Round'em up Cowboy! It's been a while since we've pored over the RIAT participants list for you, so we decided to go back down the list of the last few weeks and chat about some of the highlights that are starting to come out now. Dom gives us a taste of the Abingdon nightshoot - although Abingdon has now been postponed, sadly - and then goes off on another of his trademark rants. Tom also tells us about his visit of the Swedish Air Force Flight School where they operate the SK.60.

To read our reports, features and interviews from years past, head to www.airshows.co.uk

If you want to join the discussion, you can head to our forums at forums.airshows.co.uk

All views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and not their employers.

Episode 74: RIAT roundup, Abingdon and Tom's Swedish Sorrow

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

AEROSPACE NOTAM - August 2024

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 the use of cameras to accurately measure the speed of aircraft, and explored seaplane gunnery during the Second World War.

Sir Harry Garner made this recording at the Royal Aeronautical Society’s headquarters at No. 4, Hamilton Place in 1969.

An interview with...Sir Harry Garner at the RAE and beyond

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

AEROSPACE NOTAM - September 2024

It's been a while since our last episode, but we're back, with reviews a-plenty for your listening delight! Dom gives us his take on Cosby's Victory Show, Dan tells us about the International Ayr Show and Tom recounts his trip to Bucharest International Airshow (without bias!).

To read our reports, features and interviews from years past, head to www.airshows.co.uk

If you want to join the discussion, you can head to our forums at forums.airshows.co.uk

All views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and not their employers.

Episode 81: Review, review, review

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

The UK Airshow Review Podcast is an informal chat between the UKAR writing team that originally came about as a response to the effects that the COVID-19 crisis had on the UK airshow scene. We talk about our thoughts and feelings on the British airshow world, invoke memories and reflections from our experiences of the airshow and aviation hobby and offer informed - and not so informed - opinions on the goings-on in the industry.

We also host the series Display Frequency, some nine episodes of incisive, professional interview and analysis of the airshow industry hosted and produced by former UKAR Staff member Dan O’Hagan, a global sports broadcaster and Senior Commentator at the Royal International Air Tattoo from 2009-2012.

To read our reports, features and interviews from back when airshows were a thing, head to https://www.airshows.co.uk
If you want to join the discussion, you can head to our forums at https://forums.airshows.co.uk

Episode 74: RIAT roundup, Abingdon and Tom's Swedish Sorrow

UK Airshow Review

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