AIAA’s newest international section has a growing community around it, and an 19–22 October visit to the United Kingdom showed how quickly that community can come together. The trip was built around making connections that strengthen AIAA’s new UK Section. Over four days, AIAA staff met with university faculty and students, sat down with two of the UK’s leading aerospace societies, and joined local members, students and industry veterans for the dedication of a historic site.
Meeting the Next Generation of Members
UK students are interested in AIAA, and several already have a connection to it. At Queen Mary University of London, AIAA’s Lindsay Mitchell, Director, Regions & Sections, and Martina Bruno, Senior Manager, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, gave an overview of AIAA and its student offerings, and each student group discussed their projects. A few students had already submitted final papers to the Region VII Student Conference, so they understand the value of participating and publishing from past participation and having winning papers. The groups will now compare notes on the best way to start a student branch.
At Imperial College London, the team met faculty who are longtime AIAA members: Aaron K. Knoll, Yannis Hardalupas, and Rafael Palacios, who serves as Head of the Department of Aeronautics. All three have contributed to AIAA technical committees for years, and they believe one of the biggest benefits of membership is the international connections it gives them in their fields. They discussed whether students from the university would be interested in starting a student branch.
Partner Societies Open to Collaboration with AIAA
The Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) and AIAA have worked together since their first MOU in 1992. The continued collaboration brought Mitchell, Bruno, and Davide Petrillo, AIAA Director, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, together with Emma Bossom, Scott Phillips, and Stephanie Jones from RAeS to learn about current activities from both organizations. RAeS were curious about AIAA’s Regional Student Conferences and possibility expanding it. They were also enthusiastic about possible collaborations on future Young Professionals events, including at AIAA forums.
Mitchell and Bruno also met representatives from the British Interplanetary Society (BIS), which focuses on publications and technical projects centered on astronautics and space exploration. The organizations discussed working together, via the AIAA UK Section and BIS chapters, to continue the conversation.
Filton Historic Site Dedication
A highlight of the trip was the the dedication of the Filton Site & Airfield plaque at the Aerospace Bristol Museum, where about 75 students, former Concorde employees and local aerospace professionals gathered to mark more than 100 years of Filton’s history. For the full story, read AIAA Honors Filton’s Legacy with Historic Aerospace Site Dedication in Aerospace America.
What Comes Next
The trip brought together three complementary areas of AIAA engagement: university and student outreach, institutional relationship building, and section engagement and recognition. AIAA looks forward to continue working with the UK Section and university partners as they grow.
