SEL
Presumably you are studying under a certain well known and cynical ex-Westlands Aerodynamicist - he and I are longterm collaborators and I need to come down to Soton and see him in a few weeks. Keep in touch with him and he should know when I'm in the area, if you want to talk through the TP/FTE career route, we can alway have a chat over a coffee on the 5th floor.
(Okay, I freely admit to being fixed wing, but the general career path is pretty similar).
G