Shows
Royal Aeronautical Society PodcastPhilip Riley FRAeS….. a view of the top of the British aerospace industry, 1960s to the 1990sFrom British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) and into BAE Systems (BAe), as one of BAe’s senior lawyers, Philip Riley FRAeS was well positioned to witness the people, the projects and the issues that shaped the British aircraft ndustry from the mid-1960s to the early years of the present century, living and breathing the roller coaster of amalgamations, nationalisations, mergers and privatisations that characterised the industry during those years.
Philip relished the opportunity to travel the world negotiating contracts and financial packages supporting the sale of aircraft such as the BAC One Eleven whilst working with some of...2025-07-231h 38
Royal Aeronautical Society PodcastAn interview with….. Arthur Webb FRAeS on consultancy and joining the boardAfter leaving Ferrari, Arthur struck-out on his own as an engineering consultant, with projects ranging from trolley buses in post-Cold War Hungary to designing MRI scanner beds and defence work. One of clients, St Bernard’s Composites, liked working with him so much that they offered him the role of Technical Director with a seat on the board. Arthur recalls some of the interesting projects St. Bernard’s did with the likes of Rolls-Royce, Airbus, Martin-Baker and Imperial College.
Eur Ing Arthur Webb FRAeS was interviewed by Tony Pilmer FRAeS in 2024 and 2025 as part of the Royal Aero...2025-06-2449 minRoyal Aeronautical Society PodcastAn interview with…. Arthur Webb FRAeS joins Ferrari Formula 1 RacingWhen John Barnard was tempted to join Ferrari there was only one man that he wanted to cook-up his carbon fibres and do the stressing – Arthur Webb. They had a year to create the Guildford Technical Office (GTO) before the car needed to reach the grid. Of course, Arthur also had to go to Maranello and get the thumbs up from the great man, Enzo Ferrari.
Eur Ing Arthur Webb FRAeS was interviewed by Tony Pilmer FRAeS in 2025 as part of the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it th...2025-06-2421 minRoyal Aeronautical Society PodcastAn interview with…..Arthur Webb FRAeS on secret projects at ML Aviation and Marconi SpaceAfter not liking the way the nationalised BAC was going, Arthur Webb left Weybridge and headed to the small, secret and innovative special projects office of ML Aviation then onto Marconi Space. Here he tells us a little about working on drones, the JP233 anti-runway bomb for the Tornado, Skynet 4 and ESA’s Eureka project.
Eur Ing Arthur Webb FRAeS was interviewed by Tony Pilmer FRAeS in 2024 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...2025-06-2431 minRoyal Aeronautical Society PodcastAn interview with….. Arthur Webb FRAeS on bringing carbon fibre to Formula 1When a young John Barnard was appointed as McLaren’s designer, he decided that carbon fibre was the future of Formula 1, but who should he ask to help him with his design? The answer was Arthur Webb of BAC. For a bit of fun in his own time, Arthur became McLaren’s unofficial carbon fibre consultant. Over the next few years, John and Arthur designed, tested and constructed the first carbon fibre shell of a Formula 1 car – a feet which not only made the car go faster, but saved drivers’ lives.
Arthur also describes other carbon fibre projects...2025-05-2815 minRoyal Aeronautical Society PodcastAn interview with….. Arthur Webb FRAeS on bringing Carbon Fibre to Civil AviationAfter marching up to the front gate of the BAC Weybridge factory and demanding to see the Chief Stressman, Arthur Webb was given the job of finding something useful to do with the new magic composite material discovered at the Royal Aircraft Establishment – carbon fibre.
In this part of his oral history interview, Arthur explores how he led a team to design the first certified civil aircraft component for an aeroplane, a pair of load carrying rudder panels on a VC10, with no data, no experience and no background. Arthur also retells the amazing story of he, th...2025-05-2835 minRoyal Aeronautical Society PodcastAn interview with….. Arthur Webb FRAeS on stressing the Armstrong-Whitworth Argosy and the Lockheed C5 Galaxy wingsStressing the 3-spar wing Armstrong-Whitworth Series 220 Argosy and the massive Lockheed C5 Galaxy wings was a fascinating way for an aero engineer in his twenties and early thirties to begin his career. As well as describing the design challenges, including the Argosy’s early use of bonded composites, Arthur shares what it was like during the brain drain: firstly working on the Galaxy for a UK contractor, before then moving to the USA with his young family and experiencing the racial tensions of 1960s Georgia.
Between working on the two freighters, he was selected as one of th...2025-05-2850 min
Royal Aeronautical Society PodcastAn interview with Dr Graham Rood FRAeS… sound research at the RAE and safeguarding RAE’s legacyFrom 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 en...2025-04-161h 08
Royal Aeronautical Society PodcastAn interview with Pat Pearce MBE…from serving in the skies to changing young lives with DreamflightPat 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 – arguably even more so – is her role as the founder of the charity Dreamflight. Each year, the organisation raise...2025-04-1633 min
Royal Aeronautical Society PodcastAn interview with Dr C G B (Kit) Mitchell FRAeS…. From Concorde undercarriages at the RAE and designing light aircraft to promoting of aviation historyFormer 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...2025-03-191h 17
Royal Aeronautical Society PodcastCansdale talks to…. Sir Donald Spiers HonFRAeSAfter 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, airships, Concorde, paying bonuses, converting the RAE runway into Farnborough International Airport and predictions on decarbonising aviation.
Sir Donald Spiers HonFRAeS was in...2025-02-2440 min
Royal Aeronautical Society PodcastAn interview with Dr C G B (Kit) Mitchell FRAeS…. Making public transport disability-friendly the RAE wayAs 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 European buses more disability-friendly as ’probably the most useful thing I've done in my life’.
Kit’s story shows...2025-02-1928 min
Royal Aeronautical Society PodcastAn interview with……Don Cameron MBE FRAeS, ballooning pioneerThe 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 achievements, used in record breaking flights such as the Breitling Orbiter 3 whic...2025-01-221h 11
Royal Aeronautical Society PodcastAn interview with Stewart John FREng FRAeS on engineering for post-war airlinesFormer 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 an...2024-11-1951 min
Royal Aeronautical Society PodcastAn interview with AVM Graham Skinner...a varied and distinguished engineering career in the RAFAir 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...2024-10-091h 11
Royal Aeronautical Society PodcastAn interview with Sir Donald Spiers HonFRAeS…from graduate apprentice to MOD Controller of AircraftSir 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 Engines2024-09-1851 min
Royal Aeronautical Society PodcastAn interview with Katrina Sudell…‘lady engineer’ with BAC in the 1970s (abridged)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...2024-09-1840 min
Royal Aeronautical Society PodcastAn interview with Mike Howlett…flying aircraft for 70 years in the RAF and BOACMichael ‘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...2024-09-1852 min
Royal Aeronautical Society PodcastAn interview with…Sir John Charnley on blind landing and life at the RAE’s Aero FlightIn the heat of World War II, John Charnley was sent from his red-brick university to the heart of aero research in the UK, the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough. In this archive recording, Sir John describes the transition into the RAE Aerodynamics Department’s Flight Test Division and his work on many of the problems associated with high-speed flight, starting with work on the Gloster E.28/39 which tested Whittle’s jet engine.
After twelve years Sir John moved from the very fast to the very slow, when he was sent to head the RAE Blind Landing Experimental Unit. Charnley expl...2021-12-0145 min