Oral history interviews organised by the National Aerospace Library to capture the story of those who have made a key contribution to the aviation, aeronautical and aerospace industry, who have yet to tell their story, to inspire today’s and future generations.

Oral histories of aviation and aerospace to enlighten and inspire

An Interview with...

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 Service. Army paratrooper for 2 years, mostly in Egypt
•	Read Mechanical Sciences at Cambridge
•	Graduate Apprenticeship with de Havilland Engines
•	In late 1950s moved to the Air Ministry to do Operational Research
•	Officer in Scientific Charge of early trials of the Hawker Kestrel
•	OR work in the Middle East with the RAF
•	Scientific Advisor to the Far East Air Force based in Singapore
•	Left OR to enhance career prospects by getting into Project Management as AD Hawk
•	Then moved to Jaguar, Tornado, Eurofighter and Typhoon. Chairman of NAMMA
•	Retired at 60 as MoD’s Controller of Aircraft
•	Post retirement involvement with the future of the Farnborough Airfield
•	Held a number of non-executive directorships with companies including European Helicopter Industries and TAG
•	President of the Royal Aeronautical Society
•	Trustee and Chair of the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust

Sir Donald Spiers HonFRAeS was interviewed by Roger Cansdale FRAeS as part of the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth to inspire today’s aeronautical professionals. The recording was edited by edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS. 

The transcript of the recording can be accessed on the National Aerospace Library's catalogue:  https://raes.soutron.net/Portal/Default/en-GB/RecordView/Index/183614

An interview with Sir Donald Spiers HonFRAeS…from graduate apprentice to MOD Controller of Aircraft

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 parts catalogue. 

Katrina reflects on being involved in aviation and a woman working in engineering, and tells some fun stories from her life and work such as hammering her car at some traffic lights in front of Germans to get it working it again before the lights changed, discussing aircraft parts with German colleagues and persuading them not to label a hole with a part number and the instance of an engineer storming out of a work canteen for engineers saying the canteen was not for ladies who come with friends…she never saw him again. Katrina feels she did not face problems with being a lady engineer because colleagues valued her skills and she was too busy working and living to feel really proud of her work and excited about being involved in aviation. 

Katrina also talks about stopping work to look after her family, becoming a teacher and helping and caring for her mother and father.  Most recently, Katrina has enjoyed volunteering for the National Aerospace Library (NAL) by helping to conserve historic material in the NAL’s archives.

Her advice for anyone starting out in their career is to research their interests (read a lot but be careful what you read, especially statistics), don’t be put off doing something that is unusual for you to do, and take advice but follow your dream!

This is an abridged version of an interview with Katrina Sudell by Anne Hayward as part of the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth to inspire today’s aeronautical professionals. The recording was edited by edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The transcript of the recording can be accessed on the National Aerospace Library's catalogue along with links to the full recording: https://raes.soutron.net/Portal/Default/en-GB/RecordView/Index/183269

An interview with Katrina Sudell…‘lady engineer’ with BAC in the 1970s (abridged)

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-large passenger aircraft, the Boeing 747 ‘Jumbo’. These aircraft not only ushered in different eras of air travel with a new level of passenger experience, they posed new challenges for their operators and aircrew. Mike provides fascinating insights into these changes.

Mike Howlett was interviewed by Sir George Cox as part of the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project  ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth to inspire today’s aeronautical professionals. The recording was edited by edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The transcript of the recording can be accessed on the National Aerospace Library's catalogue: https://raes.soutron.net/Portal/Default/en-GB/RecordView/Index/183263

An interview with Mike Howlett…flying aircraft for 70 years in the RAF and BOAC

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 as an engineer.  This led to a highly-varied series of roles and challenges, ranging from keeping helicopters flying in the desert to maintaining supersonic fighters in a state of readiness; roles which subsequently encompassed logistics as well as engineering, and concluding with his appointment as C-in-C Logistics Command. His problem-solving contributions were recognised with the award of a CBE.

Graham Skinner’s interview reflects not just a history of dealing with changing technology but also the excitement and challenge of a career in engineering.

AVM Graham Skinner CBE was interviewed by Sir George Cox CRAeS as part of the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth to inspire today’s aeronautical professionals. The recording was edited by edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The transcript of the recording can be accessed on the National Aerospace Library's catalogue: https://raes.soutron.net/Portal/Default/en-GB/RecordView/Index/1116013

An interview with AVM Graham Skinner...a varied and distinguished engineering career in the RAF

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 spent most of the 1970s at Heathrow dealing with the challenges posed by the unions, engineers and the fleet of Boeing 747s and 707s.

