Lecture Programme :
All lectures are held during our monthly meetings at our Kents Hill Community Centre* venue (see the 'Contact Us' page for full details).
Doors open at 19.30 for a 20.00 start.
*Please note it is not currently possible to hold our lectures at Kents Hill - please click here.
** Covid regulations allowing, our September lecture will be held at the Hunt House, Paulerspury and tickets must be pre-booked
9th February 2021 - This lecture will be presented via Zoom
Greg Baughen - Duncan Sandys - Demon or Fall Guy?
Author and (sometimes controversial!) speaker Greg Baughen returns with a talk that describes how the Air Ministry was heading towards pilotless aircraft long before the 1957 Duncan Sandys White Paper. It looks at the various unmanned systems developed between 1916 and 1957. It describes how in the 1950s there was general agreement between government and Air Staff about the general direction the RAF was going and explains that the 1957 defence review was not about replacing piloted aircraft with missiles
9th March 2021
MKAS AGM and Photo Competition
13th April 2021 - This lecture will (probably) be presented via Zoom
John Lilley - The People's Mosquito
The People’s Mosquito has a simple vision: to not only return a de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB.VI to the skies above Britain, but, for the first time in more than 75 years, build this iconic aircraft in the UK. Chairman John Lilley presents progress on the project
11th May 2021 - This lecture will (probably) be presented via Zoom
Alistair Hodgson - de Havilland at Sea
Former Curator of the de Havilland museum, Alistair Hodgson has a particular interest in naval aviation. Tonight we’ll look at the early Sea Vampire trials, the Sea Hornet’s brief career and of course go on to the Sea Venom and Sea Vixen
8th June 2021
Lecture TBC
13th July 2021
Rod Dean - The Spitfire and Seafire
Popular speaker Rod Dean returns with a detailed review of the development of the Spitfire from the Mk.1 to the Seafire Mk.47 covering all the major variations including the various engine combinations, gun installations and the increasing need for more fuel! The improvements in performance and the handling aspects of the Spitfire are also discussed
10th August 2021
Lecture TBC
14th September 2021
John Hutchinson, Les Evans & David MacDonald - Memories of Concorde**
MKAS are proud to present a special evening celebrating the Concorde. Joining us to deliver their own unique perspectives of this iconic aircraft are John Hutchinson – Concorde Captain; Les Evans – Concorde First Officer and David MacDonald – Concorde Flight Engineer
12th October 2021
Professor Mike Bagshaw - Hunter Heavy Breathing
The RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine was established in February 1945 incorporating a man-carrying centrifuge. The IAM also had a dedicated Hunter T7, XL563, available as a research aircraft. Professor Mike Bagshaw served with the IAM as a Senior Medical Officer Pilot and describes his work in the development of acceleration protection and oxygen systems and will outline some of the other significant research and development undertaken by the IAM