Royal Aeronautical Society Prestwick Branch

13/10/2026

Thanks to Group Captain Alastair Montgomery OBE for a very informative lecture given to the membership of the RAeS Prestwick branch at UWS Ayr Campus last night.

Vulcan Operations in the South Atlantic 1982 - (Operation Black Buck) was fascinating and told the story of how quickly a response team was put together and the significant challenges involved in defending the Falkland Islands during the conflict with Argentina.
Photo of Alastair with Branch President Gordon McConnell following the presentation.

12/10/2026

Great to see more investment in the local aerospace industry

“The investment will retain high value skilled jobs, attract talent to the sector and reinforce Prestwick’s position as a leading UK aerospace location, while creating attractive career opportunities for future generations in local STEM industries.”

07/10/2026

07/10/2026

Our next lecture is “Vulcan Operations in the South Atlantic 1982 (Operation Black Buck)” by Group Captain Alastair Montgomery OBE MA RAF (Ret'd).

Monday the 12th of October at UWS Ayr campus. Registration opens from 18:00 with the lecture starting at 19:00.

05/10/2026

Extract from an article in the Australian press about the end of an era as the BAe 146 freighters are being retired as the new Sydney Airport does not operate a night curfew as was the case for the existing Kingsford Smith airport.
The Prestwick site has a long history and association with the BAe 146 through design and manufacture of the engine pylons to building the wings and other components for the successor Avro RJ

Those involved in Aviation will be interested to know that it will shortly be the end of an era for National Jet Express and our short but exciting experience with Nancy-Bird Walton International.

With the opening of the new airport and introduction of the QFE A321’s, the BAe 146 Quiet Trader is no longer required. Our decades-long contract with Qantas Freight is finishing at the end of the month.

These old buses have been moving around 10 tonnes of freight per sector for 35 years. They have a max take off weight of around 44 tonnes, and are powered by four turbofan Avco Lycoming ALF 502-R5 engines. Known for having a quiet noise footprint they have been able to operate into Kingsford Smith Airport during curfew, a niche advantage. The flight deck is mostly analogue, keeping the flight crew ‘honest’ and maintaining a healthy respect, and not to mention affection, for the old bus.

Our last departures will be on Friday the 2nd of October. JTE7448 scheduled for 0400EST, and JTE7443 shortly thereafter.

It’s marks a big change in the night-time Australian airspace traffic, but it’s time for the old buses to rest.

19/09/2026

Our next lecture is “Vulcan Operations in the South Atlantic 1982 (Operation Black Buck)” by Group Captain Alastair Montgomery OBE MA RAF (Ret'd).

Monday the 12th of October at UWS Ayr campus. Registration opens from 18:00 with the lecture started at 19:00.

08/09/2026

Great presentation last night at the Royal Aeronautical Society Prestwick Branch from Carl Graham of GE Aerospace Caledonian, supported by Laura McEwen and Josh Murchie. It was great to see the outreach work that the GE Aerospace Prestwick team do in inspiring the next generations of aerospace engineers of which many more are needed to fuel the growth of the aerospace cluster at Prestwick and across Scotland.

04/09/2026

Before the excitement of the airshow this weekend, here’s a reminder of our first lecture of the new season: Monday 7th of September at 19:00, UWS Campus Ayr.

Our new lecture season is about to begin with “Bridging the Skills Gap between Industry and Education with GE Aerospace Caledonian” by Carl Graham.

Monday 7th of September at UWS Ayr Campus, registration open from 18:00 with lecture starting at 19:00.

Remember that for students and apprentices lectures can be attended for free and CPD certificates of attendance are available upon request.

27/08/2026

Our new lecture season is about to begin with “Bridging the Skills Gap between Industry and Education with GE Aerospace Caledonian” by Carl Graham.

Monday 7th of September at UWS Ayr Campus, registration open from 18:00 with lecture starting at 19:00.

Remember that for students and apprentices lectures can be attended for free and CPD certificates of attendance are available upon request.

07/08/2026

On the 6th of August 1986 the British Aerospace ATP embarked on its maiden flight. With Chief Test Pilot Robbie Robinson at the controls the 2-hour, 40-minute flight was a complete success.

The British Aerospace ATP (Advanced Turboprop) was a regional airliner developed during the 1980s as the ultimate evolution of the successful Avro and Hawker Siddeley HS 748. Announced in 1984, the ATP was designed to offer lower operating costs, improved fuel efficiency and significantly reduced noise compared with earlier turboprops. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW126A engines driving six-bladed propellers, the aircraft entered airline service with British Midland in 1988. Although highly regarded for its economy and passenger comfort, the ATP entered a competitive market dominated by the ATR 42/72 and De Havilland Dash 8 families, limiting production. (BAE Systems)

Prestwick played a significant role in the programme's later development. Following the closure of British Aerospace's production lines at Woodford and Chadderton in 1992, final assembly and production were transferred to the former Scottish Aviation factory at Prestwick Airport. This move reinforced Prestwick's long-standing position as a centre of British regional aircraft manufacturing, building on its heritage of producing the Jetstream family and other Scottish Aviation aircraft.

At Prestwick, British Aerospace developed the Jetstream 61 (J61), an enhanced version of the ATP. The aircraft featured more powerful Pratt & Whitney PW127D engines, a redesigned interior based on the Jetstream 41, and increased seating capacity from 64 to 70 passengers. The ATP prototype was converted into the Jetstream 61 prototype, which made its maiden flight from Prestwick on 10 May 1994. However, the formation of the ATR–BAe regional aircraft joint venture ended the programme before it could enter commercial service. Only four Jetstream 61 aircraft were completed, all at Prestwick, making it one of the last airliner programmes undertaken at the airport by British Aerospace. In total, 67 aircraft were built across both variants—63 ATPs and four Jetstream 61s—marking the final chapter in the long development of the HS 748 family and one of the last major civil aircraft manufacturing programmes at Prestwick.