It’s been an exciting time for the National Flying Laboratory Centre (NFLC) campaign recently. The campaign aims to raise funds to replace the NFLC Jetstream 31 ‘flying classroom’, which operates from Cranfield’s global research airport, with a new Saab 340B aircraft. Launched in April 2019 with a fundraising target of £3 million we are now just over two-thirds of the way towards our goal, so we’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has donated and supported the campaign so far. Read on for the latest updates in the campaign.
Aeronautics alumni provide a boost for the campaign
The campaign recently received a boost from the Cranfield College of Aeronautics Alumni Association (CCAAA), with a donation of £10,000.
Professor John Fielding, who is the President of the Cranfield College of Aeronautics Alumni Association, flew in The College of Aeronautics’ Dove, Paris and Beagle Pup aircrafts as an MSc student in the 1960s. He described these flights as the highlight of his time as a student and reflected on how experiencing manoeuvres such as loops, phugoids and Dutch Rolls in real aircraft reinforced lecture material in a unique fashion. Since graduating, John has gone on to fly in the Jetstream aircraft as a PhD student, Lecturer and Professor.
He told us, "Most of our aerospace alumni have benefited greatly from their flying experiences and have contributed to this donation to help enable many more to do so in the future, in the new, very capable, SAAB 340 aircraft.”
Recognition of our work to supporting the nation’s aero-engineering students
Cranfield University visited Buckingham Palace on the 20 February to receive its sixth Queen's Anniversary Prize from HRH The Prince of Wales, with HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen and his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.
The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes are the highest awards in the UK for higher educational institutions. Every two years they are awarded to universities and colleges who submit work judged to show excellence, innovation, impact and benefit both for the institution itself, and for wider society.
Collecting the award on behalf of the University was Cranfield’s Chancellor, the Baroness Young of Old Scone, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor, Sir Peter Gregson, and Director of Transport Systems, Professor Graham Braithwaite.
The award is a tribute not only to the current and former academic, technical and support staff of NFLC, but also to the thousands of students who have flown with us and gone onto become leading aerospace professionals.
If you want to find out more about the NFLC ‘flying classroom’ campaign, or if you’re interested in discovering how you can support it, please visit the website.