to the right of the Old Pilot!
Sir Glen after his Wings parade the furthest on the left of the photograph.
Sir Glen Torpy Chief of the Air Staff.
by captjeff | Mar 31, 2018 | Plane Tales
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The 1st of April 1918 saw the formation of the world’s first independent Air Force. Capt Nick takes a look at the Royal Air Force’s history and is joined by Sir Glen Torpy GCB CBE DSO past Chief of the Air Staff who gives his thoughts on the past 100 years and the upcoming celebrations.
by captjeff | Mar 26, 2018 | Plane Tales
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Suspicious of the Polish pilots who, after their country was invaded by Nazi forces during the Second World War, had fled to the UK, the high command of the RAF eventually allowed them to become operational. No 303 Polish Squadron joined the RAF fighter units desperately fighting the overwhelming forces of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. The results stunned everybody.
The score of German kills (Adolfs) claimed by No 303 Polish Squadron during the Battle of Britain.
Images under creative commons licence from the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum London.
by captjeff | Mar 20, 2018 | Plane Tales
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The billionaire explorer Paul Allen rediscovers the aircraft carrier Lexington and an F4 Wildcat deep under the surface of the Coral Sea. This is the story of the Lexington and the Wildcat’s last pilot.
USS Lexington shortly before WWII.
F4F-3 Wildcat in non-reflective blue-gray over light gray scheme from early 1942.
Images with thanks to Paul G Allen, via Creative Commons, the US Navy and Felix c.
by captjeff | Mar 12, 2018 | Plane Tales
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Air travel is, statistically, the very safest form of transport but it wasn’t always that way. Imagine living in Elizabeth, a suburb near New York’s Newark airport in 1951 when, within a period of only 3 months, aircraft began raining from the sky onto your neighborhood.
The crash site of Flight 1678M.
An American Airways Convair CV240.
A National Airways CD6.
The City of Elizabeth today.
Images under Creative Commons licence, US Gov Bureau of Aircraft Accidents, Dagrecco, Jon Proctor, Bill Larkins.
by captjeff | Mar 4, 2018 | Plane Tales
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Capt Nick delves into Volume 2 of his RAF Form 414… the PILOTS FLYING LOG BOOK.
