I recently had the chance to volunteer with the Air League at the British Airways Engineering Open Day, and it turned out to be a really eye-opening day.
At the stand.
Around 2,500 students attended, all exploring different parts of aviation and engineering. At the Air League stand, we ran a hands-on activity where students could make their own engraved name tags. It was simple, but it worked really well. Students got stuck in straight away, and it gave us a good opportunity to talk to them about what the Air League does — inspiring, enabling and supporting young people who want to get into aviation.
It was great seeing how something practical could break the ice. Once students started engraving their tags, the questions followed — about flying, engineering, scholarships, and what pathways into aviation actually look like.
BIG TAKEAWAY OF THE DAY – the day was a good reminder that aviation isn’t just about aircraft. It’s about people working together to make something complex run safely and smoothly every single day.
Le Exploring.
During quieter moments I also took the chance to walk around the event. Seeing aircraft like Concorde G-BOAB, the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A320neo up close was pretty special. I also spent time visiting some of the 52 exhibition stalls, speaking to different teams and companies involved in aviation.
What stood out most across the day was how many different people and departments are involved in making aviation work. Engineers, flight crew, manufacturers, suppliers, training providers — everyone plays a role. It really highlighted how aviation is built on collaboration.
For me, as someone who wants to become an airline pilot, it reinforced something important. Flying the aircraft is only one part of the bigger system. Pilots rely on engineers, dispatchers, air traffic controllers, ground staff and many others. Aviation works because all these different parts operate together towards the same goal.