MAVGEEKS: A Military Aircraft Obsession

Ho ho holy ****, Christmas snuck up quicker than a Sopwith on skis! With gift-giving on the MavMind, the final episode of series five sees Gini Carlin and Jamie Gordon meet Dale Luckhurst, Head of Brand at Airfix. Gini and Jamie got the full geek's guide to the legendary brand, the forensic research and development process that goes into its ultra-detailed model aircraft and loads more. Merry Christmas MavGeeks!

We want to hear feature your aviation tale in series six! Get in touch via [email protected]. Also, feel free to leave us a glowing review on your favourite podcast platform. It really helps us out!

You can join Gini and Jamie for more MavGeeks fun with a heavyweight pilots’ playlist soundtrack every Tuesday from 6pm - 7pm (UKT) on BFBS on DAB in the UK, or online at https://radio.bfbs.com/stations/bfbs-uk.

Airline food gets a bad rap. For some of us, no other words paint so vivid a picture of bullet-hard potatoes and custard lumpier than a regional runway. However, one man has mad it his mission to upend these assumptions.

Luckily for our Gini Carlin and Jamie Gordon, that man is none other than MavGeeks alumnus and Season 4, Episode 1 all-star Al Bridger! Al’s a pathological overachiever: a BAE Hawk and F1 Phantom veteran turned Director of Flight Operations at British Airways. As such, Gini and Jamie couldn’t in all good faith act too surprised when he recently reached out to let us know he’s penned a fabulous recipe book named Flavour of Flight: The Food and Drink of British Airways. Over 129 plush pages, Flavour of Flight elegantly illustrates the decades of class, skill and expertise that has gone into your midair meal. You’ll then be taught how to craft these delicacies for yourself.

Those with a taste for travel will find all sorts to savour in this episode. Take a seat, roll up your sleeves and tuck in. There’s a little something on your chin, by the way.

Flavour of Flight: The Food and Drink of British Airways by Al Bridger is available now from Amberley Books, just in time for Christmas: https://www.amberley-books.com/flavour-of-flight.html

We want to hear your aviation tale! Get in touch via [email protected]. Also, feel free to leave us a glowing review on your favourite podcast platform. It really helps us out!

You can join Gini and Jamie for more MavGeeks fun with a heavyweight pilots’ playlist soundtrack every Tuesday from 6pm - 7pm (UKT) on BFBS on DAB in the UK, or online at https://radio.bfbs.com/stations/bfbs-uk.

Helicopters are sadly, sorely neglected by us here at MavGeeks towers, but no longer! The mononymous Russ is a former door gunner on the Westland Lynx Mk7 and Mk9, amongst other rotary aircraft, with several tours of Aghanistan and Iraq under his belt. He was instrumental in keeping his crew and aircraft safe. Conveniently, he's also a neighbour of our Gini Carlin over in Canada. Russ was incredibly generous with his time and his wisdom, imparting a load of lessons learned during his time in the air and sharing a number of hair-raising stories along the way.

For obvious reasons, Gini, Jamie and Russ discuss topics that may be difficult and sensitive for some: Iraq, Afghanistan and conflict. If that sounds like you, support is available at https://www.bfbs.com/audience-support.

We want to hear your aviation tale! Get in touch via [email protected]. Also, feel free to leave us a glowing review on your favourite podcast platform. It really helps us out!

You can join Gini and Jamie for more MavGeeks fun with a heavyweight pilots’ playlist soundtrack every Tuesday from 6pm - 7pm (UKT) on BFBS on DAB in the UK, or online at https://radio.bfbs.com/stations/bfbs-uk.

Earlier this year, Gini Carlin and Jamie Gordon caught up with none other than Scott Bateman MBE. An RAF veteran with a storied career as Hercules Captain, Scott was perfectly poised to introduce us to what’s formally the Lockheed C-130, but will forever be the Hercules of our hearts. 

In May of 2024, Scott published Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller “Hercules: The story of an RAF legend.” Needless to say, Gini and Jamie insisted on hearing a couple of teaser tales from Scott’s Hercules career as featured in the brilliant book.

