The 55th Main Lecture to be given at a Branch centre, “Light and Executive Aircraft and Their Future Prospects in the United Kingdom,” by F. H. Robertson, A.F.R.Ae.S., Chief of Preliminary Design, Short Bros, and Harland Ltd., was held under the auspices of the Christchurch Branch on 12th December 1962. Mr. E. W. J. Gray, F.R.Ae.S., President of the Christchurch Branch, opened the proceedings by welcoming the President and Secretary of the Society and visitors from the Society's branches at Luton, Bristol and Cheltenham as well as visitors from Shoreham. Mr. Gray then asked the President, Mr. B. S. Shenstone, M.A.Sc, F.R.Ae.S., F.A.I.A.A., F.C.A.S.I., to preside for the rest of the meeting.

Introducing the lecturer, the President said that Mr. Robertson had spent five years with Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd., three in the works and two in the D.O., and then joined Hawker Aircraft in 1934 as a junior draughtsman; in 1936 he had gone to Aeronca Aircraft Ltd. for a year and in 1937 had joined Miles Aircraft Ltd. as senior draughtsman, becoming Chief of Experimental Design. From 1946-1952 he had been with Saunders-Roe Ltd., where he became Chief Project Engineer, and in 1952 had joined Short Bros, and Harland Ltd. After several years as Chief Project Designer, he became the Company's Chief Designer, Light Aircraft in 1959. He was now Chief of Preliminary Design. He was sure that Mr. Robertson was known to many of them, either personally or from things he had written, and they would know that he rarely said anything with which they could all agree. He thought that what Mr. Robertson would say in his lecture would be of the same order.