Swansea University Aerospace Engineering student Harry Brooks has won the 2011 Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Trophy for Flying Excellence.
The Trophy, which recognises flying excellence, is awarded annually by the Trust to the top performing Air Cadet who, in the opinion of the Air Cadet Organisation, has shown both outstanding flying ability and personal qualities. Harry, a member of 30(F) Squadron No 1 Welsh Wing ATC, completed a 12 hour flying scholarship course this year and achieved excellent results.
Harry, who is in his first year of the Engineering Foundation course at Swansea University before going on to study Aerospace Engineering, is hoping to pursue a career in aviation.
During his course Harry has the opportunity to experience the University’s Merlin flight simulator – one of the world’s most advanced Engineering Flight Simulator for use in Aeronautical universities. Designed originally to teach the subjective aspects of flight, they are also used in all aspects of aircraft design related principles from the classic stability and control evaluation through to cockpit ergonomics, systems engineering and avionics.
The Merlin Flight Simulation Group organise an annual, unique aircraft design and handling competition ‘IT FLIES’ which is not just a design exercise – the aircraft has to be able to fly as well ! A team from Swansea University’s Aerospace Engineering department won the competition in 2008 and last year the judges couldn’t separate the top two designs, resulting in a tie between Ohio’s University of Dayton’s electric aircraft and the team from Swansea University’s very light jet.
Harry, who hopes that he too may one day be part of a Swansea University winning design team, was presented with the Flying Excellence Trophy by the Chairman of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, Air Chief Marshall Sir John Cheshire, at the Royal Air Force in Concert performance at the Barbican in London.
