Flaps Podcast
Encyclopedia
Flaps Podcast is a British aviation podcast. Produced by BBC
radio producer Mark Newman and presenter Elliott Webb
, it discusses topics of interest to private and general aviation
pilots.
The first edition was released in July 2010 and it is produced on roughly a monthly basis.
.
Notable guests have included Blur bass player Alex James, former British Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik
, British Airways Flight 9
volcanic ash pilot Eric Moody, British Airways flight BA038 captain Peter Burkill, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason
, Harrier jump jet test pilot John Farley, BBC F1 reporter Ted Kravitz
, and former BBC Radio 1
breakfast show DJ Mike Smith.
Flaps producer Mark Newman has said that the popularity of Flaps Extended interview has surprised him: in a posting on the Flyer Magazine forums he said: "The long features are surprisingly popular; we've certainly been surprised. The Concorde and Cosford ones have blown our socks of in terms of popularity. If you're enough of a fan of a person or a topic, you'll probably dedicate more time to listening... Most podcast makers just stick the full unadulterated version into their main podcast. We don't, but we're aiming to make as many of our interviews or features as possible available as separate Flaps Extendeds."
Flaps Extended is a pun on the aeronautical term of the same name.
Content for the first edition (running time 32:05)
0.00 - Introduction
1.05 - Private pilot and former Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik – finding out about an expensive propeller strike and his worst day in aviation.
9.07 - A report from the high-speed taxi run of the lovingly-restored Vulcan bomber XM655.
16.26 - Flaps asks: is a Vulcan louder than a vuvuzela?
17.26 - The “Pet PPL” feature, where student pilot Karl takes his first flying lesson.
22.16 - Straight-talking former airline and RAF pilot Pablo Mason: he reckons you can’t over-estimate the power of common sense.
26.16 - In 1982 a British Airways crew inadvertently flew their 747 into a volcanic ash cloud. It’s mainly because of their experience that European airspace was shut in April 2010. An interview with the man at the controls that day – Captain Eric Moody.
31.06 - A look ahead to the next episode.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio producer Mark Newman and presenter Elliott Webb
Elliott Webb
- Early career :Elliott started his career in 1989 at Radio Wyvern in Worcester where he presented the evening show. From there he briefly presented the late night show at Severn Sound in Gloucester and then moved to MFM 103.4 to present evenings again....
, it discusses topics of interest to private and general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
pilots.
The first edition was released in July 2010 and it is produced on roughly a monthly basis.
Contributors
Each edition of the podcast includes a contribution from former RAF Squadron Leader and airline pilot Pablo MasonPablo Mason
Squadron Leader Paul "Pablo" Mason RAF is a retired Royal Air Force pilot, who was part of the XV Sqn detachment to Bahrain as part of the RAF Tornado squadron during the Gulf War, and subsequently wrote about his experiences...
.
Notable guests have included Blur bass player Alex James, former British Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik
Lembit Öpik
Lembit Öpik is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Montgomeryshire in Wales from 1997 until he lost his seat in the 2010 General Election...
, British Airways Flight 9
British Airways Flight 9
British Airways Flight 9, sometimes referred to by its callsign Speedbird 9 or Jakarta incident, was a scheduled British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Auckland, with stops in Bombay, Madras, Kuala Lumpur, Perth, and Melbourne....
volcanic ash pilot Eric Moody, British Airways flight BA038 captain Peter Burkill, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason
Nick Mason
Nicholas Berkeley "Nick" Mason is an English drummer and songwriter, best known for his work with Pink Floyd. He was the only constant member of the band since its formation in 1965...
, Harrier jump jet test pilot John Farley, BBC F1 reporter Ted Kravitz
Ted Kravitz
Ted Kravitz is a British Formula One pit-lane reporter working as part of the BBC's coverage.-Early career:...
, and former BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
breakfast show DJ Mike Smith.
Awards
Flaps Podcast won an award in the Best Internet Programme category at the 2011 Sony Radio Academy Awards, where it was described as "Top Gear for pilots". It also won an award in World's Best Radio Programs 2011 at the New York Festivals Awards. Additionally, it was a nominated in the British Radio Production Awards 2011.Flaps Extended
Flaps Extended is a unique addition to the podcasting concept. Longer versions of interviews, which are normally edited to appear in the main podcast, are made available as separate productions to listen to or download. These vary from being a few minutes longer than the "original" podcast version (eg. the interview with The Feeling) to being over three times as long (eg. the tour around Concorde at Manchester).Flaps producer Mark Newman has said that the popularity of Flaps Extended interview has surprised him: in a posting on the Flyer Magazine forums he said: "The long features are surprisingly popular; we've certainly been surprised. The Concorde and Cosford ones have blown our socks of in terms of popularity. If you're enough of a fan of a person or a topic, you'll probably dedicate more time to listening... Most podcast makers just stick the full unadulterated version into their main podcast. We don't, but we're aiming to make as many of our interviews or features as possible available as separate Flaps Extendeds."
Flaps Extended is a pun on the aeronautical term of the same name.
Example episode
The podcast discusses a variety of features of interest to pilots, but in the words of the Sony Radio Award judges, Flaps is "...an engaging podcast that has the capacity to enthuse listeners: a thoroughly accessible and entertaining listen that demonstrates a podcast’s ability to reach a niche audience, while being enjoyable for everyone."Content for the first edition (running time 32:05)
0.00 - Introduction
1.05 - Private pilot and former Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik – finding out about an expensive propeller strike and his worst day in aviation.
9.07 - A report from the high-speed taxi run of the lovingly-restored Vulcan bomber XM655.
16.26 - Flaps asks: is a Vulcan louder than a vuvuzela?
17.26 - The “Pet PPL” feature, where student pilot Karl takes his first flying lesson.
22.16 - Straight-talking former airline and RAF pilot Pablo Mason: he reckons you can’t over-estimate the power of common sense.
26.16 - In 1982 a British Airways crew inadvertently flew their 747 into a volcanic ash cloud. It’s mainly because of their experience that European airspace was shut in April 2010. An interview with the man at the controls that day – Captain Eric Moody.
31.06 - A look ahead to the next episode.