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Branch Newsletter Spring 2017 Edition Yeovil The Yeovil Branch 2017 Reggie Brie Young Persons Lecture Competition The Chairperson’s Column — Jeremy Graham This is a time of year when the inner workings of not change and I would urge anyone to investigate how the Society are very active which results in a significant endeavours worthy of recognition can be nominated; call on the time and energy of the great many remember, anyone can nominate anyone or any team volunteers engaged with the HQ staff. for an award without exception. Alisdair and I must attend Council meetings and, Alisdair and Ewan have recently represented the in particular, the Annual General Meeting, at which the branch at the Branches Conference held at Prestwick. new President, ACM Sir Stephen Dalton, will take over These meetings allow the branches a direct line of and the new president-elect, RAdm Simon Henley, will communication to the President, Council and the HQ take over Sir Daltons previous role. We must all be staff. A full report will be provided in the next grateful to the outgoing President, Professor Chris newsletter. One interesting outcome was that the Atkin, for his focus on matters relating to future Prestwick branch was represented by Stuart McIntyre, technology and academic achievement that his the grandson of Flt Lt David McIntyre, one of the two experience in further education and academic research pilots that achieved the first flight over Everest in 1933, has allowed us to benefit from. We wish him luck in his flying Westland aircraft. As a result I have made year as the Immediate Past President and in his new contact with the family in my quest for personal venture as Chairman of the Engineering Council. As photographs that I might use in a lecture that I am one of those members of Council charged with preparing on this very subject. preparing Council briefs, I can already say that Sir In this edition of the newsletter we have included Stephen will bring a further refinement of purpose, and articles detailing the topics of the Reggie Brie lectures, I can expect Council meetings chaired by Sir Stephen which show clearly the quality and attention to detail to be driven by clear briefs and timely decisions. that our young competitors achieve. I hope that you The 2017 round of the Society Honours, Medals find them interesting and enjoyable to read but there is and Awards scheme is now in full swing with some 50 no substitute for supporting the competition with your nominations received by the due date of 31st March. attendance. Please come to the 2018 event, if you The Medals and Awards Committee is now considering have not been before you will find our younger people recommendations to Council as well as proposing to be inspirational; if you have been then you will again amendments to the Scheme to Council for 2018 be entertained and educated. The entry form for the onwards. The fundamental basis for the scheme will 2018 competition will be released in Autumn 2017. Yeovil Branch Newsletter Spring 2017 Edition Meet The Yeovil Branch Committee The RAeS Yeovil Branch committee is RAeS Involvement comprised of a diverse range of individuals; all united by their passion for aerospace. This issue we will be When did you join the Yeovil Branch committee and meeting two of the many individuals at the branch who why? volunteer their time to promoting the RAeS. I joined the committee in 2012. I had been involved Daniel McKenna, BSc (Hons) AMRAeS with the society during university and I wanted to stay involved. What is your role in the committee and what does it entail? I now have a fringe role on the committee as I am based in Italy, but also as I am the Chair of the RAeS Young Persons Committee which takes up most of my available time. What do you value most about the RAeS? Its history, prestige, and networking. What do you think the RAeS should focus on in the future? Background How to adapt to the needs of the current and future Dan graduated from Sheffield Hallam University Aerospace professional. in 2012 with first class honours in Aerospace Tell Us About Yourself Technology. He then completed a year in industry with AgustaWestland, and once graduated, was accepted Where do you work and what is your role? onto their Engineering Graduate Development Programme. I work with Leonardo suppliers to deliver development After two years on the Programme, Dan worked activities, in the Procurement department for a further 18 months on the Final Assembly Line, defining and implementing business improvements. What is your greatest professional or personal Throughout his time at University and in work, he has achievement? been heavily involved in the RAeS. Achieving a 1st class degree qualification In 2011, Dan won the Yeovil Branch ‘Reggie Brie’ Lecture