by captjeff | Jun 3, 2018 | Plane Tales
Podcast (pt): Download
During the height of the Cold War, a most unlikely spy plane gathered intelligence over East Germany on behalf of the Western allies. This is the little known story of the British Commander’s in Chief Mission to the Soviet forces in Germany!
The BRIXMIS logo.
The de Havilland Chipmunk.
A Soviet BMP photographed whilst a soldier aims at the Chipmunk!
Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to UK Gov (BRIXMIS) under Crown Copyright, Peter Farey, Adrian Pingstone and Roy Marsden.
by captjeff | May 26, 2018 | Plane Tales
Podcast (pt): Download
A rookie B17 pilot on his first mission over Germany struggling home in his crippled aircraft and a veteran Me109 fighter pilot with 27 kills and over 400 combat missions flown, meet in the air. The result should have been obvious but…
Boeing B-17F radar bombing through clouds over Bremen, Germany, on Nov. 13, 1943. (U.S. Air Force photo)
A B17 formation over Germany.
An Me109 of Jagdgeschwader 27.
Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the US Gov and the Bundesarchiv.
by captjeff | May 20, 2018 | Plane Tales
Podcast (pt): Download
Two tragic stories of aircraft losses that, in the most benign of circumstances, may well have resulted from letting a family member sit at the controls.
An EC135.
Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Michel Gilland and the US Gov.
by captjeff | May 12, 2018 | Plane Tales
Podcast (pt): Download
Hansard in the document that contains, what is referred to as, the substantially verbatim account of every speech made in the Houses of Parliament since 1909. It’s pages reveal some remarkable stories such as these military aircraft that were stolen… they included the purloining of a USAF B45 Tornado nuclear bomber!
North American XB-45 cutaway drawing. (U.S. Air Force photo)
A pair of A4 Skyhawks.
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois, nicknamed the Huey.
The missing B727 registration N844AA.
Photographs under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the US Gov and RuthAS.
by captjeff | May 6, 2018 | Plane Tales
Podcast (pt): Download
Stories of aircraft that vanish without trace are bound to fascinate us. The controversial disappearance of House Majority Member Boggs, seen in the title image with President Lyndon B Johnson, gave rise to much speculation as he was part of the Warren Commission which was investigating the assassination of JFK. In another story we look at the life of the Flying Bandit… a gentleman Canadian gold thief!
A Cessna 310
The Flying Bandit
Images shown under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the US Gov, Rob Hodgkins and Skol fir.
by captjeff | Apr 29, 2018 | Plane Tales
Podcast (pt): Download
The Modernist dream that was the Bijlmermeer had its problems and the last thing it needed was for a crippled aircraft to wreak destruction amongst its dwellers. This is the tragic story of El Al 1862 and the fate of the Amsterdam neighbourhood it fell into.
Images made available under a Creative Commons licence and GNU Free Documentation Licence by Maaike98, D Frame and Torsten Maiwald.
