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 experiences and how mentoring has benefited them.


National Mentoring Day 2024: alta Mentoring Spotlight

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 operations conference. (Get in contact with FOG via membership@aerosociety.com) Find out more at www.aerosociety.com

(Note: podcast recorded on 30 October)

AEROSPACE NOTAM - November 2024

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

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 Human Factors, Coventry University who discuss airliner single pilot operations. (Get in contact with FOG via membership@aerosociety.com) Find out more at www.aerosociety.com

AEROSPACE NOTAM - December 2024

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 membership@aerosociety.com) Find out more at www.aerosociety.com

AEROSPACE NOTAM - January 2025

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 Washington DC. (Get in contact with FOG via membership@aerosociety.com) Find out more at www.aerosociety.com

AEROSPACE NOTAM - February 2025

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 so far and barriers that female airline pilots still face. (Get in contact with FOG via membership@aerosociety.com) Find out more at www.aerosociety.com

AEROSPACE NOTAM - March 2025

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 gaining experience with variable sweep aircraft at Vickers Armstrong in Weybridge, he joined the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) Flutter and Vibration Division, where he harnessed the ever-increasing power of computers in the 1960s. His analysis of Concorde’s response to turbulence and runway conditions led to undercarriage improvements—enhancements that pilots told him 40 years later had made a significant difference.

Starting In retirement, Kit played a key role in the newly-formed Farnborough Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society and explains why the Society’s branches are of such importance to the aero community. He chaired the Society’s Historical Group, and set up and edited the Journal of Aeronautical History http://www.aerosociety.com/jah for a decade. Kit considers the journal a major milestone for the Society. The journal has ensured the publication of historical papers for both technical experts and aviation enthusiasts Kit also contributed to a school “build-a-plane” project through his connections with the Society.

Reflecting on his career in aeronautical engineering and transport research, Kit values his work on Concorde’s success and takes great pride in his research into public transport, particularly developing the dial-a-bus service, which he found most enjoyable. Kit’s work on disability transport can also be heard in the podcast 'Making public transport disability-friendly the RAE way': https://soundcloud.com/aerosociety-podcast/mitchell-disabled-transport

Kit Mitchell FRAeS was interviewed by Katrina Sudell 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/1116660

An interview with Dr C G B (Kit) Mitchell FRAeS…. From Concorde undercarriages at the RAE and designing light aircraft to promoting of aviation history

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. (Get in contact with FOG via membership@aerosociety.com) Find out more at www.aerosociety.com


AEROSPACE NOTAM - April 2025

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 excellent all-round training as a Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) apprentice, Graham joined the Ministry of Defence’s Inspection Directorate, where he worked closely with aero engine companies. The role was both interesting and deeply satisfying, but his thirst for hands-on engineering led him to Christchurch, where he took on the role of Eng3 at the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment (SRDE), initially focusing on mobile power systems for the army.

His career progressed with a move to Boscombe Down where he worked at the Aeroplane and Armaments Experimental Establishment (A&AEE). During this period, Graham embarked on a part-time MSc at Southampton University’s Institute of Sound and Vibration. This research involved investigating the sonic booms of Concorde—a fascinating challenge that ultimately led him to pursue a PhD. 

In 1974, he returned to Farnborough, where he became immersed in tackling cockpit noise, a problem that threatened to make communication impossible in low-flying jets. Determined to find solutions, Graham worked on developing advanced helmets and noise-cancellation systems. His role as a Flight Observer in fast jets allowed him to test and refine these innovations firsthand. His expertise and dedication saw him rise to become Head of the Acoustics and Vibration Section within the Man-Machine Integration Department.

Even after formally retiring, Graham’s passion for aviation and engineering remained undiminished. As one of QinetiQ’s Trusted Experts, he continued to lend his knowledge to the field. But it was his involvement with FAST that marked the beginning of a second career. Initially focused on preserving historic buildings, he soon took on the monumental task of saving vast archives of photographs, reports, and records that were at risk of being lost and forgotten. Thanks to Graham and his colleagues, future generations will be able to access and learn from the 100 years of pioneering technical and scientific work of the RAE. 

Dr Graham Rood FRAeS talked with Roger Cansdale FRAeS on 28 January 2025 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.

A transcript of the interview recording is available on the National Aerospace Library's catalogue https://raes.soutron.net/Portal/Default/en-GB/RecordView/Index/1131159


An interview with Dr Graham Rood FRAeS… sound research at the RAE and safeguarding RAE’s legacy

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.

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