Privatefly – Air Charter Operations Weds 21St October 2020, 6.30Pm–8.30Pm Online Event University of Hertfordshire

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HATFIELD BRANCH NEWSLETTER

OCTOBER 2020 Geoffrey de Havilland Lecture Privatefly – Air Charter Operations Weds 21st October 2020, 6.30pm–8.30pm Online Event University of Hertfordshire

Adam Twidell CEO, PrivateFly

See Page 7 for full details

From the Chairman The committee is shrinking and if you would like to Welcome to the October newsletter and the start of join us, we would love to hear from you. a new, albeit different, season. We are planning a full The AGM would normally have been held in May programme of events and I am pleased that we are but was postponed due to the lockdown. In line with starting, this month, with the Sir Geoffrey de Havilland the decision made by the Main Society, we have now lecture, which was postponed from March due to decided to defer this until May 2021, in the expectation Covid19. We have been running some trials to ensure that we will be able to hold a proper AGM at this time. that the online format goes to plan. If you wish to I hope that you understand this decision. However, attend this online lecture, please register at hatfield@ the committee continue to meet regularly online and aerosociety.com and we will send out the link to if any member has any concerns please raise them join the event. The situation at the University means with me or Keith (email [email protected]). that, for the moment, all our lectures will be online. I One of the main reports at the AGM would be on the apologise to those of our members who are unable to financial health of our branch. A significant proportion access the online events but due to the current restric- of our expenditure goes on prizes at the university. tions, we have no option. Towards the end of last year, the University decided Congratulations to Sagar Patel, our Secretary to hold their prizegiving in November, rather than and University Representative, who had a daughter, April, meaning two sets of prizes in 2019. As a result, Naomi, last month. He has, understandably, decided we made a loss of £500. 2020 will be a strange year, to stand down from the committee. Jacob Morewood in more ways than one, but we are on target to break has taken over as the University Representative even. and Keith Gowland has kindly offered to step in as I will miss seeing you all face to face but hope that the Acting Secretary. Being the secretary can be a many of you will be able to join us at our forthcoming thankless task and the committee is grateful for the events. contribution made by Sagar over the last three years. Steve Rogers HATFIELD BRANCH OCTOBER 2020 NEWSLETTER

Apprenticeship Training, Experience and criterion. To make this happen the process relies on time served applying best practice maintaining task- / job-related lessons to be learnt in a log book enabling a portfolio of evidence. By way of an introduction and welcome to Jacob In summary, to complete this process within the Morewood by the committee of the Hatfield Branch apprentice framework an assessment takes place of the Royal Aeronautical Society, may I take this in the final months of the Apprenticeship, using the opportunity to recognise his role within the University following data items and processes: of Hertfordshire, as coordinator for professional accreditation with the society. For those who are 1. An occupational competence validation interview embarked on lifelong learning in an engineering (viva) undertaken by the independent assessors discipline, the Engineering Council offers a framework from the employer, drawing from a portfolio of that seeks to acknowledge your achievements and evidence of occupational competence, and a dedication. For specific details of what is expected, I Performance Indicators Recording Form (PIRF) refer you to the source data at: which aligns with UKSpec requirements, both compiled by the apprentice. https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/appren- 2. A desk-based professional competence assessment ticeship-standards undertaken by two independent assessors from What does this mean in practice? In simple terms the End Point Assessment Organisation, based on your path to endorsement could be via the following the portfolio of evidence, the PIRF and the viva routes: report.

