0:00:20 > 0:00:24This story belongs to Amy, her brother Tommy,
0:00:24 > 0:00:28and her step-grandfather Tony, who they call Tappi.
0:00:31 > 0:00:37It's a tiny tale about Tappi's life and his love of flying.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Tommy, let's see how fast you can go.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Hold on tight, Tommy!
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Well done, Tommy. Well done.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53OK, Amy, let's see how fast you can go.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Wahey! Well done, both. Fantastic! You've done a good job.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04That's really good.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Now it's time for Tappi to take Amy and Tommy on a journey of discovery,
0:01:10 > 0:01:12and share his memories with them.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Tommy and Amy, shall we make some aeroplanes?
0:01:19 > 0:01:22BOTH: Yeah! OK, great. Let's take a single piece of paper.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25I love making paper aeroplanes.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Have you ever tried to make one at home?
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Why not give it a go?
0:01:29 > 0:01:31Match up the two sides close together.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34And, hey, we've got a plane. What do you think?
0:01:34 > 0:01:39- Yay!- Yay, cool, huh?- It's just like the plane you used to fly.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42You're absolutely right, Amy. It is just like the plane I used to fly.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Hey, guys. Shall we fly our planes? BOTH: Yeah!
0:01:45 > 0:01:48All right, let's go. One, two, three...fly!
0:01:48 > 0:01:51What's it like flying a real plane, Tappi?
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Oh, it's absolutely magic. I'll ask you a question first.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58What's the most favourite day of the year for you?
0:01:58 > 0:02:01- My birthday.- For me, it's the most exciting time.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Every time I go to fly, it was like having a birthday.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07And that's what I like about the job. It's really magic.
0:02:07 > 0:02:08Have you flown lots of planes?
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Yes, Tommy, I have flown lots of planes in the RAF.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13And it was really good fun.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19And Tappi talked more about being a pilot -
0:02:19 > 0:02:23which means he used to fly aeroplanes.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Amy and Tommy, I went on an aeroplane for the very first time
0:02:29 > 0:02:32in 1948. I was the same age as you, Amy.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36I just knew from the age of eight that that's what I wanted to do.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39And it just stayed with me the whole time.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45When Tappi was 18 years old, he joined something called the RAF.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Which is a shorter name for the Royal Air Force.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52Which has been teaching people how to protect
0:02:52 > 0:02:55the sky above our country for almost 100 years.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Tappi is taking Amy
0:03:00 > 0:03:03and Tommy to a special place called a flight museum.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Which has lots and lots of very old aeroplanes.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10You can see up close and, sometimes, even touch.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24They're off to see an aeroplane, which Tappi's dad used to fly
0:03:24 > 0:03:26many, many years ago.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38- This is the Spitfire. - It's very, very small.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40It's very small indeed.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43But did you know, this was the fastest fighter aeroplane in the last
0:03:43 > 0:03:47big world war. My dad used to fly one of these things.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Look underneath here. You see the roundel here?
0:03:58 > 0:04:01That's the symbol for the RAF aeroplanes,
0:04:01 > 0:04:06so they knew that they were friendly aeroplanes coming over Britain.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Here's this huge engine.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Inside there's a Merlin and it turned its big propeller around
0:04:11 > 0:04:15to make the aeroplane go very fast. More than 600mph.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19If you look over here, can you see the bubble on top of the aeroplane?
0:04:19 > 0:04:20That's the canopy.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24And when the pilot wants to fly, he gets up there and opens it, that goes
0:04:24 > 0:04:29back, he gets in, and he can close it, start the engine and go and fly.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32That's what my dad used to do. Cool, eh? Yeah, really cool.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37I wonder where they're off to next.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47Tappi is taking Amy and Tommy to see another type of plane
0:04:47 > 0:04:50he used to fly - passenger planes.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55It's so lovely to be sitting here relaxed with you guys.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58This is what I used to do when I left the Air Force -
0:04:58 > 0:05:02took people flying to holiday destinations on large aeroplanes.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05And it was absolutely great fun. We went to some really lovely places.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09- Where did you go to?- A lot of the times, to the Caribbean.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12And all over the world. But my favourite place was in Lapland.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15And that's the home of...?
0:05:15 > 0:05:20- Santa.- Absolutely right. Santa used to meet every aeroplane that came in.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24We used to take the children from the aeroplane, straight through to the
0:05:24 > 0:05:29hotel, where there would be a big Christmas party and pantomime show.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33But the guest of honour was Santa and the reindeer.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35One time the reindeer came into the hotel.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39I've got pictures of them. It was really good and the kids loved it.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42They all came up and got lovely presents. It was just good.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Then we took them back to the aeroplane, and off they'd go
0:05:45 > 0:05:47and fly back to England again.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01People were flying in other things before aeroplanes.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Balloons. Hot air balloons can fly really high, and really far.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08So people would travel on long journeys by balloon,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10before aeroplanes were invented.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13The first proper flight was in this funny-looking aeroplane,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17which was built by two brothers called the Wright brothers.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19And it took off over 100 years ago.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23That very old plane was amazing.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Now Tappi would like to show Amy
0:06:25 > 0:06:29and Tommy another special aeroplane that he used to fly.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Good morning, Captain Amy and Captain Tommy. BOTH: Good morning!
0:06:37 > 0:06:40This is Concorde. What do you think, Captain Amy?
0:06:40 > 0:06:43- She looks very big. - She is very big from the outside.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47But she's actually small inside. In the flight deck, even smaller.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Does she go really, really fast?
