The Master’s Message
The current Master is John Denyer BSc(Hons) FInstP FRAeS.
John’s interest in aviation started as a lad when his family took him each year to Farnborough Air Show. The 1960s jets made a big impression and when he graduated from Surrey University with a physics degree, he chose to become a scientist at RAE Farnborough, as his father had done during World War II.
An early role was assisting with the design of special cockpit lighting to enable night vision goggles (NVGs) to be used to pilot aircraft at low level, initially helicopters and then fast jets. He spent 150 hours as a flight trial observer in all the British military helicopter types and was also fortunate to get two flights in a Hawker Hunter. Almost all this flying was at night and mostly below 250 feet!
John spent eight years at RAE working on avionics, sensors and space projects until he left Farnborough in 1989 for a policy job in the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Research Agency (DRA) Implementation Team in London. This led to a 3 year stint in Washington DC with the British Embassy.
John returned to Farnborough in 1995 to join the Agency he had helped to create 5 years earlier as the DRA’s (later renamed the DERA) Assistant Director of Business Planning. Later, as Director PPP, John project-managed the implementation of the Public Private Partnership that saw DERA floated on the London Stock Exchange to become QinetiQ Ltd.
Within the Company, he has served on the Environment Committee as both Secretary and Chairman and is on the International Technical Forum. Having been secretary of the Air Pilots Flying Club for a few years he still serves on its committee. John is also a Trustee of the Gladys Cobham Trust.
Now retired, John lives with his wife Kate in rural Hampshire. He is a Fellow of both the Institute of Physics and the Royal Aeronautical Society. He still flies with the Farnborough Aero Club (Chipmunk and PA28). He owned a Turbo Arrow for 10 years with a small group at Frensham, and now has a share in a Tiger Moth there. He also enjoys skiing, cycling, sailing and photography, and is a freelance keyboard player with a number of bands.
The Master writes …
As is always the case for an incoming Master, I find myself writing my first message while still Master-Elect in order to meet the print deadline. Nevertheless, there is no shortage of things to cover!
It is a huge honour to be elected as Master of this great Company. Kate and I are immensely grateful for the trust put in us by those whose votes have got us here. I joined the Company in 1987 and when I look back at the leadership and achievements of the 38 Masters since then, I am left in part with a sense of apprehension about what I am embarking upon, but also excitement to be given the chance to follow in their footsteps and take us onwards.
The Company Journal
The Company produces a bi-monthly issue of its journal ‘Air Pilot’ edited by Allan Winn containing information on the aviation scene and Company activities.
You can download the current issue as well as past issues back to 2008 at this link.
Australian Region (HCAPA)
Chairman’s Newsletter