The overall aim is to establish and benchmark the 3. Final employer endorsement of occupational and knowledge, skills and behaviours expected of your professional competence and overall completion of engineering discipline and how you align with the the apprenticeship. 2 HATFIELD BRANCH OCTOBER 2020 NEWSLETTER

4. The End-Point Assessment Organisation applies for apprentice’s work, selected by them from within the an Apprenticeship Completion Certificate and the approved period to be eligible for EPA (this depends award of achievement. on the Standard). All core and occupationally specific The above process is generic to your chosen knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs), as outlined professional institution. These End Point Assessment in the Standard, must be met through the examples Organisations are to: provided, so in combination they must contain enough tasks, projects, undertakings to fulfil this requirement. • produce clear guidance in terms of what is Examples should be backed up with evidential records/ required in the portfolio of evidence and reports of the work undertaken. Performance Indicators Recording Form, so that assessment methods will be standardised and Who is responsible? easy to follow; The apprentice is responsible for producing and • verify the recommendation made by the compiling the PoE and supporting material. The independent assessors (IAs); apprentice makes sure that the PoE and supporting • determine whether professional competency has evidence is provided in the correct format for full been achieved; assessment, this means ALL documents as a PDF and • provide governance and feedback to IAs on recom- in the case of the PoE multiple documents must be put mendations made to promote good practice; into a .zip file. • ensure compliance with Quality Assurance require- The employer should send this document to the ments; training provider in a ready-to-upload format. The • apply for the Apprentice Certificate. training provider is then responsible for uploading this document alongside the PIRF and viva interview For those choosing the Royal Aeronautical Society recording form. as their End Point Assessment Organisation, the RAeS can provide a full End Point Assessment (EPA) service When is it needed? to employers within the aeronautical sector who have By the date of submission agreed with RAeS in apprentices already registered or registering on one preparation for Professional Competence Assessment. of the New Apprenticeship Standard (NAS) apprenticeships. The RAeS has developed the following 2. Performance Indicators Recording Form (PIRF) documentation: What is required? The PIRF is directly linked to the relevant Professional • EPA Handbook reference information on End-Point Engineering Competences defined in UKSPEC and Assessment including roles and responsibilities; should be based on recent activities. The KSBs in the • occupational competence validation interview Standard are also aligned to UK-SPEC so much of, if not (viva) recording form (relevant to level); all of the examples used in the PoE can also be used • Performance Indicators Recording Form (relevant here but delivery and description is more reflective of to level); self and should be structured similar to a professional • aide-memoire guide for apprentices; registration application. • aide-memoire guide for employers; • training material for occupational competence Who is responsible? assessors and apprentices; The apprentice is responsible for producing the PIRF. • training material & guidance for Professional Via the employer, the apprentice should be informed Competence Assessors; that it is their responsibility to make sure that the • Professional Competence Assessment report form. PIRF is provided in the correct format PDF for full The theme that links the levels of accreditations is assessment. The employer should send this document the acquisition of knowledge, skills and behaviours. to the training provider in a ready-to-upload format. A successful outcome is based upon the submission The employer/training provider is then responsible for of: uploading this document alongside the PoE and the Viva Interview Recording Form. 1. Portfolio of evidence When is it needed? What is required? By the date of submission agreed with RAeS in The PoE is a minimum of 3 examples of the 3 HATFIELD BRANCH OCTOBER 2020 NEWSLETTER preparation for Professional Competence Assessment. Who is responsible? Allow time before the submission. The employer fills this in when the RAeS confirms the pass grade to complete the administrative process for 3. Viva interview recording form this apprentice. What is required? An RAeS-produced pro forma for the recording When is it needed? and grading of the Occupational Competence At the point the RAeS confirms the apprentice has Assessment. The document has checklists, question passed their EPA. banks and open note sections for recording key discussion points and the rationale of the assessors’ Conclusion pass/fail decisions. When we started this review of apprenticeships and accreditation through professional institutions with Who is responsible? the Engineering Council, we implied that there is Apprentices (along with Learning Managers) will a lifelong learning element. The attainment of the mark-up the document aligning KSB’s checklist with award can be seen as not the final step in the process section/reference/page numbers in the PoE. Learning but your achievement of the benchmark. Managers provide this marked up form with the PoE to It is often asked why this is important in today’s the OCA’s for review. OCAs will complete this form and industrial environment. Having come from a safe- return to the employer/training provider to upload ty-related operationally critical environment of Air alongside the PoE and PIRF. Traffic Management, it may be assumed that while When is it needed? things are working well you are doing an adequate By the submission dates/times agreed with RAeS job. However, when things are subject to an inves- in preparation for Professional Competence tigation or an improvement review your application Assessment. of best practices will need to be supported by your accreditations. For those on this journey, it 4. Professional Competence Assessment is recommended to ask questions of yourself and Recording Form (PCARF) others if you are: What is required? • unsure of what is required; This RAeS-produced pro forma is for the recording • unclear about when it is needed; and grading of Professional Competence Assessment • in doubt as to why it is important. outcomes. The body of knowledge within the branch and the Who is responsible? main society are here to help with the realisation of PCAs will use this form to log feedback, rationale of your potential. For further information contact: decisions, grading decision and any CPD guidance Jacob Morewood MEng (Hons) ARAeS AFHEA RAFAC towards next steps for registration, the PCAs will upload and apply a pass/fail grading alongside all the above Keith Gowland BSc MSc MRAeS CEng MIQA CQICQP EPA documentation. The employer will download this Graham Dron, EPA Officer Royal Aeronautical Society, document to give to the apprentice when uploading email: [email protected] the final employer sign-off document. Web links: When is it needed? Apprenticeship Standards: Post-viva interviews within the agreed EPA time period https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/appren- agreed with the employer/training provider. ticeship-standards 5. Final Employer Sign-Off Document Professional Engineering Competence: What is required? https://www.engc.org.uk/engcdocuments/internet/ This is an RAeS pro forma for the employer formally Website/UK-SPEC%20third%20edition%20(1).pdf to sign-off the grading decision of the EPA, completing Keith Gowland the apprenticeship.

