The Light Beyond the Clouds

Abstract

A similar sentiment may be seen in the motto of the Royal Air Force, per ardua ad astra (through adversity to the stars). Since the 1950s, millions of flights carrying billions of passengers have burst into bright sunlight when taking off from a grey-weather airport to fly above the clouds;similarly, millions of tourists have left cloud-bound climates to enjoy the sunshine in distant places;places that would have been inaccessible to the majority in the absence of massive investments and the efforts of thousands of engineers in the technology for advanced, reliable and very safe propulsion systems. To balance the protection of affordable air travel and protection of the environment, there are two fundamental tasks our community needs to undertake: 1) to communicate widely and robustly the socio-economic benefits of aviation. The success of our noble enterprise is dependent on attracting large new cohorts of young, talented and well-educated individuals to deliver the analysis, research, development and products that will underpin the transition to ‘green’ aviation.