Now, 40 years on, Simon recently returned to campus to give a guest lecture to students studying Aeronautical Engineering, where he was hosted by Dr James Knowles.
Simon said:
“This is a regular lecture that students receive prior to taking part in the Flight Laboratory practical, as part of their studies. The lecture was in Mech Eng T003, or T103, where I used to be on the receiving end.”
A lovely moment to be back in the place where it all started, Simon added:
“I can’t believe it, but this year marks 40 years since I and many friends started our degrees in 1983. I benefited hugely from both academic and non-academic sides of life. Thankfully I am still in touch with a number of friends from those days, and it is great to return to lecture and also meet the students when they come to fly from Cranfield.”
He is currently a Senior Lecturer at Cranfield University where his role is as an airborne demonstrator in the Saab 340b aircraft for the National Flying Laboratory Centre. Simon flies aircraft whilst students conduct experiments and gather data as part of their studies.
Thank you to Simon for heading back to where it all began to inspire our Aeronautical Engineering students.