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What a humble lady, but behind that jokey light hearted smile is someone who deserves huge respect as she really was one of the best of the best.

What an amazing guest. That’s the first female fast jet pilot I have heard interviewed. Absolute proof that merit is everything and the best are simply, the best. Well done with this interview Phil.

Thankyou Mandy & Phil, this was wonderful! I was going to watch the first ten minutes, & the rest tomorrow. It is now 4am as I watched the the whole thing! I was a rebel & left school with very poor grades, "She has the ability, but will not use it" was on my school reports. I'd open them & change minuses into plus. After years of dead end boring job after boring job, my father's sudden death gave me a huge kick up the arse. At aged twenty three, I went to college , did A levels (despite no decent GCSEs) then Uni where i got a degree in medicine. It was bloody hard work, but if I could do it, anybody could. Don't give up on your dreams, go for them! If it doesn't work out, at least you tried & nobody will condemn you for that.

Every time I hear Mandy Hickson speak, I’m blown away by her skill, and her ability to inspire. I’m not looking to change career at my age, but I try take her enthusiasm forward and inspire young people to go out and do the things they dream of. Mandy, you’re an incredible person and a true inspiration.

These two people are the best of Britain., this Country is very Lucky to have them .

Interview after interview, I think it can't get better and it does. Great job

What an amazing laid back lady pilot ... clearly knew her role well, and that of others. Great interview Phil, and thanks to Mandy for her service.

Excellent and very uplifting to hear the positive impact on the kids!

Absolutely brilliant podcast documentary with Big Phil, top Geezer. This girl is such an incredible woman and ambassador for women and equality within the forces and particularly in the Royal Air Force.

@Mandy Hickson, superb, what an inspiration, keep up the great work. So impressed!!

You need to let your guests finish before asking the next question. Great episode.

Nice one Phil for lining it up and much respect Mandy.

Absolutely fantastic interview!! Well done Mandy for sharing your life story to us and thankyou Phil for getting this inspirational lady onto your show.

So good to the ladies smashing it good on ya and awesome in given the kids confidence thank you Big Phil...👍👍

What a brilliant career, and proof that women have to be at least as good as the men. Great decision to invite MH on to share her insights and experience. We are so fortunate to have the service of these great people. Thank you.

I’m a retired teacher and what you say about schools is spot on. You should be welcomed with open arms to speak and give kids an idea what they can achieve. Education is a mess in this country. 12 education secretaries in 14 years - no bloody direction.

1:07:00 This is one of my favourite things about humanity. They'll be talking away then mention something that's so important and joyous to them. It's in that moment, I love. The smile, eyes and warmth, love and importance all so apparent in that microsecond.

What an utterly great person. Amazing career, great stories and an inspiration to so many!

Just caught this ... we need more people like this. Makes you proud

Great series with great guests. Enjoying it very much. Well done big man.

Brilliant brilliant guest , Phil is a legend ❤

What a great interview and such an inspiration to others, Phil you were awesome as always and Mandy, you are genuinely a true inspiration to everyone who wants to achieve their goals

Another great interview thank you both Mandy and Phil .regards and REPECT to you both❤❤😊😊

Thanks phill and Mandy 👌

Wow blown away incredible especially with the interaction with young people in schools

What an amazing human being she is. Absolute legend.

Phil & Mandy thank you for one of the best hour and half of my life. Amazing story. Such inspiring people need to get into schools youth clubs!! Please keep them coming you’re all bloody brilliant!!

This interview is one of the best interviews, of any subject, of all time! Mandy is one of humanity's inspirational people, a golden soul. Phil is the service person's person. This is remarkable stuff! Truly, this is how it should be done!!!!

Brilliant ... you're best yet mate . Wonderful questions . Thank you .

Brilliant interview! What a brave fighter piolet! Thanks for sharing.

Awesome stuff as usaul phil. I can only imagine how inspiring hearing mandy's talk must be for young women & girls aiming to do something outside of the norm. Thanks as always to phil & of course mandy.

wow, what an incredible interview! Brought back a lot of memories as Mandy was mentioning the places she'd flown from, RAF is a great experience

Wow, looking forward to this one. Pilots really are a different breed. What a story Mandy has to tell. Cheers Big Phil.

I love this Podcast. Great range of guests and topics. Phil is brilliant and has such an open and honest nature to his questions that puts the guest at ease and they probably tell Phil more than they usually tell other interviewer's. Phil could easily transition to being a TV chat show host.

