Royal Aeronautical Society Podcast

After their formal oral history interview, former MOD Director of Aircraft Sir Donald Spiers and former Royal Aircraft Establishment officer Roger Cansdale sat down to mull over the past and future of aviation.

In their fascinating wide-ranging discussion, Roger and Donald swap stories on the closure of the RAE and its apprenticeship programme, successes of private venture aircraft, retiring at 60, dealing with interpreters, Donald’s national service, visiting Vietnam during the Vietnamese War, airships, Concorde, paying bonuses, converting the RAE runway into Farnborough International Airport and predictions on decarbonising aviation.

Sir Donald Spiers HonFRAeS was interviewed by Roger Cansdale as part of 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'. The recording was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS & Tony Pilmer FRAeS.

As well as working at the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) for many years, Kit Mitchell worked at what became the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) at various times from 1970 to 1994. During this part of the interview, Kit talks about his work researching public transport and the effects of transport policies and provision on different groups of people, including elderly and disabled people. As well as being the man behind ‘Dial-a-bus’, Kit regards his team’s work on British and later European buses more disability-friendly as ’probably the most useful thing I've done in my life’.

Kit’s story shows how aeronautical engineers’ skills can lead to a very flexible career – something for young people to consider when planning their education and career journey. Kit also gives a fascinating insight into what it was like working for different government research organisations.

Kit Mitchell FRAeS was interviewed by Katrina Sudell as part of 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'. The recording was edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

In this podcast series from the Royal Aeronautical Society's monthly AEROSPACE magazine, Editor in Chief Tim Robinson, Deputy Editor Stephen Bridgewater and Features Editor, Jack Richardson analyse recent aviation, aerospace and space news - and preview the latest (February 2025) edition of the magazine. In this episode, we also have the Specialist Group Insight with Seth Moffat, Chair of the RAeS Flight Operations Group along with Steven Green, who discuss the complex and busy airspace around Washington DC. (Get in contact with FOG via [email protected]) Find out more at www.aerosociety.com

The pioneer of modern-day hot air ballooning takes us through how he and a group of friends came up with the idea of building western Europe’s first modern hot air balloon from his 1970s basement flat in Bristol, before transforming his hobby into Cameron Balloons which, for over 50 years has become one of the world’s largest and most innovative producers of hot air balloons.

Don regards the development of the Roziere balloon, a combination helium and hot air balloon, as one of his greatest achievements, used in record breaking flights such as the Breitling Orbiter 3 which completed the first-ever circumnavigation of the globe by hot air balloon in 1999. Versions of Cameron Roziere balloons have also flown the first coast to coast flight across Australia and the first solo crossing of the Pacific Ocean. His company has also become world famous for producing an amazing variety of special shaped balloons.

Don also describes his own flights, including finally fulfilling his dream of crossing the Atlantic by balloon in 1992 and making the first balloon flight between the UK and the USSR in 1990 and his many fond memories of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, an event that he helped found and run since it was established in 1979.

Don, looking back on his career, also explains that you have to put everything into running a business and hard work was needed to grab the opportunities that were brought about by modern hot air ballooning.

Don Cameron was interviewed by Anne Hayward as part of 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'. The recording was edited by edited by Eur Ing Mike Stanberry FRAeS.

The transcript of the recording can be accessed on the National Aerospace Library's catalogue