Royal Aeronautical Society Podcast

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

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 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'.
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

AEROSPACE NOTAM - March 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

World Book Day 2025 - Keith Hayward on aircraft designers' memoirs

If you were to choose your desert island book from the shelves of the National Aerospace Library, what would you choose? For World Book Day, the National Aerospace Library asked aviation historian and academic Prof. Keith Hayward FRAeS, to do just that. Find out why he chose the unpublished memoirs of two of Britain's great aircraft designers: W.E.W. Petter and Sir Freddie Page.

alta Mentoring - Intersectionality in Mentoring

alta Mentoring is a free mentoring platform designed by women, for women working in the aerospace industry. alta users have access to training modules to support them in their mentoring journey. In this podcast, Prof. Susan Durbin, Alessandra Badino and Liz Mulhall discuss the latest module which is focused on Intersectionality.

Cansdale talks to…. Sir Donald Spiers HonFRAeS

After 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 interviewed by Roger Cansdale 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 Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS & Tony Pilmer FRAeS.

An interview with Dr C G B (Kit) Mitchell FRAeS…. Making public transport disability-friendly the RAE way

As 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 how aeronautical engineers’ skills can lead to a very flexible career – something for young people to consider when planning their education and career journey. Kit also gives a fascinating insight into what it was like working for different government research organisations. Kit talking about his aeronautical career can also be heard in the podcast: From Concorde undercarriages at the RAE and designing light aircraft to promoting of aviation history
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 Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.
The transcript of the recording can be accessed on the National Aerospace Library's catalogue

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 (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

An interview with……Don Cameron MBE FRAeS, ballooning pioneer

The 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 which completed the first-ever circumnavigation of the globe by hot air balloon in 1999. Versions of Cameron Roziere balloons have also flown the first coast to coast flight across Australia and the first solo crossing of the Pacific Ocean. His company has also become world famous for producing an amazing variety of special shaped balloons.
Don also describes his own flights, including finally fulfilling his dream of crossing the Atlantic by balloon in 1992 and making the first balloon flight between the UK and the USSR in 1990 and his many fond memories of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, an event that he helped found and run since it was established in 1979.
Don, looking back on his career, also explains that you have to put everything into running a business and hard work was needed to grab the opportunities that were brought about by modern hot air ballooning.
Don Cameron was interviewed 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

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 (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 - 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 (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