Xtended

• Ep.219 - Aviation furniture with Stu Art

  In this episode, we look at how aviation and aerospace items are converted to art and furniture pieces, and we welcome Stuart Abbot, the founder of Stu Art Furniture. Stuart trained as an Airframe Engineer in the RAF working on the Tornado F3. After leaving the RAF he continued as an airframe engineer with several international airlines and started Stu Art Furniture in 2012. His products are all hand-made and original and more affordable than some recent market entrants copying the model.  His pieces are shipped all around the world and Stuart has appeared on TV multiple times, showcasing his pieces from airliner wheel coffee tables to jet fighter tail fin desks.Recorded 10th March 2025 Contact Us: [email protected] For show notes and images visit www.aviation-xtended.co.uk

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• Ep.218 - Scott Bateman: ‘Hercules – First in, Last Out’

  First flying in 1954, some 71 years ago, the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules has become a iconic aviation legend. Beginning as a military transport, it has evolved into otherroles, including gunship, weather research, special operations, firefighting and more – and it is still in production today. We talk to former RAF C-130 pilot Scott Bateman about ‘Hercules – First in, Last Out’ and the men and womenof the tightly knit Herc Force and its incredible history.   Scott Bateman MBE is an aviation professional, TV producer/presenter and ex-RAF Loadmaster and C-130 captain with 47 Sqn. Hercules will be out in paperback in May, while his next book is 'Jumbo', which will be published in February 2026.You can get a copy of Hercules - First In Last Out directly from the Xtended Bookshop here https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11161/9780241655580  Recorded 4th March 2025 For full show notes and images visit https://aviation-xtended.co.uk/

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• Ep.217 - Ops Normal: The Army Air Corps 1957-2017

  Since its formation in 1957 the Army Air Corps has played a prominent role in almost every British Army operation. We get to talk to the authors of ‘Ops Normal Volume 1, The Authorised Operational History of the Army Air Corps, 1957-2017’ and they take us through the evolution of the Corps, how it was founded and its theatres of operations during this time. Mike Peters is a former Army Air Corps soldier and officer, serving both as Groundcrew and as an Air Door Gunner. During his 34 years in the Corps, he served in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Germany, Bosnia, Kosovo, both Gulf Wars, and Afghanistan. John Greenacre is a former Army Air Corps officer and Gazelle pilot with over 23 years of service. He took part in operations in the Gulf, Balkans and Northern Ireland and served in Germany, Canada, the Falkland Islands and Kenya. You can get a copy of Ops Normal directly from the Xtended Bookshop here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11161/9781804515341 Recorded 3rd January 2025 For full show notes please visit: https://aviation-xtended.co.uk/

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• Ep.216 - Flying Through the Ranks, from Cold War to the Gulf

  Air Marshal ‘Black’ Robertson CBE BA FRAeS FRSA flew all the RAF’s front-line fast jets and also qualified as a helicopter pilot. Now retired, he also completed five tours in Whitehall, which he describes as his time as a ‘Whitehall Warrior’. He is a well published author, including ’Fighters in the Blood’, ‘A Spitfire Named Connie’ and ‘From Spitfires to Vampires and Beyond’. Today ‘Black’ joins us to talk about his latest book, ‘Flying through the Ranks: The Extraordinary Experiences of Airmen to Air Marshals from the Cold War to the Gulf’, his own flying experiences and how he discovered the real story behind his father’s World War 2 flying career. You can get a signed copy directly from ‘Black’ through his website. Recorded 24th September 2024

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• Ep.215 - Bomber Command OTUs

  Garth Barnard joins us to talk about his work cataloguing Bomber Command OTUs during WWII around central England.  Aerodromes such as RAF Barford St John, RAF Bicester, RAF Chipping Warden, RAF Croughton, RAF Finmere, RAF Hinton-in-the-Hedges, RAF Silverstone, RAF Turweston and RAF Upper Heyford. Training crews flew aircraft such as the Hampden, Blenheim, Wellington, Mosquito and Boston.  Sadly, there were over 400 aircraft losses within a 15-mile radius of Brackley.  Recorded 3rd September 2024 For full show notes please visit: https://aviation-xtended.co.uk/

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