David Chinn FRAeS elected President of the Royal Aeronautical Society

The Royal Aeronautical Society has announced David Chinn, FRAeS as new President of the Society at its AGM on 9 May 2024.

The AGM also elected Richard Gearing FRAeS as President-Elect of the Society.

The President provides leadership of the Council and of the Society in pursuit of its objectives. They uphold the values, and reputation of the Society as well as the interests of the members. The President is an ambassador of the Society representing it at key engagements, influencing the global standing of the Society in furthering the advancement of aeronautical art, science, and engineering.

"It is an honour to take over as President of the Royal Aeronautical Society for 2024-25. I am looking forward to meeting as many members as I can in the course of the next year.

In my year as President my themes will focus on:

Design Build Fly – encouraging the next generation to bring together the art and science of aeronautics in the spirit of the Charter of the Society. This idea is inspired by the German Akaflieg movement, and the community which has developed around it.

Supporting the professionalisation of space – with the growth of the space sector in the UK, the Society has a leading role to play in its professionalisation and recognition in the same way as it has done for the aeronautical community over the last century.

Finally, supporting the Society’s engagement in the sustainable aviation debate which remains central for the long-term activity of the Society.

I look forward to engaging with you all over the next year." – David Chinn FRAeS, President of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

“We’re delighted to welcome David Chinn as the new President of the Royal Aeronautical Society. David brings to the Society a wealth of experience in engineering through a distinguished career in the UK and internationally with the Ministry of Defence. As a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Institution of Engineering and Technology and member of the British Interplanetary Society, David is fully committed to supporting our industry and we very much look forward to his leadership and working closely together.” - David Edwards FRAeS, Chief Executive of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

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The President's Biography

David Chinn FRAeS is a career civil servant in the MoD who started his professional life working on experimental ejection seats at RAE Farnborough, after studying Engineering at Durham University.
He has had various postings in the UK and overseas, amongst other things working on Tornado, Typhoon and F-35. He is currently a MoD Programme Manager. He has worked in NATO and EU agencies and completed advanced NATO and French military staff courses.
He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the RAeS, a Fellow of the IET and a member of the British Interplanetary Society, as well as a member of the Association for Project Management. He has been active in the Society for many years and has helped establish and run several branches as well as supporting Specialist Groups. He has previously been a Trustee of the Society, a Trustee of the Confederation of European Aerospace Societies and has been a member of the Council for several years.
He is an active power and glider pilot with a passion for encouraging active participation in aviation at all levels. He was involved in the RAeS/Boeing “Schools Build a Plane” project and one of his themes for is presidential year is developing a “design build fly” community inspired by the German Akaflieg movement.
As a child of the Apollo era, he was inspired by space from an early age and will be working to make the Society a home for space professionals in the same way that the Society has always been for the aeronautical community.