AVIATION IN THE WEST OF ENGLAND SINCE 1910

AVIATION IN THE WEST OF ENGLAND SINCE 1910 PEOPLE AT WORK

PEOPLE AT WORK • Hundreds of thousands of people worked in West of England aviation in the past. • Thousands of people work in aviation today. • Thousands more will work in aviation in the future. • Here are just a few of them…….

CARPENTRY WORKSHOP AT BRITISH & COLONIAL, 1910s This is a carpentry workshop. Early aeroplanes were made from wood. The photograph was taken during World War One. Many of the men who usually worked as carpenters would have joined the armed forces. Women were recruited to help those who remained. Aeroplanes are no longer made from wood but some carpenters are still needed in the aviation factories.

DRAWING OFFICE AT BRISTOL AEROPLANE COMPANY, 1920s This is the drawing office in the engine department at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. The people in this office are called draftsmen. They work with the designers to draw detailed plans of all the different parts of an engine and show how they fit together. The drawings are then used in the workshops. People who can draw are still needed today in the aviation factories but some of their work is now done on computer instead of with pencil and paper.

LABORATORY AT BRISTOL AEROPLANE COMPANY, 1930s These men are scientists in the laboratory at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. In the laboratory they are experimenting to find out which chemicals will make the best fuels to use in aero engines. There are still lots of different tests made by scientists in the aviation factory. One area in which they work is experimenting with new materials for making airframes.

RIVETER, BRISTOL AEROPLANE COMPANY, 1940s This woman is using a special gun to join parts of an airframe together. She is firing rivets into the pieces of metal. The photograph was taken during World War Two when women had a chance to do jobs that used to only be done by men. Riveters still work in the aviation factories though new methods, equipment and materials are now used.

MACHINE OPERATOR, BRISTOL AEROPLANE COMPANY, 1940s This woman is turning the handle on a machine that mills pistons for engines. The milling machine cuts and polishes the metal for the piston so it will move smoothly inside the cylinder. Most engines made today in the aviation industry are jets. They do not have pistons but they do have moving parts that need to be milled to make them smooth.

SALESMEN AND GROUND CREW, BRISTOL AEROPLANE COMPANY, 1950s The men in suits in this photograph are salesmen from the Bristol Aeroplane Company. They are standing by the Brabazon aircraft during a visit to an airline company. They want the company to order lots of these aeroplanes. The other men in the picture are the ground crew who look after the aeroplane at the airfield. Sales people and crew still work in aviation.

NURSE, BRISTOL AEROPLANE COMPANY, 1950s This is a nurse. She looks after the workers at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Perhaps the man has injured himself on a piece of machinery. She looks as if she is putting a bandage on his hand. Many large factories still have medical centres in case people are injured or become ill.

DATA PROCESSOR, BRISTOL AERO ENGINES, 1950s . This woman at Bristol Aero Engines is looking at data on an early type of computer. Computers are much more powerful and much smaller than they were in the 1950s and many more people know how to use them. Lots of different types of work is now done on computer in the aviation factories.

WELDER, BRISTOL SIDDELEY, 1960s This man is a welder. He is about to weld some pipes that are to be used in aero engines. The heat of the welding iron melts two pieces of metal so they can be joined together. When the metal cools it will set and the joint will be sealed. The man has pushed his mask back on to the top of his head. When he is welding, he needs to wear the mask to protect his eyes from the glare as it will be so bright. Welders still work in aviation factories.

TEST PILOTS, BRITISH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION, 1960s These men are test pilots. They fly new aeroplanes to check that everything is working properly. The aeroplane they are testing is Concorde. Many thousands of tests will be made of every part of every aircraft before they are assembled. More tests will take place on the ground. But it is only when it is in the air that the engineers can be certain if it will fly. Test pilots are still needed when new aeroplane designs are being developed. They are also needed to test every aeroplane that is produced before it is handed over to the customer.

TECHNICIAN, ROLLS-ROYCE, 1970s This man is a technician. He is about to test a jet engine. He is making sure that the blades on the compressor have been fitted correctly. There are many different types of technicians working in aviation factories today.

APPRENTICE FITTER, ROLLS-ROYCE, 1990s This is an apprentice fitter at Rolls-Royce. She is working on an old engine called the Pegasus. It is being rebuilt so it can be used in an historic aeroplane. An apprentice is someone who is learning to do a job. Apprentices usually learn by working alongside someone who is skilled and also by studying in the classroom. Once they have passed their apprenticeship they are qualified to do their job.

ENGINEER, AIRBUS, 2000s This is an engineer working on a wing at Airbus at Filton. The wing is being made for the A400M, which is a military transport aeroplane. There are different types of engineers working in aviation factories. These include mechanical engineers, structural engineers and electrical engineers.

Here are some more names of jobs in aviation Driver Accountant Tool Maker Secretary Painter Clerk Personnel Officer Cleaner Security Guard Stringer Electrician Legal Adviser Canteen Cook

AVIATION IN THE WEST OF ENGLAND SINCE 1910