On March 10th Dick Poole gave a Zoom talk to Members on the Royal Aero
Club (not to be confused with the Royal Aeronautical Society) of which
he is a trustee. He was introduced by Chris Roberts who told us that
Dick started in the industry as a graduate apprentice with Vickers in
1960 where he worked on aircraft from Vanguard to Concorde. Moving to
HSA Kingston’s Flight Development Department at Dunsfold, he covered,
in 18 years, Harrier, Sea Harrier and Hawk development becoming Chief
flight Test Engineer in 1984. A highlight was being the principal
flight test engineer on the ski jump development trials. His next
appointment was Assistant Chief Designer AV-8B at Kingston in 1987
whence in 1992 he moved to Warton as Chief Engineer Light Combat
Aircraft and New Jet Trainer. Finally for BAE he worked with
McDonnell-Douglas and Lockheed Martin on ASTOVL leading to the F-35
programme.
The Royal Aero Club was formed in 1901, said Dick, following
discussions between balloonists the Hon CS Rolls, Frank Hedges-Butler,
his daughter, Vera and Stanley Spencer, all members of the Royal
Automobile Club (RAC), following a balloon flight from the Crystal
Palace.
In 1910 it became the Royal Aero Club (RAeC). The primary objectives
of the club were to encourage and develop the study of aeronautics, to
organise sporting contests, to grant certificates of competence and to
promote meetings between those interested in aviation in all its forms.
In the early 1900s the French were pursuing powered flight and
established the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) in 1905.
This became the international governing body for sporting aviation with
the RAeC as one of the founder members, representing the United
Kingdom, running competitions and issuing aviators’ certificates on
behalf of the FAI in various classes: aeronauts (balloons) from 1905,
aviators (aeroplanes) from 1910, airships from 1911, gliders from 1930
and helicopters from 1947.
The first aviators’ certificate was issued to JTC Moore-Brabazon on
March 8th 1910. The RAeC does not have these documents but has a record
of all the information about the holder. Up until 1952, when they were
replaced by Ministry of Aviation Private Pilots’ Licences, more than
28,000 certificates were issued. To achieve such a certificate required
two distance flights of at least 5 km each and one altitude flight at
50 m or above with all landings with the engine stopped at or before
touchdown and the aircraft at rest within 50 m of a point previously
nominated by the candidate. These requirements were regularly adjusted
as aircraft capabilities changed.
Early heavier-than-air flying activity in SE England
was concentrated at Brooklands, Farnborough, Hendon and the Isle of
Sheppey, the RAeC using mostly the latter, initially at Shellbeach,
Leysdown, then, due to frequent water-logging, at Eastchurch. At
Shellbeach JTC Moore-Brabazon made the first flight by an Englishman in
England (but in a French Voisin) on April 30th 1909. On November 20th
1909 the Hon CS Rolls opened Eastchurch by landing his Short-Wright
there. The Short Brothers also built their own designs and Wright
licensed aircraft at Sheppey.
Dick showed an historic photograph taken when Wilbur
and Orville Wright visited Mussel Manor at Shellbeach, the RAeC
clubhouse, to meet the Short brothers, Oswald, Horace and Eustace.
Present was the wealthy Francis McClean who owned the Manor and had
bought the land at Eastchurch for the RAeC. He also provided aircraft
and instructors to train the first four Navy officer pilots and then
did the same for six Army officers at Larkhill. Also at the meeting
were Charles Rolls, Brabazon, Frank Hedges-Butler and Warwick Wright,
the English aircraft maker. Clearly the RAeC was a ‘gentleman’s’ club.
There were several groups in the RAeC which grew to
become independent Member organisations: the British Aerobatic
Association (BAEA), the British Gliding Association (BGA), the British
Balloon & Airship Club (BBAC), the British Parachute Association
(BPA), the British Precision Pilots Association (BPPA), the British
Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA), the Royal Aero Club Records,
Racing & Rally Association (RRRA), the Helicopter Club of Great
Britain (HCGB), the Light Aircraft Association (LAA) formerly the
Popular Flying Association, the British Hang Gliding & Para Gliding
Association (BHPA), the British Model Flying Association (BMFA)
formerly the Society of Model Aircraft Engineers (SMAE), and the
Formula Air Racing Association for small, fast aeroplanes. The RRRA
organises competitions including the King’s Cup air race, and the LAA
has an inspectorate and supervises the airworthiness of light and
homebuilt aeroplanes and lighter aircraft that no longer have a design
authority, for example Austers and Tiger Moths. The BMFA is by far the
largest with 35,000 members compared with 8,000 active glider pilots.
Overall governance of the RAeC is by the Council with representatives
from all the above bodies
There are also Associate Members of the RAeC: the
Royal Aero Club Trust, the British Kite Flying Association, the British
Women Pilots Association, Flying Scholarships for the Disabled, the
Historic Aircraft association, the Human Powered Aircraft Group, the
Royal Air Force Museum and the Tiger Club.
The principal purposes of the Royal Aero Club are to
promote and encourage the practice and development of aviation sport
and recreation, to promote and to further the interests of those
engaged in aeronautical activities, to ensure the proper representation
of all branches of sporting aviation in Britain at the International
level through the membership of the FIA and undertake the
responsibilities of a National Aero Club under FIA Statutes and
Sporting Code. Also to represent sporting aviation to the British
Government and other bodies in the interests of its members and to
award medals and other distinctions at National level for achievements
and services in sporting aviation and to make recommendations to the
FIA for awards at International level and to other bodies to promote
recognition of such achievements and services. It also encourages
collaboration between members, coordinates matters and arbitrates
disputes.
Examples of world renowned RAeC activities are the
running of three Schneider Trophy races, the King’s Cup races from 1922
to 1947 and the Aerial Derbies in the ’20s and ’30s. It organised the
England to Australia MacRobertson air race in 1934, certified Alex
Henshaw’s UK to Cape Town and return Mew Gull records in 1938 and
observed for the FIA the world speed records set by the Meteor in 1945,
and the Hunter and Swift in 1953.
Turning to the RAeC Trust, of which Dick is a
Trustee, the objectives are cataloguing and conserving the collection
of unique historical documents, paintings, trophies and artefacts held
by the RAeC, and promoting the development of young people by helping
them to participate in air sports and aviation activities, assisted by
a Flying for Youth bursary and scholarship scheme. The RaeC had a
London club building at 119 Piccadilly until the mid ‘60s when the
lease expired so there is no longer a permanent home for the collection
so now some items are on display or in storage at the RAF Museum,
Hendon, some on long-term loan to appropriate bodies and a 1910 TW
Kingslake Clarke biplane ‘hang glider’ is being overhauled by the
Glider heritage Collection at Lasham. Dick showed slides of many
examples of the historic photographs, artefacts and documents in the
collection. Details can be found at www.royalaeroclubcollection.org.
After a questions and answers session hosted by
Chris Roberts, Meetings Secretary Frank Rainsborough gave the vote of
thanks for Dick’s most interesting talk.