February 2025 – The RAeS Toulouse lecture on » Disruptive Innovations in Space Technology » was presented by Jean-Francois Geneste, CEO WARPA (WORLD ADVANCE RESEARCH PROJECT AGENCY).

Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin companies have certainly changed the way the space industry has been funded and operated more economically, being awarded contracts by NASA for deliveries to the ISS/International Space Station going on to participate in the Artemis project taking astronauts to the moon.
What other innovations may appear in the complex space environment which plays such a fundamental part in the way we live our lives?
Jean-François Geneste will take us through some possibilities,as he is eminently qualified to reach into the future. His talk will showcase disruptive aerospace technologies such as the TeraDrone, Stratospheric platforms, Quantum radar and the X-Works impulse space propulsion concept.

January 2025 – The 30th Gordon Corps Lecture of RAeS Toulouse “Written in the Stars: the story of the A321XLR Certification Flight Test Campaign” presented by Jim Fawcett & Mark Lewis, Lead Flight Test Engineer & Experimental Test Pilot at Airbus.

We were also honored to welcome David CHINN, FRAeS, President of the Royal Aeronautical Society Corporate, as our distinguished guest for this event.

This lecture focuses on the modifications made to the Airbus A321XLR and the flight testing required to achieve CS25 certification. Detailed explanations of these tests are complemented by behind-the-scenes stories, highlighting the Airbus Flight Test Team’s approach. Despite facing significant technical and non-technical challenges, the team showcased exceptional technical skills, innovative problem-solving, and a strong commitment to safety. Their efforts ensured that the A321XLR met and often exceeded the strict CS25 certification standards, setting a new benchmark for long-range single-aisle aircraft, which was recognized by EASA post-certification.

December 2024 – The RAeS Toulouse lecture on “Airbus Story – Insights into People, a Plane and Progress” was presented by David Velupillai, former Marketing & Communications Director at Airbus Corporate Jets.

The Sixties were a golden age of aerospace. As they ended, in 1969, with first flights of the 747 and Concorde, as well as the first moon landing, a new era of supersonic flight and widebodies beckoned. In the same year, Airbus launched its first aircraft, the A300. Airbus’ founders knew that they would face many challenges. They recognised that the way forward lay in European co-operation. And, they sensed that they needed something different to succeed in a competitive market – one dominated by the American companies Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed. Visionaries with determination and courage, Airbus’ leaders succeeded in channelling existing European expertise and resources into creating a new concept – the first large-aircraft with just two engines. They went on to build a modern airliner family.
And today, Airbus Aircraft makes half the world’s airliners.