Podcasts & Specials

Tony Rodgers uncovers the importance of the wartime Northern Irish airfields which were used by the United States Army as a transit hub and manufacturing base. You’ll also hear how a secret agreement with the Irish Free State helped the Allies win the Battle of the Atlantic.

Jess Bracey looks at the history of the only RAF Squadron to be permanently based overseas. From the Western Front to their current home in Cyprus via India, Libya, Iraq and Burma, Jess speaks to crew past and present. You’ll hear about the heroic plight of one pilot who received the Victoria Cross, the story of the crew who made it to Fraser Island in Australia by boat and find out why a pair of bloomers takes pride of place in the Squadron archive corridor. In recent times the squadron has been working as part of Operation Shader and has seen its efforts noted by the Prime Ministers of Cyprus and the UK.

Generations apart, Invictus athlete Poppy Pawsey talks with her grandmother about the sacrifices women made to keep the RAF flying during the horrors of WWII. (audioboom, itunes)

The Supermarine Spitfire is widely acknowledged as the iconic aircraft that won the Battle of Britain and ultimately influenced the outcome of the Second World War. But many of the history books which credit the creation of the aircraft to designer RJ Mitchell make little or no mention of the extraordinary women who are also part of the story. Amy Casey talks to aviation historian Paul Beaver about these incredible women who designed, perfected, built and flew the aircraft that would become the symbol of Britain’s victory. You’ll also hear about the women who gave financial backing to the project, such as suffragette Lady Lucy Houston. This programme was made in 2016 to mark the 80th Anniversary of the Spitfire’s first flight.

Sit back, strap in and enjoy the world's first ever bom-com (bomber comedy). Could this be the birth of a new genre?. It was a sound that filled the air for more than 50 years. Heralded for its role in the Falklands War, it rated a 10 on the RAF's Howl scale. Now you can hear a unique Radio experience from Richard Hatch and Hal Stewart. A documentary like no other on the Avro Vulcan!

Chris Sturgess takes us on a journey through the history of the Corps, starting with their first flights using balloons in the 1800s to those who train, maintain and pilot the flying tank of the 21st century otherwise known as the Apache attack helicopter