Coachlines - April 2024

30.04.24 Steward Neil Sheath

Aerospace engineering award winners announced


The latest aerospace engineering awards for the current livery year have been made. The recipients will all receive their award funds progressively as they book the training courses for which the awards are intended. These awards will make a real difference to their individual ability and skill levels by funding career changing courses aimed at gaining new qualifications or developing fabrication skills which they might not have had access to.

The cadre of applicants included some very capable young people indeed, from which very worthy winners have been selected and are commended to the Livery. It is quite honest to state that if we had the funds, we could have made genuinely sensible awards to every one of the short listed and interviewed applicants.

It is notable that we are now reaching these young people earlier in their careers which means our awards are making a significant difference to them individually, and to support both the individual and the smaller companies where they work, such as historical aircraft restoration companies or smaller maintenance facilities where training budgets are tight. Please support these young people in the future with advice, encouragement or with career support and placements if you are able.

The Aerotron award is kindly supported by Aerotron Ltd and is awarded annually to fund a young mechanic to study for their Part 66 Aircraft Engineer’s Licence examinations. This qualification is significant in aircraft maintenance and allows the bearer to supervise and certify aircraft maintenance.

The Aerotron award for the current livery year has been given to Luke Gordon, who is an aircraft maintenance mechanic at Oriens of Biggin Hill where he works maintaining Pilatus and Cirrus aircraft. Luke started working for Oriens in the stores and became involved with the aircraft maintenance by helping out in his own time. By working hard, Luke earned progression within the company and has started his licence studies of his own volition and the Aerotron award is a just reward for his own solid commitment to progressing his career himself.

The Victor Gauntlett and Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown Awards are both made to young engineers to allow them to develop their fabrication skills. The funds support the young people to attend hands on engineering courses, and potentially provide tools for their trade, where they can develop or learn new fabrication and hands on engineering skills. The Aerospace Committee supports the winners by advising them where appropriate courses may be taken and on how they can work on developing their personal skill levels. Three awards were made for the current Livery Year.

Victor Gauntlett Awards were made to Jacob Gamble and to Angus Sambrook.

Jacob Gamble is an aircraft restoration apprentice at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre where he restores its Lancaster Bomber aircraft, having already fabricated a replacement wing tip assembly which is a very challenging task. Jacob is a capable young man who has a credible plan to develop and enhance his personal skills.

Angus Sambrook is employed as a contract engineer at Navy Wings. Angus has recently completed a degree in aircraft maintenance engineering and is now keen to enhance is fabrication skills so that he can build his career in restoring and maintaining vintage aircraft, he has a particular penchant for First World War aircraft.

An Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown award has been made to Adam Watson, who like Angus Sambrook, works at Navy Wings. Adam has recently been involved in the maintenance of Gypsy Major engines and with fabric covering of aircraft wings, a very skilled task.

All three of the fabrication skills winners have sound personal training plans which are not available through their employers and which the award funds will constructively support, developing their skills and abilities as people and engineers, whilst having the added benefit of bringing those enhanced skills to the organisations where they work and volunteer. This is now the third year in a row that aerospace engineering awards have been won by employees of Navy Wings in open competition which has the added benefit of supporting this organisation which is a great friend of the Livery.

If any Liverymen would like more information about these very capable young people, then please contact Steward Neil Sheath.

The next round of aerospace awards will be open for applications in September 2024 and details of these awards can be found on our website here.