From the sonic booms of Concorde to the cockpits of fighter aircraft, noise has always been a problem for aviators. Dr Graham Rood spent a fascinating career reducing the negative effects of sound, including groundbreaking research into helmet-based noise cancelling systems, and, in retirement, has joined colleagues at the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust (FAST) to safeguard the legacy generations of aeronautical researchers who worked in the birthplace of British aviation. After receiving excelle...
Apr 16, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 11
Pat Pearce has enjoyed a truly remarkable 39-year career in aviation flying with BOAC and British Airways, beginning as a stewardess and rising to the position of Cabin Services Director. Her journey, which includes experience on aircraft ranging from the DC-3 to the Boeing 777, reflects the evolution of air travel over the decades. Among the many memorable moments from her time in the skies, Pat fondly recalls the honour of flying with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Equally remarkable – arguab...
Apr 16, 2025•34 min•Ep. 10
In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor, Jack Richardson analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the latest (April 2025) edition of the magazine. In this episode, we also have the Specialist Group Insight with Seth Moffat, Chair of the RAeS Flight Operations Group and Robert Scott who discuss the recent Single Pilot Operations conference. (G...
Apr 04, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 9
Former Royal Aircraft Establishment Officer Dr Kit Mitchell gives a detailed account of his aeronautical career, describing the key challenges he overcame to improve various aircraft, from Concorde to his own light aircraft. He starts off with one of his early achievements whilst still at Cranfield University where he solved the Morane-Saulnier Paris jet trainer's elevator flutter issue, an accomplishment that earned him and his supervisor a celebratory lunch in the Bois de Boulogne. After gaini...
Mar 19, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 8
In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor, Jack Richardson analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the latest (March 2025) edition of the magazine. In this episode, we also have the Specialist Group Insight with Seth Moffat, Chair of the RAeS Flight Operations Group along with Capt Kimberly Coryat, who discuss women in aviation, progress made ...
Mar 07, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 7
If you were to choose your desert island book from the shelves of the National Aerospace Library, what would you choose? For World Book Day, the National Aerospace Library asked aviation historian and academic Prof. Keith Hayward FRAeS, to do just that. Find out why he chose the unpublished memoirs of two of Britain's great aircraft designers: W.E.W. Petter and Sir Freddie Page.
Mar 06, 2025•6 min•Ep. 6
alta Mentoring is a free mentoring platform designed by women, for women working in the aerospace industry. alta users have access to training modules to support them in their mentoring journey. In this podcast, Prof. Susan Durbin, Alessandra Badino and Liz Mulhall discuss the latest module which is focused on Intersectionality.
Mar 04, 2025•40 min•Ep. 5
After their formal oral history interview, former MOD Director of Aircraft Sir Donald Spiers and former Royal Aircraft Establishment officer Roger Cansdale sat down to mull over the past and future of aviation. In their fascinating wide-ranging discussion, Roger and Donald swap stories on the closure of the RAE and its apprenticeship programme, successes of private venture aircraft, retiring at 60, dealing with interpreters, Donald’s national service, visiting Vietnam during the Vietnamese War, ...
Feb 24, 2025•40 min•Ep. 4
As well as working at the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) for many years, Dr Kit Mitchell worked at what became the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) at various times from 1970 to 1994. During this part of the interview, Kit talks about his work researching public transport and the effects of transport policies and provision on different groups of people, including elderly and disabled people. As well as being the man behind ‘Dial-a-bus’, Kit regards his team’s work on British and later Eur...
Feb 19, 2025•28 min•Ep. 3
In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor, Jack Richardson analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the latest (February 2025) edition of the magazine. In this episode, we also have the Specialist Group Insight with Seth Moffat, Chair of the RAeS Flight Operations Group along with Steven Green, who discuss the complex and busy airspace around W...
Feb 07, 2025•57 min•Ep. 2
The pioneer of modern-day hot air ballooning takes us through how he and a group of friends came up with the idea of building western Europe’s first modern hot air balloon from his 1970s basement flat in Bristol, before transforming his hobby into Cameron Balloons which, for over 50 years has become one of the world’s largest and most innovative producers of hot air balloons. Don regards the development of the Roziere balloon, a combination helium and hot air balloon, as one of his greatest achi...
Jan 22, 2025•1 hr 11 min
In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor, Jack Richardson analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the latest (January 2025) edition of the magazine. In this episode, we also have Specialist Group Insight with Seth Moffat, Chair of the RAeS Flight Operations Group. (Get in contact with FOG via [email protected]) Find out more at www.a...
Jan 08, 2025•2 hr 34 min
In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor, Jack Richardson analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the latest (December 2024) edition of the magazine. In this episode, we also have Specialist Group Insight with Seth Moffat, Chair of the RAeS Flight Operations Group in conversation with Captain Robert Scott and Prof Don Harris, Professor of Hum...
Dec 04, 2024•2 hr 41 min
Former Engineering manager at BOAC and British Airways and Engineering Director at Cathay Pacific, Stewart takes us through the challenges of selecting and keeping aircraft in the air in both the Far East and in the UK. Though starting life as a BOAC apprentice, Stewart spent his early years on secondment to Kuwait Airways and Malaysia-Singapore Airline and he tells us about life living away from home often as the only engineer certified to maintain the airline’s types. Back in the UK, Stewart s...
Nov 19, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 1
In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor, Jack Richardson analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the latest (November 2024) edition of the magazine. In this episode, we also have Specialist Group Insight with Seth Moffat, Chair of the RAeS Flight Operations Group in conversation with Captain Robert Scott who discuss the upcoming single pilot...
