13. Five Freedoms

Britain has two flag carriers when it comes to its aviation market. British Airways, an ex-nationalised carrier that can trace its routes back to 1919, and Virgin Atlantic, an airline established in the 1980s by disgruntled millionaire Richard Branson who had become fed up with the state of the airline industry.

It's been a while since a new episode of Aircraft Grade has hit your subscription boxes. Well, here's some good news, today marks the return of the podcast. In this episode, Alex sits down to discuss where we went, why we went and where we're going in the future!

The Westland Sea King will forever be famous for its role as the British Force's chosen Search and Rescue helicopter during its years of service, saving thousands of lives. The red and grey Royal Navy or bright yellow liveried RAF Sea Kings will always be a quintessential piece of the British coastline. Originally developed by Sikorsky to overcome the increasing threat of Russian submarines during the Cold War in the late 1950s and early 1960s it has since been developed into a reliable, military workhorse. From Anti-Submarine Warfare powerhouse to troop transporter to Falklands War hero the Sea King is a truly incredible aircraft. The helicopter is reaching the end of its service life with major operators the USAF, US Navy, RAF and Royal Navy having already retired the type, its future isn't looking so bright. This week we look at the Westland Sea Kings' history, development and future over its life span. Coming up this week, on Aircraft Grade. Follow us: 🌈 - AircraftGrade 🐦 - @aircraftgrade 🌐 - www.aircraftgrade.co.uk

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an iconic piece of Air Force fleets around the world, it’s even the fifth aircraft to mark 50 years of continuous operations with its primary customer, the US Air Force. Designed in the 1950s as a replacement for the World War 2 era cargo planes, struggling with the demands of the new and modern Korean War. Conceived with one simple job to be a tactical medium transport that could land on unimproved ground, be extremely rugged and fly 30,000 pounds of cargo for 1,500 miles. The C-130 has morphed and transformed into a plane so much better and more versatile than that. As the plane faces retirement in the UK and other Air Forces around the world, we take a look at its history, development over the decades and its future. Coming up this week, on Aircraft Grade. Follow us: 🌈 - AircraftGrade 🐦 - @aircraftgrade 🌐 - www.aircraftgrade.co.uk

Welcome to Aircraft Grade, the Aviation Podcast. Coming up this week: - We talk rivets - Qantas still confident in Project Sunrise - Airbus' unique way of getting super fast WiFi on their aircraft - Another update on the situation around the super-jumbo Plus this weeks news roundup and the biggest airline deliveries. Follow us: 🌈 - AircraftGrade 🐦 - @aircraftgrade 🌐 - www.aircraftgrade.co.uk