Compiled by Ben Griffithsven/Aviation House
Why is there a need to inspire young people to pursue careers in aviation or spaceflight?
The UK has the third largest aviation network in the world and the second largest aviation manufacturing industry. The aviation industry has a turnover of more than 60 billion pounds, or about 517.9 billion yuan. Aviation and Aerospace directly employs and supports more than 250,000 people in the UK. For more than 100 years, they have been a beacon of British engineering prowess. There is no doubt that Britain's strong aviation industry is the result of the joint efforts of countless young talents who have come and gone.
Ben Griffith interviewed a British executive a few years ago who began apprenticeships in an engineering company's factory decades ago. Along the way, he now runs the UK subsidiary of a multinational aerospace and defence group. Rifith wondered how he got into the industry in the first place.
The reason is simple, he told Ben Griffiths: "In 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped on the surface of the moon, concorde made its first flight, and I saw a Harrier jet at the Farnborough Air Show. What else can I choose after that?"
Whenever someone questions whether attending an event like this inspires kids, I tell the story. My own aviation awakening went through three phases. My earliest memories of the plane are when I was walking with my grandparents in Hyde Park when I saw concorde fly over London. I was only four or five years old.
Next, I went to Duxford with a school friend for a birthday trip. Together we watched an Astatic Flight of a Spitfire over that historic airfield. It takes us back to the most glorious moments of the RAF in the 1940s. From that moment on, I was determined to become a fighter pilot.
The first time I flew the plane myself, I felt like I was at home. Since then, I've been flying almost always, rarely before I get a private pilot's license, and more often, over the past decade, as a co-owner of various light aircraft. Flying has made my life better, opening doors that I never thought I'd ever seen, giving me the opportunity to reach like-minded people around the globe who immediately recognize me as an aviation fan.
Today, I have the privilege of working for a large, growing British Airways company that operates a range of businesses – and occasionally I can fly with us. Everyone I met there was passionate about the magic of flying. Many people take the time to welcome visitors to our world, speak to children at school or university, and interact with the public at air shows or other air show events.
One summer a few years ago, long before COVID-19 had severely affected the industry, I was strolling back to my neighborhood where a Havilland Chipmunk was parked on the grass next to the airport café.
Three boys leaned on the fence and looked at the 70-year-old classic airplane. It was clear that they were very excited about being able to get so close to a plane, even though the plane was about to take off soon.
I remembered that when I was about the same age as him, a kind stunt pilot took the time to show me around his plane.
I motioned to the mother of the three children and asked if the five of them would like to walk through the gate and take a closer look at the chipmunk plane. They couldn't believe they were allowed to visit the "airport" and, more importantly, they could still sit in this old-fashioned machine.
As they grasped the airplane joystick, their faces filled with priceless smiles, the engines made an inevitable noise, and there was no doubt that they imagined themselves soaring through the clouds. Moms of children are also happy to see this transformation in their children.
For me, it was a small move, taking a few minutes out of the day of flying and having a chance to talk about the plane I liked. But as we prepared to leave, one of the mothers explained that their families had spent the summer investing in their children's activities in the hope that the children would have a short time of entertainment during the long holidays. But there doesn't seem to be any resonance. Until they saw the plane. One of the children declared it the best thing he had ever done all summer. I find this very encouraging.
Since then, I've worked hard to give others a chance to get close to the plane. If there's one guy who infects that joy from me and develops a similar passion for aviation, I think it's well worth it. If they don't, perhaps just dispel some perceptions of private aviation elitism, which makes it a worthwhile thing to do in itself.
Those of us in the aviation industry can open our world to the outside world in countless ways, welcoming people – especially young people – who can provide a lifeline to sustain the aviation industry for years to come. By its very nature, the aviation industry has been a pioneer, pushing the limits and driving the future at a pace that is unattainable in many industries.
As pilots or aviation professionals, we have an obligation to take advantage of our passion for flying, to serve the greater good, and to use every opportunity to celebrate its merits. We know that flying brings the hope of changing people's lives. The aviation industry has been modernized before – think back to the early days of the jet age.
Now for the health of the planet, the aviation industry must once again keep up with the development of the times. To move forward better, we need to attract a new generation of aviation enthusiasts who together will continue to make our world a better place!