EngSoc Guest Speakers: Sir Iain Gray, Aerospace Engineer and former Director of Airbus UK with Hector Hills, Bristol aerospace engineering student
On Monday 9th January, the Engineering Society was delighted to welcome Sir Iain Gray and engineering intern Hector Hills to the school. The event was packed with over fifty students from Years 10-13, all keen to hear about pathways into the aerospace sector. Sir Iain walked students through his career with British Aerospace, Airbus, Innovate, Cranfield University and now CFMS. A key highlight was hearing about how Sir Iain oversaw a team of thousands of engineers designing the wings of the iconic Airbus A380, the largest civilian aeroplane ever built. His talk included a discussion of the future of commercial flight, the need for engineers to keep innovating to improve sustainability and the dream of supersonic aircraft returning to commercial operations.
Hector Hills gave students some excellent advice on how to choose the right course at university and the merits of taking a year in industry. Students understood the importance of personal projects, getting the most out of work experience, and above all making sure that they pursued a sector that they were genuinely interested in.
It gave us all a lot to think about!
