Royal Aeronautical Society Australia seeking to build membership

The Australian Division of the Royal Aeronautical Society is exploring ways of boosting and broadening its membership, at the same time as the London-based parent body is reviewing all aspects of the Society’s structure and operations.

The Australian Division, with separate state branches, continues to be very active. Those branches hold regular meetings often with guest lecturers, but the Society also sponsors scholarships and is the host organization for the International Council of Aeronautical Sciences Congress which will be held in Brisbane in September 2012.

But the local Division recognizes that it current membership base is not representative of the broad cross-section of the aerospace industry in Australia and would like to see other sectors participating in its activities.

Australian Division President Andrew Drysdale (pictured) is personally keen to see industry senior executives and professionals take more of an interest in the Society’s work; but he is also focused on including General Aviation interests and the wider industry.

Mr Drysdale said that…”We have strong support from the younger Aeronautical Engineering students who are playing an increasingly important role in the Branches, and we enjoy the continuing dedicated support of the longer serving members of the Society. Where we have a gap is in middle management, general Aviation and the service providers.”

The Division has established a Membership group to implement strategies to fill the gaps and is working with the UK headquarters to develop marketing programs directed at the wider audiences.