Answers
Do I have to be a Royal Aeronautical Society member to join the Boscombe Down Branch?
No, however we can recommend becoming a member of the RAeS. More information on becoming a member of the RAeS can be found on the website, as can details on the benefits of joining.
I would like to become a member of the RAeS, can you help?
The Royal Aeronautical Society website is a good place to start, however we will be happy to help if you have any further questions.
I am unaffiliated with the Branch, can I attend a lecture? I am a branch member, can I invite a guest?
If you are interested in attending a lecture, or inviting a guest, please contact the committee. As the lectures are held at MoD Boscombe Down, we will need full name, contact and car registration (if arriving by car) details of all attendees in advance to submit to security. On the day, visitors will need to bring a form of Photo ID. Security may require visitors to be escorted on site by a member of the committee, so please be patient and expect a slight delay at the gate. Please also take note of the answer to the question below.
I am not a UK citizen, can I attend a lecture?
If you are a foreign national, security may require up to two weeks notice, so please let us know as soon as possible if you wish to attend a lecture. Please also take note of the answer to the question above.
I am under 16, can I attend a lecture?
Entry to Boscombe Down is limited for under-16s, however it may be possible to make arrangements with security for certain lectures. Please contact a committee member to discuss.
I am preparing a lecture on [X], would you be interested in hosting my lecture?
We are always appreciative of lecture offers and will be looking for the 2021/22 season. Additionally, we may need stand-ins if a lecturer is unable to give a lecture for any reason. Please contact the Branch for further details.
Do I have to pay to attend a lecture?
Lectures are free to all Branch members. A voluntary contribution from non-members is appreciated.
How can I get involved in the Branch Committee?
The committee is currently looking for new members, so please feel free to contact the Branch to register your interest. Elections for the committee are held at each AGM, so keep an eye on the website as details for this year’s meeting will be advertised here.
I see you have had [X] lecturing at your branch, are you able to pass on their contact details?
We are always happy to help where appropriate, so please ask us – however you should be aware that we will always seek permission from the contact first, therefore there may be a delay (and the answer may be no).
Could I have a list of branch lectures from a previous lecture season?
You can find the current list here.
Can I have a copy of the slides from a particular lecture?
Where possible, we may be able to arrange for slides to be accessible for use. However, due to the nature of many of the presentations, this is frequently not possible.
Do you record any of your lectures, and can I have a copy?
We do ask each lecturer if they are happy for us to record their lecture. However, due to the nature of some of the presentations, this may not be possible. All of our recorded lectures have been uploaded to the website and can be viewed in the Recorded Video Lectures and Recorded Audio Lectures sections respectively.
I have a query about an aircraft that was flown at Boscombe Down, or a person who used to work here – can you help me with details?
We can certainly try! If you send the committee an email, we will aim to assist with your query. You can also try contacting the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection.
Do you offer tours of Boscombe Down?
The Boscombe Down Branch unfortunately cannot offer tours of Boscombe Down. Branch members and Branch visitors are only permitted on site to visit the lecture theatre, and non-members must be escorted at all times by a Branch committee member. If you wish to visit Boscombe Down for any other reason, please contact QinetiQ who runs the site on behalf of the MoD.