As I come to the end of five years’ training as an Aeronautical Engineer, several thoughts come to mind, both about my training up to the present time and the future of the aerospace industry in which I am about to serve.

During the past ten years, the aerospace industry has seen many changes, not only in the form of amalgamations and project cancellations, but also in the way it must face the future. More recently it has seen the publication of the Plowden Report with all its implications. Although for many the future paints a gloomy picture, at no time has the thought of leaving the world of aeronautics been farther from my mind than it is now.