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Yes, Captain Tommy. She does go extremely fast.
0:06:51 > 0:06:542.5 times faster than any other passenger aeroplane.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57I used to fly her a long time ago. It was great fun.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Would you like to go on board and see where I used to work?
0:07:00 > 0:07:03BOTH: Yes! Great! Come on then, let's go.
0:07:03 > 0:07:04Come on, guys.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09Tappi, Amy and Tommy are going inside the Concorde to explore.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11How fantastic.
0:07:11 > 0:07:16Concorde aeroplanes were designed and built by the French and British.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18And they were very expensive to build.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21So they only made 20 in the whole world.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Concorde was very slim and had very powerful engines,
0:07:26 > 0:07:30which meant they could fly nearly twice as high
0:07:30 > 0:07:33and twice as fast as most passenger aeroplanes.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49This is the cockpit of Concorde.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54And I used to sit exactly where you're sitting, Amy.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Where do you fly to on Concorde?
0:07:56 > 0:08:01I used to fly to New York twice a week.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04But other places - Washington, Barbados.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06But New York, in fact, was my favourite place.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10- Is it faster than a Spitfire? - Absolutely, Tommy.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14In fact, I think probably three or four times faster than a Spitfire.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19It would go so fast that when we took off from London at breakfast time
0:08:19 > 0:08:22we would arrive in New York in time for lunch.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Just over three hours flying.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27A jumbo would take probably seven and a half hours.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Captain Tommy, would you like to fly the aeroplane?
0:08:31 > 0:08:35- Yes!- Great. Turn round there, put your left hand on the control column,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and the other hand here on the throttles.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Captain Amy, one of the other jobs was to make
0:08:40 > 0:08:43an announcement to the passengers before we took off.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Would you like to do that for us today?
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Welcome aboard Concorde. This is Captain Amy speaking.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51We'll be taking off shortly so please sit back
0:08:51 > 0:08:55and relax as we'll be travelling very, very fast.
0:08:55 > 0:08:56Thank you, Captain Amy.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Amy and Tommy are going to pretend to fly Concorde.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05But don't worry, the aeroplane will stay safely on the ground.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Captain Tommy, I think it's time we went flying.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11What you're going to do - you go, "Three, two, one, now."
0:09:11 > 0:09:15Push the throttles forward, and pull the stick back.
0:09:15 > 0:09:16Three...
0:09:18 > 0:09:19Two...
0:09:21 > 0:09:22- One...- Now.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Don't worry though, it's not going to take off. It's only pretend.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29That's it. And now we're flying. Well done!
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Now we're going to come back and do a quick lap.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Push the stick forward.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52OK, pull the throttles back. OK, that's it.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Well done. We've landed. That's very good, Captain Tommy.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01Wasn't it fun pretending to fly Concorde?
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Now, with you two, we have two more pilots in the family.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07How about that, guys? Hey! Come on! Give us five.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Fantastic. Brilliant. Congratulations. Welcome aboard.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27This is mummy Natalie and Uncle David, and they're taking Amy and
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Tommy to an air show to see lots of different aeroplanes - old and new -
0:10:31 > 0:10:33flying in the sky.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35JET ENGINE ROARS
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Wow! This Typhoon jet is fast!
0:10:38 > 0:10:40And loud!
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Here it comes again. Cover your ears, Amy!
0:10:52 > 0:10:55This aeroplane is called a Swordfish, which is
0:10:55 > 0:10:59known as a biplane. A biplane has two sets of wings.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Look at this really fast plane. It's called a Hawker Hunter.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Roller coaster. Look at that!
0:11:04 > 0:11:07This one's called a Piper Grasshopper.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Wow, look at these girls standing on the wings of the plane!
0:11:17 > 0:11:19They're called wing walkers.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22But don't worry, they're very safely attached.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30What an exciting day out at the air-show.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Thank you for telling us stories about flying.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50And showing us Concorde.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54My pleasure. Can you remember all the special things we did together?
0:11:56 > 0:11:59We made paper aeroplanes together and they flew very far.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Hey, we've got a plane. What do you think?
0:12:02 > 0:12:04- Yay!- Yay, cool, huh?
0:12:04 > 0:12:08You took us to the flight museum to see lots of aeroplanes.
0:12:09 > 0:12:15And we saw a Spitfire aeroplane. Like the one your daddy used to fly.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Cool, eh? Yeah, really cool.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20And you told us great stories about flying.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Santa used to meet every aeroplane that came in.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28Then we went to see Concorde - your favourite aeroplane.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Amy and I made announcements.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Please sit back and relax as we'll be travelling very fast.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37And pretended to be pilots.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44That's it. Now we're flying. Well done.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46That's very good, Captain Tommy.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50- What was your favourite bit, Tommy? - Looking at the Spitfire.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53- And Amy? - Playing in the cockpit of Concorde.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55I used to sit exactly where you're sitting, Amy.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58That's where I used to fly the aeroplane from.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00What was your favourite thing?
0:13:00 > 0:13:03My favourite thing was to do things with you two.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Especially to take you both on board Concorde,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08and go into the cockpit together and tell you all about it.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12Thank you very much cos I had a fantastic time. I loved doing it.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16I hope one day we'll all go and fly together. Thank you both very much.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21What a fabulous heap of fun.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23That was Amy, Tommy
0:13:23 > 0:13:28and Tappi Tony's tiny tale about Tappi's love for flying.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Now that Tappi has shared his story with Amy and Tommy,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35it's time for them to start their own story.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Do you know someone with a story to share?