Royal Aeronautical Society Podcast

Determined to become an airline pilot after leaving the RAF in 1959, Alan Smith takes us through his tough self-financed route to his Airline Transport Pilot’s licence before breaking into the airlines, flying the DC-3, the Heron and the BAC One-Eleven in his time in Jersey Airline and on the flying staff at BAC. As well as training outside pilots on the One-Eleven, Smith also tells stories of being seconded to airlines across the world and being thrown into the test pilot’s seat in the BAC One-Eleven and, for the first time, in Concorde.

Alan explains how, despite his extensive military flying background, it took eight demanding months of rigorous examinations and additional flying experience to earn the coveted Airline Transport Pilot's Licence just before Christmas 1959.

Finding work then proved difficult, but after passing the DC-3 technical examination, he found a junior position with Jersey Airlines, where he quickly progressed to captain on the DC-3 and later the de Havilland Heron. He accumulated extensive commercial flying experience across the Channel Islands, France and southern England, logging more than 1,500 hours in the first year alone.

When Jersey Airlines was absorbed into British United Airways in 1968, the threat of redundancies and industrial disputes persuaded him to leave Jersey and seek new opportunities after eight years with the airline.

Alan wrote to around 70 airlines worldwide before a chance advertisement for a training pilot led him to joining the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). After qualifying as a One-Eleven instructor and examiner and gaining experience with Autair, he embarked on a training role, instructing airline crews, delivering new aircraft and supporting customers around the world.

In 1969, as Concorde flight testing gathered pace at Fairford, BAC announced the closure of its Wisley site and redundancies. Alan boldly challenged the decision by writing to John Cochrane, Concorde’s Deputy Chief Test Pilot. The move paid off. After returning from a training assignment, he was transferred to Fairford to support Concorde operations. At the same time, he continued to earn his keep through airline training work, including a secondment with Court Line.

After expressing an interest in flying a Canberra bomber at Fairford, Alan was selected in 1973 for Ministry of Defence test pilot training. Later that year, he made his first flight in Concorde 002 alongside Brian Trubshaw - a pivotal moment that led to his future role as a Concorde test pilot and crowned a remarkable journey from RAF pilot and airline captain to the forefront of supersonic aviation.

Alan Smith talked with Julian Temple, Heritage Archivist for BAE Systems Heritage, on 19 March 2024. The recording was edited for podcast by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS and is published by kind permission of BAE Systems for the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth to inspire today’s aeronautical professionals'.

A transcript of the interview recording is available on the National Aerospace Library catalogue: https://raes.soutron.net/Portal/Default/en-GB/RecordView/Index/4193384

From resolving problems with the RB211 fitted on the TriStar to persuading Airbus that the Trent 500 was what they needed for the A340, Professor Geoffrey Kirk led many of the design teams that kept Roll-Royce’s engines powering civil airliners from the 1960s to the 2000s. After retiring as Chief Designer of Civil Engines at Rolls-Royce in 2007, he has turned to education, becoming an Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham and inspiring the next generation of engineers and designers.

In this interview, Geoff shows how a childhood fascination with flying and making model aeroplanes evolved into a lifelong career at the forefront of aviation innovation. Beginning at Rolls-Royce in Derby in 1968, Geoff spent four decades working through a period of rapid technological change in aero-engine design, which continually demanded creativity and problem-solving.

Geoff discusses his contributions to several major civil aero-engine programmes, leading project design teams on the RB211-535E4 powering the Boeing 757, the V2500 for the Airbus A320 family, the Trent 500 for the Airbus A340-500/600, the Trent 900 for the Airbus A380, and the original Trent 1000 for the Boeing 787.

Kirk also reflects on how electronics transformed engine design and capability, and on the growing challenge of balancing fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and commercial viability under increasing environmental pressure. He considers the future of both long- and short-haul aviation, including the role of sustainable aviation fuels.

Looking back on his career, Geoff Kirk explains that engineering future products always involved anticipating the next step in technology. “I think about the future,” he jokes, “but the future is never entirely clear.” His advice to new engineers is not to try to predict everything: focus on building skills, stay adaptable, and concentrate on the next step rather than mapping out an entire career in advance.

Professor Geoffrey Kirk CEng FREng FRAeS was interviewed by Sir George Cox CRAeS for the Royal Aeronautical Society/National Aerospace Library’s oral history project ‘If I only didn’t do it that way…….” Capturing history from the horse’s mouth'. The recording was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

A transcript of the interview recording is available on the National Aerospace Library catalogue: https://raes.soutron.net/Portal/Default/en-GB/RecordView/Index/4193329

In the latest podcast in the series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor Dominic Ward analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the newest (July 2026) edition of the magazine.

In this episode of AEROSPACE NOTAM Specialist Group Insight, Seth Moffat of the Royal Aeronautical Society Flight Operations Group (FOG) Specialist Group talks to Capt Ron Karo about post-aviation accident assistance from the human standpoint. When a serious accident occurs - how do airlines provide support for friends and families with emergency response planning? For more information on the Royal Aeronautical Society visit www.aerosociety.com

In the latest podcast in the series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor Dominic Ward analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the newest (June 2026) edition of the magazine.