In it for the money

One of the main reasons Formula 1 design teams poach engineers from the aerospace sector is, of course, money (Flight International, 25 June-1 July).

Within the UK, which was the main focus of the article, the direct and indirect career rewards available to an engineer in the F1 world far outweigh those in the aerospace sector, especially for the main disciplines (aerodynamics and structures) which are dominated by a single employer.

As long as the aerospace industry within the UK continues to undervalue the engineers who create the products, it (and the UK as a whole) will continue to lose those it requires to create (as opposed to redistribute) wealth.

Andrew Palmer

Wichita, USA

Source: Flight International