A view from the other side

I studied Aeronautical engineering at Loughborough 10 years ago and enjoyed climbing into and over the EAP.
I still remember the brutal way it was moved across the campus when the Aero and Automotive eng department moved buildings. The bit where it passed under a bridge with some of the aerials under the fin cap scraping along its concrete underside was crazy.
Getting jobs like the one you describe is not an easy task, and its not the kind of job where you can map out a straightforward route that will lead you to your goal.
It’s a safe bet a job in this field a job that pays will generate a lot of interest and so you need to be thinking about what you can offer an employer that the other candidates can’t in terms of skills and experience.
Its quite conceivable that you could be up against someone that has GCSE’s, A-Levels, a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, a pilot’s licence, been involved with the Air Training Corps as a kid and as an adult and is already a qualified teacher.
If you can, go to University, its always the advice I offer to the students I teach and will widen your horizons in ways that you can’t appreciate before you do it.
Good Luck!!!
Anyone who will be flying in the area, bloody good lookout is the order of the day. It gets very busy along that section of the river severn. RAF Cosford likley to be very active with anything up to 10 A/C around and about the local area.
Great pics and video – I was there but in a working capacity and so missed quite a bit of the display.
Cheers for posting!
When the Jags flew in the runway was fitted out with portable hydraulic arrestor gear about 2/3rds of the way down the runway from the 24 end. They all got down with plenty of room to spare trailing braking chutes making the arrestor gear redundant. I can’t imagine there is enough runway available for a takeoff though!!!
Rich
Chatting to a knoweldgeable colleage of mine he reckons that the flat, unpainted counterpoise panel is the transmitting element of the Green Palm, 100 watt VHF Comms Jammer.
Rich
Thanks for the answers – obvious when you know!
It now begs the further question as to why the need to fit another flat surface to the bottom of the aicraft when there is so much space already.
I spotted the panel on the Vulcan in the cold war museum at Cosford this afternoon during a wander around waiting for the weather to become flyable (incidentally, it didn’t!).
The panel on the Cosford aircraft had no evidence of any external aerials or even disused mounting points but the entire panel was shiny unpainted metal. Is it possible that the panel itself forms a transmitter for the ECM gear and hence is a separate item of tuned size rather than just a section of airframe?
Cheers
Rich
I have had the pleasure of attending a flight safety course at Bentley Priory a few years ago. A fantastic place to visit – it really felt like going back in time.
What a shame such a unique and historical RAF station has gone.
Rich
I have just posted a few pictures in the airshow photographs section of this forum if anyone is interested.
Rich
I was at Cosford all day as part of the event (7:00 till 8:30!) and so I avoided all the traffic chaos. The display programme was very much lacking in fast jet stuff but there were some excellent displays – the P40 was very well flown, as was the Blades display and to be honest the whole thing was very enjoyable. The Vulcan was obviously the highlight and while the display itself is gentle the sheer presence of the aircraft in the air is fantastic. I will try and post some photographs later.
Rich
I believe the Vulcan flew a practice display at Cosford this afternoon so its looking very good for Sunday! Its the last item on the program – 1600 I think.
Rich
I have been to Dubai in August – watch out for the mind melting heat – like nothing I have ever experienced before!!! Thankfully, everything with a roof is airconditioned! The Emirate Airlines HQ by the airport is an interesting building – it is styled on a commercial airliner.
Rich
In theory this is probably possibe but I bet the practical limiting factor will be blade flex. Upside down the blades will cone towards the tailboom of the helicopter and almost certainly give insufficient clearance.
Model helicopters clearly can hover inverted and do so very well but they have very high headspeeds and very stiff blades.
Just my thoughts,
Rich
Wow! That makes the pyrotechnics of the RAF’s current role demo seem a bit gentle!!