Nov 05, 2024•1 hr 19 min
In this special episode celebrating Black History Month 2024 at the Royal Aeronautical Society, we’re excited to welcome Elvis Tinago, an aerospace engineer and advocate for diversity and inclusion. We’ll discuss his professional journey as a Black engineer, the challenges he has faced, his achievements, and the importance of representation in the industry. Join us for an engaging conversation about the impact of diverse voices in shaping the future of aerospace!
Oct 31, 2024•26 min
In this special episode celebrating Black History Month 2024 at the Royal Aeronautical Society, we’re thrilled to welcome Jackson Smith, CEO of Fantasy Wings and a passionate advocate for diversity in aviation. We’ll explore his professional journey as a Black pilot, the challenges he has faced, his achievements, and the vital role of representation in the industry. Join us for an inspiring conversation about the impact of diversity in shaping the future of aviation!II
Oct 31, 2024•20 min
National Mentoring Day is celebrated on 27 October and has put a spotlight on the benefits of mentoring for everyone, no matter who they are or where they are in their career, for the past 10 years. This year, to celebrate, the Royal Aeronautical Society recorded this podcast in which we discuss mentoring with esteemed mentors, Wg Cdr Daniela Nowalski and Judith Milne FRAeS. The Society also welcomed some of the women that Daniela and Judith are currently mentoring to hear all about their experi...
Oct 28, 2024•1 hr 13 min
Air Vice Marshal Graham Skinner has had a long, varied and distinguished career in the Royal Air Force, specialising in engineering. Passionate about aviation as a young boy, he joined the RAF straight from school. However, his exceptional abilities were soon recognised, resulting in his being sent to Bristol University to undertake a BSc in aeronautical engineering. Despite qualifying as a pilot with the University Air Squadron, Graham opted to continue his career in the Air Force specialising ...
Oct 09, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 1
In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor, Jack Richardson analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the latest (October 2024) edition of the magazine. In this episode, we also have Specialist Group Insight with Seth Moffat, Chair of the RAeS Flight Operations Group in conversation with Captain Alex Fisher who discuss Loss of Control Incidents (...
Oct 02, 2024•1 hr 18 min
Michael ‘Mike’ Howlett’s talks about his experience of flying successive generations of aircraft during his career as a pilot spanning over 70 years. Having learnt to fly on a Tiger Moth bi-plane, he flew first-generation jet fighters (the Meteor and Vampire), then the first generation long-haul, land-based piston-engine airliners in the form of the Boeing Stratocruiser. This was followed by flying the first of the long-range, swept-wing jets, the Boeing 707, and then the first of the ultra-larg...
Sep 18, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Katrina talks about her university education and early employment before describing how she got into aeronautical engineering. Katrina provides a fascinating insight into what it was like to work as an engineer in the 1970s whilst working in the Spares Department of the British Aircraft Corporation in Preston working on the MRCA (Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) which became the Panavia Tornado. Katrina was able to put to advantage her language and communication skills whilst employed on the spare pa...
Sep 18, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Sir Donald Spiers HonFRAeS talks about his early life before sharing stories from his remarkable career in the aerospace sector including some personal recollections of encounters with politicians. After retirement, Donald continued to share his knowledge and experience in the field of aerospace including serving as President of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Here are the significant points from the interview: •Born 1934 in Wimbledon. •Left Raynes Park County Grammar School aged 18 •National Se...
Sep 18, 2024•51 min
In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor Bella Richards analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the latest (August 2024) edition of the magazine. In this episode, we also have Specialist Group Insight with Seth Moffat, Chair of the RAeS Flight Operations Group in conversation with Dr. Sunjoo Advani who discuss Upset Prevention and Recovery Tr...
Sep 05, 2024•1 hr 9 min
The First World War took Garner away from astronomy into ‘one of the most lovely places you could possibly imagine’- the Royal Aircraft Establishment. Here he describes designing experimental flying projects, including making measurements of drag using prop stop glides. He also describes some of the characters he worked with, including AA Griffiths during the period Griffiths was working on glass fibres. He was transferred to Felixstowe in time to work on the Schneider Trophy, where he pioneered...
Sep 03, 2024•19 min
In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor Bella Richards analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the latest (August 2024) edition of the magazine. In this episode, we also have Specialist Group Insight with Seth Moffat, Chair of the RAeS Flight Operations Group in conversation with Sten Rossby who discuss the GPS jamming and spoofing threat to...
Aug 05, 2024•1 hr 8 min
AEROSPACE Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor Bella Richards sum up the 2024 Farnborough Air Show. Plus special guests Angelika Kochajkiewicz and Aleena Joshy from the RAeS Solent Branch. Our thanks to the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust (FAST) Museum for arranging access to this recording location.
Jul 25, 2024•23 min
In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor Bella Richards analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the next (July 2024) edition of the magazine. New this month, is Specialist Group Insight with Seth Moffat, Chair of the RAeS Flight Operations Group. (Get in contact with FOG via [email protected]) Find out more at www.aerosociety.com
Jul 03, 2024•1 hr 2 min
In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor Bella Richards analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the next (June 2024) edition of the magazine. Special guest this episode is new RAeS President David Chinn. Find out more at www.aerosociety.com
May 31, 2024•2 hr 39 min
In 1945 confidence in British aviation was sky-high. Yet decades later, the industry had not lived up to its potential. What happened? The years that followed the war saw the Brabazon Committee issued flawed proposals for civil aviation planning. Enforced cancellations restricted the advancement of military aircraft, compounded later on by Defence Minister Duncan Sandys abandoning aircraft to fixate solely on missiles. Commercially, Britain's small and neglected domestic market hindered the deve...
May 15, 2024•51 min