Strap in for a nuts-and-bolts MavGeeks classic!

We want to hear your aviation tale! Get in touch via [email protected]. Also, feel free to leave us a glowing review on your favourite podcast platform. It really helps us out!

You can join Gini and Jamie for more MavGeeks fun with a heavyweight pilots’ playlist soundtrack every Tuesday from 6pm - 7pm (UKT) on BFBS on DAB in the UK, or online at https://radio.bfbs.com/stations/bfbs-uk.

The Royal Canadian Air Force turns 100 this year! In that spirit, Canada resident Gini Carlin takes the lead for a guided tour of the fabulous Force's history. At this year's Royal International Air Tattoo, she caught up with several RCAF pilots and engineers, as well as the masterminds behind its centennial celebrations. She even had a long chat with Lieutenant-General Eric Kenny himself, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force himself since 2022. Strap in!

We want to hear your aviation tale! Get in touch via [email protected]. Also, feel free to leave us a glowing review on your favourite podcast platform. It really helps us out!

You can join Gini and Jamie for more MavGeeks fun with a heavyweight pilots’ playlist soundtrack every Tuesday from 6pm - 7pm (UKT) on BFBS on DAB in the UK, or online at https://radio.bfbs.com/stations/bfbs-uk.

This week, our Gini Carlin enjoyed a blast from the past in several senses. She paid a visit to the delightfully well-preserved 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum at RAF Thorpe Abbotts, where she volunteered as a young lass potty about planes. Reg Wilson, the museum's Chair of Trustees and Deputy Curator was kind enough to give Gini a guided tour of its exhibits and history of both the museum and the "Bloody 100th" itself, packed with discussion about the impact of smash-hit series Masters of the Air, based on the 100th Bomb Group's story. On that, listen to the end for a surprise.

Close your eyes and settle in for a touching tribute to the brave lads who lost their lives for the 100th Bomb Group; the real Masters of the Air.

We want to hear your aviation tale! Get in touch via [email protected]. Also, feel free to leave us a glowing review on your favourite podcast platform. It really helps us out!

You can join Gini and Jamie for more MavGeeks fun with a heavyweight pilots’ playlist soundtrack every Tuesday from 6pm - 7pm (UKT) on BFBS on DAB in the UK, or online at https://radio.bfbs.com/stations/bfbs-uk.

Hilariously, bizarrely, Denver International Airport is something of a lightning rod for conspiracy theories: in the mind of the open-eyed, the Illuminati’s clubhouse shares a wall with an alien-infested catacomb. While it’s true that unofficial mascot Mustang killed his creator, Senior Vice President of Communications, Marketing and Customer Experience Stacey Stegman was keen to put to bed unearned rumours about the fabulous workplace she loves so dearly as Gini Carlin and Jamie Gordon offered up the wildest DIA-centric conspiracies they could find.

Off the back of that, Jamie went toe-to-toe with THE Danny Robins, whose runaway hit podcast and TV series Uncanny catapulted him to the rank of Britain’s pre-eminent ghost hunter. Danny was good enough to explain how this kind of paranoid and paranormal thinking takes hold, and from there, the two chatted all things spooky aviation. 

Listen with the lights on!

We want to hear your aviation tale! Get in touch via [email protected]. Also, feel free to leave us a glowing review on your favourite podcast platform. It really helps us out!

You can join Gini and Jamie for more MavGeeks fun with a heavyweight pilots’ playlist soundtrack every Tuesday from 6pm - 7pm (UKT) on BFBS on DAB in the UK, or online at https://radio.bfbs.com/stations/bfbs-uk.

Something a bit different this week, dearest MavMates! Gini and Jamie enjoyed a natter with Tony Gaunt, Business Development Executive at Martin-Baker. Informally, they're THE ejector seat people, though Tony corrects our podcast co-pilots' terminology, offers an idiot's guide to testing an escape system, walks us through one of the most hair-raising use cases of Martin-Baker's work to date and really reiterates that when his work saves one life, it saves many. This conversation was fascinating and life-affirming in equal measure: strap in!