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Flying with Ray In the last newsletter, Ray Wilkinson kindly offered an opportunity to fly with him in his Ikarus C42 Microlight, which is based at Hunsdon Airfield. The airfield, which today has a triangle of grass runways, is sited on the remains of RAF Hunsdon. During the Second World War the airfield operated Mosquitos, mainly as night-fighters and Intruders, and it is where John Cunningham was based with 85 Squadron for a time. There are two impressive memorials to the RAF directions. Bob headed east on a successful hunt for his boat on the Crouch. David stayed local around Stevenage and Ware. By early afternoon, it was my turn and we decided to see if we could find my house in Harpenden. Although I have flown in a wide variety of aircraft, this was my first time in a single engine aircraft. Microlights have a maximum take-off weight of only 450kg, and with 100bhp on tap there was a surprising acceleration. The airfield lies within the Stansted control zone, so we turned to head south west to clear the zone before turning west, towards London Colney and tracking just north of the M25. It is always pleasant to see a busy M25 when you’re not on it! We were cruising at about and Commonwealth personnel and to the 126 who 75 kts and 1500 ft when I took the central stick. I died while operating from Hunsdon (http://www. thought that I was doing a reasonable job in keeping wartime-airfields.com/raf-hunsdon.html). things straight and level until later in the flight when It was a gloriously sunny mid-Sep- tember morning as Bob Kirkby, David Cramphorn and I arrived at the airfield. We were grateful for Ray’s detailed directions as the club is hidden away around a series of tracks that were once part of the airfield perimeter. Dual flying has been allowed since 4th July, but we wondered what the impact of the Covid 19 restrictions might be. In practice, it is what we have all become used to: social distancing where possible, masks in the clubhouse, lots of hand sanitiser and cleaning of the headsets between passengers; otherwise it’s business as usual. We all decided to head in different 5 HATFIELD BRANCH OCTOBER 2020 NEWSLETTER

