PubTalks #007 How An Aeroplane REALLY Flies

🎟️ Ticket includes: Access to talk & drink voucher

🗓️ Date: December 14th, 2025

🕡 Time: 1:30 PM

📍 Location: East End

📚 Topic: How An Aeroplane REALLY Flies

🎤 Speaker: Ray Wilkinson

In his working life, Ray was a lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire, becoming Head of Aerospace and, later, Associate Dean. He retired fully in 2023, having had five years part-time on phased retirement. Towards the end of his career, having been an aerospace engineer but not a pilot, he began flying paragliders, progressing through microlight aircraft, and eventually gaining a full PPL in 2020 and qualifying as a Class Rating Instructor in 2025. He is still involved with microlights, through training others, but has his own Evektor Eurostar light aircraft.

In 2024, Ray became a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society General Aviation Group committee, and in 2025 became the RAeS representative on the General Aviation Safety Council, GASCo.

Agenda

1:30 PM – Doors open: find a seat, order food and drinks

1:55 PM – Host introduction

2:00 PM – Lecture begins

3:00 PM – Interval

3:15 PM – Audience Q&A

4:00 PM – 1:1 time with the speaker, mingle with fellow guests

5:00 PM – Wrap up