SETP/SFTE conference in London

[aero2493]

Has anyone heard about this conference, or have any idea where i could get contact details of this apparently it is the summer of 2004, I am coventry Univestiy student trying to become a FTE so any help would be gratly appreciated

[Genghis the Engineer]

http://www.setp.org/2004EuropeanSymposium.pdf

G

[G-KEST]

Thanks Genghis but is there anyone at your address? I sent an email requesting information last week but no reply as yet. Mind you I am in no way an ETP but I do quite a bit of PFA testing, both prototype and series and my flight test reports are accepted without any problem.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I'm nothing to do with the conference I'm afraid, just a member of both SETP and RAeS - and thus on the right eMailing lists.

These conferences tend to be largely organised by busy FT professionals so I'd not expect a rapid response. But, if all else fails, give it a while then contact SETP HQ in LA, who might be able to put you in touch with somebody else.


And speaking as another little-aeroplane person, don't let the fact that your test flying is for PFA put you off. There's a lot of serious flight-testing done at our end of the weight spectrum and we could do with a few more like us within the two big flight test societies.

G

[G-KEST]

Genghis - Perhaps you could let me have some details as I might be interested in getting involved. You could send me a private email if such a facility exists through Pprune. Many thanks.

[idle stop]

G-KEST

If you look at the SETP website, www.setp.org , you'll see the membership criteria, I think. To get into the Society at Member grade generally you need to be a working professional test pilot, with a credible CV accounting for your exploits. Associate membership is less stringent in its requirements. That said, our conferences are generally open to non-members. Like the RAeS, expect to pay a bit more to attend the sessions if this is the case.
The European forum is an excellent exchange of information:and very sociable!
The joint SETP/SFTE conference is, I suspect, likely to be short of space if we have the usual contingent from the USA (numbers were down at SETP Euro in Paris this year, still due to the 9/11 and GW2 effects.) I'm not on the organising committtee, so don't take this as gospel, but I suspect that non members may be squeeezed out if they apply to attend at a late stage.
Keep an eye on the website for details and booking forms.
Hope you will be interested and able to attend.

[Genghis the Engineer]

G-KEST

As idle stop says. If you are thinking of membership, you need to put together the application from the SETP website (quite a big job). You need two full members to act as referees for your application. Your best bet to find these within the PFA system since they'll be aware of your history (or Jock.R?). Notwithstanding that, I'll send you an Email.

And yes, it is a club very well worth joining.

G


(Idle stop, given this year's LA conference was cheaper and much much bigger than the Paris one, I think that may be the main reason that the Paris conference was a smaller than usual. Speaking for myself, I had the funds to do one, and have no regrets about not going to Paris !).

[northwing]

The conference is scheduled to take place at 4 Hamilton Place, the London HQ of the RAeS, from 7th - 10th June 2004. It is a joint SETP/SFTE European Symposium. The programme is not yet fixed as the call for papers only went out in mid November. The cost will be £375 and I doubt that there will be a student rate (although you can always ask). Hence number one initiative test is to get someone to pay for it. Best of luck.

[safetypee]

Why such cost? The RAeS Human Factors Group recently held a superb 1 day conference at Hamilton Place, including lunch, at approx £80 per person. We poor British pensioners have difficulty in justifying corporate rates to attend; this IMHO is a loss to the Society and the wider industry.

[Genghis the Engineer]

The latest announcement doesn't list prices, but says it'll be similar to the Paris conference this year - which was a bit less than northwing says. Paris was Eu300 for non-members, Eu275 for members, and a bit more for the social events, in total you could have just about spend Eu500 (£350ish) for everything except accomodation.

The RAeS is a great organisation, but it does treat it's conferences (and even more so those by other organisations using RAeS facilities) as fundraising ventures far more than many of us think is healthy. Much of that money is almost certainly going towards the stiff running costs of 4 Hamilton Place. Is this position defensible?, many think not, but unfortunately the many aren't running 4HP. RAeS own committees have to fight tooth-and-nail to run a conference as cheap as £80 /day (and those will be what 4HP calls "class C" with very little society support or publicity to it.

G

[G-KEST]

At the time of the conference I will be 66 and nicely keeping the bank manager from the door - but only just. It is all very well for you sky gods who are employed in our national aircraft manufacturing industry (what industry I wonder compared with the halcyon days of my youth in the 1950's when prototypes were emerging and dropping like flies in the summer?). To say that we should get someone else to fork out for us to attend is for me a trifle difficult since I do not often see the Chancellor of the Exchequer in my local flying club bar....!! Surely it would add a measure of interest to the gathering if those much respected and revered members of the SETP and other aspiring OFFA members (Old Flying Farts Association) could get a retired members discount. After all I do not pay full whack for my MRAeS subscription since I retired at 60. For that many thanks. Come on now - us ancient stick and rudder chaps are still useful as and when the software guru screws up..........!!!!!!!!