Ray demonstrated just how well the C42 flies ‘hands as it can get a bit lively with thermal activity in the off’! As we circled around to the west of St Albans, afternoon. However the whole flight was remarkably visibility was excellent, and we had a great view of the smooth, and an hour passed remarkably quickly. cathedral on the hill. When we were not flying, there were a number Harpenden is inside the Luton control zone, so we of other aircraft operating to keep us interested and requested and received we were delighted to permission to enter the meet the club’s oldest zone, keeping below member. At 99, Ted 2000 feet as instructed. It is always pleasant to see a busy still flies regularly and Having found my house M25 when you’re not on it! regaled us with stories relatively easily, we of operating the de circled a few times and Havilland Flamingo to it was interesting to see Africa and India with my local neighbourhood from the air. We then headed British Air Transport just after WW2. south and out of the zone and turned to fly over The three of us all had a most enjoyable day and Hatfield before heading back towards Hunsdon. The would like to thank Ray for his hospitality. We were line of pylons to the south of the airfield provides the pleased to make a donation to the Isabel Hospice as a final reporting point as we head in for smooth landing small token of our gratitude. on Runway 03. Ray had suggested we fly in the morning Steve Rogers

Did you know...? Old Warden aerodrome, near Sandy, was given the ICAO code EGTH, which was formerly the code for Hatfield aerodrome. The famous DH88 Comet racer, probably most recognisable these days from the model outside the Comet Hotel, was designed and built for the MacRobertson Air Race of 1933. The most successful and most famous was G-ACSS, which now resides in the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden.

GdH Snippet The RAeS National Aerospace Library has recently digitised a recording of Sir Geoffrey de Havilland recalling how he designed the D.H 1, D.H.2 and the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.1 aircraft, which can be found at https://www.aerosociety.com/news/audio-from-the-archive-sir-geoffrey-de-havilland-on-his- early-days-in-aeronautics/

2020-21 Lecture Programme Confirmed lectures (Wednesdays): 21st Oct: Geoffrey de Havilland Lecture: PrivateFly Air Charter Operations, Adam Twidell 18th Nov: Handley Page & Radlett, Chris Scivyer 9th Dec: Aircraft Galleys, Collins Aerospace 20th Jan 2021: Space Lecture, TBA 17th Feb: Student Lecture Competition 17th Mar: TBA 21st Apr: GASCo Safety Evening, Keith Thomas 19th May: Lecture TBA, preceded by AGM All lectures are online. Please contact [email protected] for an invitation 6 HATFIELD BRANCH OCTOBER 2020 NEWSLETTER

Sir GEOFFREY de HAVILLAND HATFIELD BRANCH LECTURE

PrivateFly Air Charter Operations Wednesday October 21st 2020 18:30 to 20:30 Online event

Adam Twidell, PrivateFly

The Sir Geoffrey de Havilland named lecture aims to promote innovation in Mr. Adam Twidell founded PrivateFly Ltd in Aerospace, PrivateFly demonstrates that 2007 serves as Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Private Air Charter is in an excellent Twidell had previously served 10 years as position to drive efficiency and customer an RAF pilot and three years at NetJets. satisfaction to deliver efficient flight Prior to founding PrivateFly, he successfully operations. managed London City Airport's bid to start a Privateprivate jetjet charter hub at RAFnetwork Northolt.' Through years of market analysis, 134 Hatfield Road St Albans AL1 4HY, UK canvassing industry and customer opinions, PrivateFly delivers a transparent online network, linking passengers directly with available aircraft. This capability exploits the brokering power of the internet, to allow customers to search and compare private charter options.

VENUE: PROGRAMME: Online webinar 18:30 – Online forum setup CPD certificates of attendance will be 18:45 – CPD Reg and welcome endorsed for CEng, IEng or EngTech 19:00 – Main presentation 20:00 – Q&A registration 20:30 - End

Members & non-members are welcome GET CONNECTED WITH RAeS Search “RAeS Hatfield Branch”, on Facebook For webinar invites and Questions in advance, please contact the Branch Secretary on Email: [email protected]