Steward finished his time as a full-time employee in Hong Kong as Cathy Pacific’s Engineering Director, working with Boeing, Rolls-Royce and his engineers selecting and maintaining over 60 wide-bodied aircraft and Dragonair’s fleet of narrow bodied aircraft.

Not ready for the allotment, Stewart returned to the UK to take up consultancies and board positions with many aviation companies including Rolls-Royce and Airbus.

Always a Committee man, Steward also discusses his term as President of the Royal Aeronautical Society, the Society of Licensed Aircraft Engineers and the International Federation of Airworthiness. 

During the interview, Stewart shares some amusing and fascinating tales of the people he met and the challenges he faced during his varied career.

Stewart John FREng FRAeS talked with Keith Cameron in September 2024 for the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth to inspire today’s aeronautical professionals. … . The podcast was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The transcript of the recording can be accessed on the National Aerospace Library's catalogue: https://raes.soutron.net/Portal/Default/en-GB/RecordView/Index/1116153

An interview with Stewart John FREng FRAeS on engineering for post-war airlines

The one time USAF and NASA Test Pilot discusses the workings of the ultimate rocket plane, the X15, as well as his work on the X20 Dynasoar F104, F100 and T38 programmes. The interview took place in 1979 and was conducted by Rodney Giesler and edited by Mike Stanberry.

The Col Pete Knight Interview

Chuck Yeager, one of the most famous test pilots in US aviation history, takes listeners though the development of the rocket-propelled Bell XS-1 / X-1 in which he became the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound in level flight, including taking us through the test flights and politics of the X-1 flight programme. Yeager also discusses the flight tests of the X-1a, Northrop X-4 Bantam and McDonnell F-4 Phantom, then discusses some of his contemporaries in the test pilot seat, including working with Neville Duke on the Hawker Hunter. Yeager finishes off by talking about the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter altitude record and training astronauts to fly the machine.

The interview took place in 1979 and was conducted by Rodney Giesler and was edited by Mike Stanberry MRAeS.

The Chuck Yeager Interview

North American test pilot Scott Crossfield, the first man to fly at twice the speed of sound Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket, describes the achievements of the flying characteristics of the X series and also gives listeners the benefit of his thorough understanding of the engineering and aerodynamic aspects of the project, including the development of the North American Aviation X-15 rocket plane which brought man to the edge of space. The interview took place in 1979 and was conducted by Rodney Giesler and edited by Mike Stanberry MRAeS.

The Scott Crossfield Interview

Bill Humble MBE takes us through his time as one of Hawker’s World War II test pilots. After he describes how he talked his way into flight testing at Hawkers, he provides an insider’s chronology of the firm’s aeroplanes including insights to the Fury, the Tempest and the problems caused by tail flutter in the Typhoon. He also talks of his fellow test pilots and other figures in the company, including Sir Sydney Camm.

The interview was conducted by Rodney Giesler and was edited by Mike Stanberry MRAeS.

The Bill Humble Interview

High-altitude balloonist and parachute pioneer Joe Kittinger recalls stories from his career at the forefront of aeronautical research. After discussing his happy childhood, Kittinger explores his early career as a research and development test pilot during the 1950s and 1960s. He swiftly specialised in aero-medical projects, including studies on the effect on humans in zero gravity, during rapid deceleration and in high-altitude escape; such projects led him to jump from the edge of space and break the longest parachute freefall record; a height of 102,800 feet. He also led Operation Stargazer, which used aircraft to look at stars above the atmosphere and discusses why he decided not to volunteer for the U.S. space programme. 

After flying 483 combat missions in Vietnam, Kittinger became the first person to fly across the Atlantic in a hot air balloon solo and went on to support the Red Bull Stratos team that finally broke his 52-year-old freefall parachuting record.

Col. Kittinger was interviewed by Lt Col Lance Annicelli USAF (Ret) FRAeS in 2019 and the podcast was edited by Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

sound recording

An interview with.... Col. Joe Kittinger

The Royal Aeronautical Society is the world's only professional body dedicated to the entire aerospace community. Established in 1866 to further the art, science and engineering of aeronautics, the Society has been at the forefront of developments in aerospace ever since.

An interview with Mike Howlett…flying aircraft for 70 years in the RAF and BOAC

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