Jacqui Sutton, former Rolls-Royce chief customer officer and non-executive director at Farnborough International, has not missed a Farnborough Airshow since first attending one in 1994. She sat down with FINN editor Hazel King to talk about some of her fondest memories from the event
Tell us about how you first got involved in Farnborough International Airshow
My earliest memory of the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) was going as a family in our camper van when I was about 12. We would park up and watch the air display. I have three brothers and I would say that at the time, my brothers were more interested in watching the planes than I was, but once I was there, I really got into it, and little did I know that about 10 years later I would have a role at an aerospace OEM that would take me to the airshow!
We were living at the time near London and after experiencing the airshow, we would ask my parents to take us to Heathrow to go and watch the planes there, so FIA was really the beginning of my bug for aviation.
The very first aerospace company I worked for was called Pilkington Aerospace, which made cockpit windscreen and cabin windows for aircraft. I was on the customer facing team and very excitingly they told me we would be exhibiting at FIA, and that I would be one of the people working on the stand at the show. The thing that was almost overwhelming was just the scale of it – I remember it being hot and a massive layout, and we would get up early and travel in on buses together to the show, so it was really good for camaraderie.
We’d work hard on the stand all day and then usually be invited to an event or dinner in the evening, and that is where my boss at the time, who had been in the industry for quite a while, gave me the tip that I should befriend the people in the larger organisations who had a chalet. I remember my eyes popping out of my head when I was first invited into a chalet and seeing this incredibly elegant interior, I had finally made it into the inner sanctum!
The other thing I remember very clearly was the year of the tragic Air France Concorde accident in July 2000. That happened during FIA and that night my boss had been at a dinner where one of the few female Concorde pilots had given a talk, and the atmosphere was obviously very sober because of this terrible accident. The industry came together and talked, and it was a reminder of how important safety is in our industry and how important it is to remember the fact that there are always passengers and pilots on these aircraft. But it made such big news because it is always so rare that something like that happens in our industry.
What are some highlights from the air displays?
Back in the day, I remember being astounded the first time I heard the noise of the fast jets and I remember very clearly the Cobra manoeuvre by the Sukhoi SU-27 ‘Flanker’ in 1994. I also remember the first time I ever saw the Harrier hovering and how amazing that was.
When I was working for the civil aerospace part of Rolls Royce, some of the key firsts were watching Rolls Royce powered demo aircraft flying, such as the A380. I remember very clearly the fly past of the A380 with the Red Arrows behind it because I was fortunate enough to know the Airbus chief test pilot who was at the helm and after the flypast, I was able to catch up with him and ask him how it had gone and how much he enjoyed it. I also remember watching the Trent XWB engine on the A350 for the first time and how everyone remarked on how quiet the engines were. These air displays were a really good way of showcasing how the technologies had been moving on, and people noticed the quietness of the engine because of those technology developments.
Another thing I remember was the race between a McClaren and a Hawk aircraft at the 1998 airshow. They were trying to work out which one was faster over a particular distance – the
McClaren was leaving the Hawk for dust until the very end when the aircraft built up momentum and really took off and beat the car ultimately.
What do you hope to see at future airshows?
I think what is really exciting about the future technologies will be the move to more sustainable technology and the fact that the industry is so enthusiastic about developing technology for a more sustainable world. We don’t even know yet exactly what we will be seeing – clearly, we’re going to be seeing some of the urban air mobility (UAM) technology and it will be fantastic given the heritage and the history of Farnborough – it has been the place to see a lot of experimental aircraft – to see some of those UAM vehicles being flown. I also expect to see the first hydrogen powered aircraft fly. So, I think on the commercial side, a lot of what we will see will be driven by the sustainability challenge and the drive for new technology.
Another thing that we’ll see, and it is something that Farnborough has always been very good at, is the careers day and encouraging people to come into the industry. Not just younger people such as apprentices, but also people from groups who are still less represented in our industry, such as women and people from minority ethnic backgrounds. There is some great work that is already being done in terms of outreach, and FIA is such a great opportunity to open the doors and encourage those schools, colleges and other organisations that want to really excite the younger generation or other groups in the way that my imagination was captured just by coming to the Airshow for the first time.
Image: Airbus A380 in a heat haze being prepared for take-off with the Red Arrows in the background at the Farnborough Airshow in 2010. Credit: Steve Mann stock.adobe.com
This interview was conducted as part of the 75th anniversary celebrations for Farnborough International Airshow. FINN is owned by Farnborough International, the organisers of the airshow.
