Meet the CAAAA committee members

John was fascinated by aeroplanes as a boy, and this was confirmed by attending a flying display at R.A.F Church Fenton in the late 1950’s. He was impressed by the sight of a neat formation of 9 Gloster Javelins flying over the town and by the overwhelming sounds and chest vibrations caused by four Quick Reaction Avro Vulcans taking off within 4 minutes.

Leaving school, aged 16, John had 12 years industrial experience, initially as an engineering apprentice, coincidentally working as an apprentice fitter on Avro Vulcan construction and modifications. He then worked as a stress engineer and design engineer in Manchester working on the Nimrod, BAE 748 and BAE 146 aircraft.

John joined Cranfield University as the first ARB Research Fellow and subsequently became lecturer, senior lecturer, Professor of Aircraft Design and Head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering. He was also Chief Engineer of the BAE Systems/EPSRC–sponsored DEMON technology demonstrator UAV.

Currently John is Professor Emeritus at Cranfield University where he teaches, supervises postgraduate students, and carries out research. He also acts as a consultant and expert witness, and has published more than one hundred technical papers at conferences and in journals. He has given lectures in all continents, except Antarctica.

The second edition of his popular textbook ‘Introduction to Aircraft Design’ was published by Cambridge University Press in 2017, and he has written a chapter in ‘The World of  Civil Aerospace’, recently published by the S.A.E. He is an aircraft design advisor to two aircraft companies.

He was Chairman of the Cranfield Aerospace and Aviation Alumni Association between 2011 and 2020 and is now President. 

Jafar Jamshidi is a Senior Lecturer in Integrated Product Development at the Centre for Aeronautics at Cranfield University. With a career that spans both industry and academia, Jafar brings a wealth of experience in aerospace engineering, manufacturing, and research.

Jafar began his career as a tool-making apprentice in the high-value manufacturing sector in 1986, gaining hands-on expertise that would form the foundation for his diverse career. Over the years, Jafar has developed a balanced career, engaging in cutting-edge research and development (R&D) in aerospace design for manufacturing, manufacturing systems engineering, integrated manufacturing systems, and metrology-assisted automation.

Having worked with globally leading companies in the aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors, Jafar combines extensive industry knowledge with academic rigor. As a researcher and educator, he is committed to advancing the next generation of aerospace engineers while ensuring that the latest developments in R&D are integrated into practical, real-world applications.

As the Secretary of the CAAAA, Jafar aims to strengthen the ties between alumni and promoting the continued growth of the aerospace community through collaborative efforts, networking, and shared knowledge.

Andy’s interest in aviation goes back to his childhood as his father was an aeronautical engineer who worked for the RAE and MOD for many years. As a result, he spent many hours building Airfix model aircraft and plane spotting and reading books on aircraft.

Andy completed a BSc in Aeronautical Engineering at Bath University in 1986, where his thesis project was about drag of nacelles on turboprop aircraft and the final year group project was to design a C-130 Hercules replacement which the group called Atlas - in fact, it did look somewhat like the A400M! 

After leaving Bath University, he spent seven years working for British Aerospace Regional Aircraft supporting the sales of aircraft to airlines in Europe, Asia and Australasia for which he carried out technical performance and cost analyses of competing aircraft. Andy went on to become involved in aviation consultancy projects with a number of companies including new passenger and cargo airline operations and ground handling equipment study - he was also involved in a fleet plan for Middle East Airlines. Andy then joined OAG as a Marketing Manager in 1996 and was involved in the launch of a new aviation data product to potential users.

He joined Cranfield University in 1999 as a Lecturer in Air Transport, progressing on to become Course Director for the MSc in Air Transport Management in 2005 and Senior Lecturer in 2007.

As the Treasurer, Andy is responsible for the finances of the Association and arranging for payments for organised activities. He also takes an active role in the organisation of events such as the Handley page lecture and museum visits.