I am one of a dwindling band of old men who could fill in the then of Aeronautics’ Then and Now if only their memory would serve them. Aeronautically I am almost exactly half as old as our Society as it reaches its centenary: it is 50 years since I had my first job. The Editor has invited me to “write what you like”. The dangerous freedom of this invitation prompts me to exhibit myself as what I am, a survivor from another age—and to add a few reflections on the Now as I see it.