Love the photo of the "Frightening Lightning" 'Chico. I've flown in one of those (well, not that version - it's a single seater - my flight was in a T5 two seat trainer). One thing Baz may need to beware of - the Lightning has a very high landing speed (about 190-200mph compared with a "Jumbo" B747 at around 145-150. He may need a small extension!
The tale of the Starlifter amused me, retro. I did some of my early glider flying there before buying a share in a glider and moving to North Weald. Always enjoyed seeing the tube trains coming out of the tunnel between Hendon and Colindale as we skirted the airfield. I believe the longest runway at Hendon was under 4,000 feet - probably less than half that a Starlifter would need for a safe landing!