We want to hear your aviation tale! Get in touch via [email protected]. Also, feel free to leave us a glowing review on your favourite podcast platform. It really helps us out!

You can join Gini and Jamie for more MavGeeks fun with a heavyweight pilots’ playlist soundtrack every Tuesday from 6pm - 7pm (UKT) on BFBS on DAB in the UK, or online at https://radio.bfbs.com/stations/bfbs-uk.

In this week's episode, Canada-based Gini pays our Jamie a little visit, which can only mean one thing... ROADTRIP! (Gini's driving permitting, of course). Reunited at last at RAF Coningsby, they catch up with a selection of its regular visitors: the enthusiastic amateurs and quintessential MavGeeks themselves, the planespotters! Talk about finding your tribe! Then, Gini checks in with a spokesperson for the incoming generation aviation fanatics, the wonderful Polina, better-known as Girl Who Loves Planes - @lifeabroad1 on TikTok. Together, they try to get to the bottom of why aviation captures the imagination in the way it does.

It's a full-blown spotters' special this week!

We want to hear your aviation tale! Get in touch via [email protected]. Also, feel free to leave us a glowing review on your favourite podcast platform. It really helps us out!

You can join Gini and Jamie for more MavGeeks fun with a heavyweight pilots’ playlist soundtrack every Tuesday from 6pm - 7pm (UKT) on BFBS on DAB in the UK, or online at https://radio.bfbs.com/stations/bfbs-uk.

It’s the 60th anniversary year of the RAF's Red Arrows aerobatics team, and with the commemorations taking in our Gini’s far-flung Canada, it felt only right that we celebrate them in style. Gini and Jamie were lucky enough to catch up with current Red 6 Flight Lieutenant Stuart Roberts and Red 9 Flight Lieutenant Patrick ‘Paddy’ Kershaw about the privilege of donning the red overalls and making their three years with the team count. They also caught up with Wing Commander Stewart Campbell who was, at the time of recording, OC 617 Squadron - “The Dambusters” (!) - about his time with the Reds ten years ago, flying as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations and what he’s been up to since. Finally, we hear a brief word from the original Red Arrow himself, Red 6 Henry Prince, whom we sadly lost in August of this year. 

We want to hear your aviation tale! Get in touch via [email protected]. Also, feel free to leave us a glowing review on your favourite podcast platform. It really helps us out!

You can join Gini and Jamie for more MavGeeks fun with a heavyweight pilots’ playlist soundtrack every Tuesday from 6pm - 7pm (UKT) on BFBS on DAB in the UK, or online at https://radio.bfbs.com/stations/bfbs-uk. 

Known affectionately as the Aardvark for its reputation as a terrain-hugger with a big nose, the General Dynamics F-111 was one of the United States Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force’s go-to combat aircraft. Mike Crain spent years in its cockpit for the latter, starting at the hilariously young age of 21! Our Jamie Gordon caught up with Mike for the lowdown on this striking and unique machine, its rare side-by-side co-piloting configuration, its spaceship-style ejection method, and even one or two epic dogfight stories along the way.

We want to hear your aviation tale! Get in touch via [email protected]. Also, feel free to leave us a glowing review on your favourite podcast platform. It really helps us out!

You can join Gini and Jamie for more MavGeeks fun with a heavyweight pilots’ playlist soundtrack every Tuesday from 18:00 - 19:00 (GMT) on BFBS on DAB in the UK, or online at https://radio.bfbs.com/stations/bfbs-uk. 

We’re back, baby! To all MavGeeks old and new: welcome! Man, it feels good to be home. Gini Carlin and Jamie Gordon are absolutely buzzing to begin a bumper new sequence of excuses to natter about their military aircraft obsession and bring you along for the ride. To kick things off, Gini shares some interviews she conducted with an assortment of heroic pilots at this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo. She caught up with crews from the F-35, KC-10, C-17 Globemaster, Grypen, even an F-16 test pilot. Coolest job ever? We think so!