Competition. In 2012, he joined the How do you relax? RAeS Yeovil Branch. In 2013, he was awarded a RAeS MSc bursary, which he used to undertake an I cook, not so much relaxing but it’s how I unwind. Aerospace Masters at the University of West England. In 2014, he was co-opted onto the RAeS Young Name the aircraft... Persons Committee (YPC), and in 2016 was voted as its Chair. In August 2015, Dan moved to AgustaWestland’s Milan Headquarters to gain experience in Procurement as a buyer, managing development activities with suppliers. As chair of the YPC, his main mission is to improve local engagement of young members through the development of the Young Persons Network and establishing a young person on every branch committee as part of this network. For those interested in finding out about more that the YPN do, or to get more involved, please go to: https://www.aerosociety.com/get-involved/young- persons-network/ Westland’s Historic Archive has a large array of images over a wide range of aircraft. Also for regular updates and discussion on all things aerospace, there is an expanding online group: This is a snap shot of an historical Westland Search for ‘royal aeronautical society young aircraft post flight, but what is the aircraft? members group’ in Facebook. Answer can be found on the last page. Yeovil Branch Newsletter Spring 2017 Edition Meet The Yeovil Branch Committee Eur Ing David Gibbings, MBE, CEng, FRAeS David has been the recipient of several awards: 1993 the Kelly Johnson Award for Flight Test excellence (first time outside the USA) by the SFTE 2010 Fellowship of the SFTE (maximum of two per year elected) 2010 ‘Fairey Rotodyne’ Hampshire libraries Aviation Book Award 2011 the John J Schneider Award (American Helicopter Society) for historical work Awarded Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 2014 New Year Honours 2015 Appointed Honorary Associate of the Guild of Aviation Artists (AGAvA) David was diagnosed as having Parkinson’s David Gibbings joined The Royal Air Force in disease in 1999, he fully ignores this, and makes no 1949 as an Engineering Apprentice at RAF Halton secret of his own affliction. (frequently known as ‘Trenchard’s Brats’). He subsequently trained as a Navigator. He left the RAF in 1955 to join Fairey Aviation as a Flight Test Engineer/ Navigator flying in Meteor fighters engaged on guided weapons trials. In 1960 he moved to White Waltham as a Propulsion Test Engineer working on the Rotodyne, where his duties included flying as a Flight Engineer. He was transferred to the Flight Test Department in 1962 to work on Scout, Wasp, and Gannet. He moved to the Flight Test Department at Yeovil in 1964, where he was engaged in flight trials on the whole range of Westland Helicopters. He was project Flight Test Engineer for the WG 13/Lynx and flew with the prototype on its first flight, as well as the Icing Trials Manager from 1978 to 1983 working on a heated rotor blade system for the Merlin. The Page 3 Model He was appointed Deputy Chief Flight Test Engineer in 1986, before becoming the Chief Flight Test Engineer in 1989. Dave eventually retired in April 1993, and takes some pride in the fact that he was one of the last fixed wing flyers in Westland, flying as FTE/ Observer (naval parlance) with the Gannet AEW Mk3 from 1965 to 1975. After retirement, Dave continued to work as a consultant with Paramax (Canada), Groen Brothers (USA), the Vertiplane project (USA), International Test Pilot School, and Westland. He has also lectured in Photo Andrew Riddle Russia, Berlin, Paris, Toulouse, USA, and delivered the The SA 330 Puma was originally developed 43rd Cierva lecture to the RAeS in London. by Sud Aviation to meet a requirement of the French As an author he has produced two books; Fairey Army for a medium-sized all-weather helicopter Rotodyne and A Quiet Country Town. He is also an capable of carrying up to 20 soldiers as well as artist, having painted well over a hundred pictures various cargo-carrying duties. worldwide. In 1967, the Puma was selected by the Royal Air Dave is an active supporter of the Royal Force (RAF). They had been impressed by the Puma's Aeronautical Society, joining the Halton Branch in 1950 performance, and as a result it was given where he was secretary for two years. He has been a the designation Puma HC Mk 1. A significant joint member of the Yeovil Branch committee on many manufacturing agreement was reached between occasions since 1967 including two years as secretary. Aerospatiale and Westland Helicopters. Later on, the He was elected a Fellow (FRAeS) in 1993 and he is close collaboration between the French and British also a member of the American Helicopter Society and firms would also result in subsequent purchases serves on their Historical Committee.

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