Mandy, a wonderful interview. My daughter has been through all the Rainbows, Brownies and Guides clubs and is now a Young Leader for our local group. She is also into her second year at our local Air Cadets. A visit/talk from you would be amazing for the many girls there are in 341 City of Preston squadron. ❤

Grate to see a top top video there Phil with a top top top female topGun from us in the UK an R.A.F.! GRATE work up on channel..!! 😊😊 keep this up n rolling out mucker!! 😊😊

Great guest, and a real trailblazer. I’m now in my 60’s but when I was in school there was minimal careers advice, and it’s great to see younger women breaking through the barriers into traditional male dominated roles. I’m so glad there’s more possibility for young women now.

Inspirational life story of true grit and graft winning success...and you set a young rebell on her own rewarding flight path of determination.

Wow these videos just get better! Mandy- what an incredible woman you are!

Bloody good interview. Thank you Mandy and Phil.

Thanks Phil and Mandy for another awesome interview.

She's bloody impressive. I really enjoyed that interview. Well done 👏

That good I watched it again! Great show and Great inspiration chat- will be showing my teenage daughters!

What an inspiration that lady is , my total respect maam.

So pleased to call Trigg a good friend. What a woman. What a laugh! Wonderful human being.

Great interview. You are an inspiration Mandy.

That was a top notch vid Phil. I've been "edging" it for a while because of the length. I live in middle east but grew up in NE Sweaty. We had the Jets from RAF Lossie doing fly by's all the time in the summer. They had big steel yellow targets of the coast from Rosehearty. Mandy you're a SuperStar BTW.

Slow down Phil, give them more time to process the questions and answer in full. Much love

Best interview you have done so far Phil. You are growing in this field. I wish my niece who has a naff time of her life up to this point could have a female role model like this wonderful woman. Thank you both 😢

Great Programme. I did the aptitude tests at Biggin Hill but for the RN -tough but passed for Pilot somehow but failed the more brainier test of observer.... glad she did get through with determination. Thank you for your service Mandy!

I listen to a lot of your shows this lady is a brilliant example of our top forces well done phil on your brilliant show

What an amazing young lady so inspiring loved that interview Phil 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿💂🏼‍♀️

I’ve watched a few of these debriefs videos all are very good and informative and interesting but I think this lady is brilliant and your top guest I’ve seen on here

Amazing lady!! Great interview

Fantastic episode. Mandy seems like an incredible woman!

What a find!!!! Brilliant channel 👌

Great story & a formidable lady. Good mix of guests on your Channel; a nice change from most similar content makers.

Hi Mandy, You are a Motivator .... I served in the R.A.F. as Ground Crew after being called up for N.S. in 1954 but refusing to go in the Army or Navy and only wanting to join the R.A.F., so after my Medical I was told I was Medically fir to go home and I would receive a letter telling me which service I was allocated to...I told them they had not been listening as I was NOT going in the Army or Navy Good Bye. Someone pulled me aside and said I would go where I was told as this was not my Choice as I was called up for N.S.... Again I said Good Bye. and the bloke said if you are determined to go in the R.A.F. there was a way round it ,,,Oh Yes... Yes Sign on as a Regular and more money... That sounds Good...Cut a long story short I had an R.A.F. interview and aptitude test that day and in April 1955 Basic and Trade Training over I was posted to H.K. but was off loaded in Singapore and posted to 81 (PR) Sqdn and absolutely loved it so much so that 2 years into my two and a half years posting I signed on for a further 6 months so completing 3 years on Active service on an operational Squadron and got round the Far East on many deniables being where we should not have been. When I returned to the U.K. with an M.i.D. the R.A.F. did not care and was in one of their restructuring modes...I had a lot to offer But Careers were dead Shits....So I left got married and in 1982 we Migrated to Aus and we have never looked back. Once I was retired after some 58 years in the work force, I had the opportunity to visit Schools/Colleges Pre Anzac and Remembrance days doing presentations to both buys and Girls, my approach was always Motivational particularly regarding Girls but in General assuring them that there was only one person who had the Authority to tell them what to do and that was Themselves. I was astounded at the number of those Pupils, particularly Girls, used to thank me for helping them both after my presentations and in the streets regularly telling me they had learnt more about Motivation and Employment opportunities together with them finally realising that Education made the the path ahead via Apprenticeships/College/Uni.... One 17 year old College student came to me one day and told me she was not a good student...I looked at her and before I could say anything....She corrected herself and said "Well I was not a good student....But after you spoke to us at the College we and I in particular decided that if I want something out of life the it is up to ME to put more effort into to achieving what ever I want"....I looked at her and complimented her saying she had made me very Happy and reminded her that she should always set her sights a little bit higher that she felt she could comfortably achieve and never stop challenging. It is a really satisfying feeling to be able to motivate Young Ones. I had to give the School presentations away when Wife was diagnosed with Dementia and Alzheimers and passed away last Feb, in Oct we would have been Married 64 years I am so pleased you have carved your own future and in doing so improved the potential of so many Young ones...You are an inspiration

Great interview. Love your approach and excitement at the beginning. Your style is great as it's you just being you and wanting to ask the questions we all would 👍🏻

Yet again, another excellent interview 👏

Enjoyed this!!! Thanks Phil!