We want to hear your aviation tale! Get in touch via [email protected]. Also, feel free to leave us a glowing review on your favourite podcast platform. It really helps us out!

You can join Gini and Jamie for more MavGeeks fun with a heavyweight pilots’ playlist soundtrack every Tuesday from 18:00 - 19:00 (GMT) on BFBS on DAB in the UK, or online at https://radio.bfbs.com/stations/bfbs-uk. 

Got an obsession with aircraft that’s impossible to contain? Worried you might be as maniacal about big metal birds as that bloke that sat on a car park by Heathrow Airport filming everything during that storm? Power down your radar, you’ve arrived! MavGeeks: A Military Aircraft Obsession is back and bigger then ever for series 5! Join Gini Carlin, Jamie Gordon and another load of their aviation mates for the lowdown on history’s most iconic flying machines with the real-life superheroes who fly them.

Follow now so you never miss an episode!

We want to hear your aviation tale! Reach out at [email protected]. 

This International Women's Day, our Gini takes to the skies with none other than the decorated Colonel Kim Campbell. The pair trace Kim's extensive career, from a storied 24-year stint in the American Air Force flying the A-10 Thunderbolt (AKA the Warthog) to her success as a keynote speaker and author in the present day. Happy International Women's Day!

To tie a knot on this fourth series of MavGeeks, Gini and Jamie come good on a promise they made way back in one of its earliest episodes. That's right, they've tracked down Llewis Ingamells, Chief Pilot of the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance! Llewis was incredibly generous with his time and wisdom, imparting reams of insider knowledge on this fascinating, daring and ultimately unsung world of heroic work.

Lincs and Notts, like your local Air Ambulance service, exists thanks to generous donations! To donate, head to https://www.ambucopter.org.uk/.

We want to hear your aviation tale, what you made of our fourth series, and the flying machines you want us to cover in our fifth! Get in touch via [email protected], and feel free to leave us a glowing review.

This week, Gini joins Jamie from her new Canadian digs for an otherwise classic slice of MavGeeks. Earlier this year, the pair managed to pin down ex-Harrier pilot turned author Chris Burwell for a three-person natter about fast jet flight, Chris' excellent book "Nine Lives: The Compelling Memoir of a Cold War Harrier Pilot", and that fabled awkward moment in which one's required to exit an aircraft a little early...

As winter hits hard and we weather enough storms with names to crew an Avro Lancaster, Gini and Jamie take a look back on (marginally) sunnier times and climes in this RIAT retrospective. Gini was at the Royal International Air Tattoo in July with a microphone and a mission: chat to as many pilots as possible. She caught up with aircrew of the B52, the F15, the “Weatherbird” WC130-J, and loads more; even the elusive Lockheed U-2.

Jamie’s in the cockpit today for a long-overdue natter with Mandy Hickson. Rightly described by Gini as a “Queen of the skies”, Mandy’s a decorated Tornado GR-4 pilot with over 30 years of aviation experience, three tours of duty and 45 missions over Iraq to her name. After leaving the RAF, she authored the 2020 bestseller “An Officer, Not A Gentleman”. Jamie got the scoop on her fascinating, varied career.

This week, we celebrate spooky season! First, Gini catches up with Richard Craig, keen aviator and ghost tour guide at the UK's most haunted castle, Chillingham. Richard shares all manner of hair-raising aviation tales, as does Rachel Parsons of the Retford Ghost Hunters. When they spoke last year, Rachel told Gini all about a recent encounter with RAF Metheringham's resident apparition, the Metheringham Lass. Gini gets an update on that spookiest of aviators, and much, much more. Happy Halloween!

We’re feeling smug this week as Gini Carlin blasts off for an out-of-this-world chat with Britain’s first “official” astronaut Tim Peake! The pair touched on everything from common misconceptions around spacewalking, to deceptively huge characters in the otherwise serious world of space exploration, to Tim’s brand new book: Space: The Human Story.