That was an amazing interview. Next time get the book plug in!

Brilliant just Brilliant Thank You Phil & Mandy

Amazing episode Phil, Mandy was amazing and inspirational Well Done

Wonderful - watched the entire interview. If you've not read her book, get a hold of it - not just for the flying stories, but for the life lessons it teaches as well. :)

Fascinating & enjoyable. Really good interview

What a lady ! Great interview

Amazing ambassador. Strong and intelligent person.

Great guest, really enjoyed listening/waching this one

I laughed when she said she was the taxi driver ! Many moons ago we were shown around a squadron of Tornados prior to take off ! that's exactly what the navigator said to me and my oppo! Great interview too . Stay safe out there .

... awesome interview !

Great, inspiring post

Respect to this pilot and her journey in the military…

Fucking amazing…: I hope my 4 and a half year old boy is lucky enough to be inspired by the mission both of you are working at. I’ve missed my chance in life but I hope the kids of today can step up and stand on Mandy and you Phil’s shoulders. You are a true inspiration

Another great guest

This moment for me @1:14:18. I definitely have a STEM bias - others have told me. I pursued my studies and career in a different direction because I felt my maths and ability to relate abstract concepts in general to the real world just wasn't good enough. It's forty odd years too late for me but please keep helping people in Mandy's words, "join the dots" and persuading educators they need to do that too.

Just watched this, fantastic and inspiring. I am going to make sure my daughter watches the last 20 minutes of this at least. The Gen Z do need to get their head out of their phones and understand school is an enabler. Great interview Phil. Good variety of guests on your show. John Nicol would make a great guest (PoW on OP GRANBY, thats Gulf War 1 to the spams)😉

My mum was a full lieutenant with a detached command south of London on D-day, but by mid 1945 a year later her military career was over!

Great interview! Very inspirational

Male or female, it doesn't matter, what an amazing humble and inspiring person.

Great guest. Goiing to get my 3 daughters to listennto her

What a delightful lady. No wonder she was so successful.

Brilliant stuff as always! Thank you for sharing!

Really amazing thank you Mandy and Phill! Schools need to keep the "victim " attitude going as there is a whole industry supported by it. I'm ex RAF (low ranker in the 1970s). The Forces and Blue light services (in my opinion) have all bought into the civvie "management " style, and the trainers set the mindset which stifles the individual. As with many other jobs all the peripheral non essential elements slow and absorb time drawing away from the core task. (Just my opinion).

What brilliant interview and an amazing woman

Amazing interview and incredible role model.

I just love we've ticked the box on this. Let's not think she wasn't pushed through. Glad in a way she didn't lose her life because of this. I suppose the modern point is to encourage others. Let's hope this is not a potential failing.

Hell what a Woman , makes you proud of our armed forces . hope they are many more given that opportunity .

Really good chat that was. Great job!

Brilliant Phil & Mandy

What an amazing woman and love what you are doing phill

Mandy's recollections would have been so interesting IF ONLY YOU COULD HAVE KEPT YOUR MOUTH SHUT and STOPPED INTERRUPTING AND LAUGHING OUT LOUD!!!! Sorry Mandy but at 5:59 I bailed out because of the Loud Mouthed Yobbo who kept over talking you.

Fantastic interview Phil,

Great chat guys 👍🏻

You have to Remember, the trouble with the Spitfire was sorted by a Women, Not Biggles. Also the Maths for the M/ C guns was worked out by a Father and DAUGHTER. ..

brilliant channel phil !!

A similar thing happened to my roommate. He failed the aptitude tests for being a pilot... while already holding a pilot's license. He said it is because he didn't play video games. He appealed and got approved. He became a USAF pilot.

Great interview!

Another great interview. I would be interested to understand the inflexibility in the RAF appointing cycle that led such a valuable person to leave. I assume with the RAF’s drive to recruit more women that this has been addressed. I hate to appear cynical, but I shan’t hold my breath.