My biggest break was in 1987 when I applied for a position in Technical
Publications at British Aerospace, Kingston. It employed at least over 5,000
staff and had a huge shop-floor full of workers and aircrafts on its site.
Working for the MOD meant there was such tight security for all the offices and
different areas of the building and everything was sworn to secrecy!
However it was such a beautiful site with River Thames running along
behind us!
Outside the BAe Front Building
Here's my messy desk and drawing board!
They were impressed with me and took me on
aboard as
a Technical Illustrator (drawing
Aircraft parts on the boards)
What they really required was another
person's skilful input on their
computers!
At the time I
was training on Autocad at a night college. So there you go, I was immediately
zoomed off to be a Technical
Illustrator on their computer systems.
I was soon called Dak by
everyone which stuck with me for a long time!!
Schematic Drawing for Harrier GR5
Mark and Kevin - up to no good!!
Kevin, a young chap trained me up ever
so
quick as he was planning to leave the company!!! Within a year, I was running
the four computers and working very hard!
I learnt the computer jargon as well
as the Bae local working system - BCAWD (Bae Computer-aided-Wiring Diagrams) and Anvil 4000 for
mechanical diagrams.
I enjoyed working on Harrier GR5 and GR7 at the
time and many other aircrafts.
Eventually I trained Barry and others on the computers whilst they did
their own work
on the drawing- boards!
I had great time working with the young chaps in the
office - they were all quite a bunch of mad fellows!!
We had many laughs
together and played so many jokes on each other! There weren't many female
around at the time in our office except me and Tina!
Soon we were joined with two other young girls apprentices, Ruth &
Jenny
after Tina left.
Few years later we were joined by another female,
Michelle who came downstairs from the Design Office.
We also had two in-house artists, Martin and Mark who were excellent
airbrush artists.
Busy proof-reading drawings
Martin Alton - camera shy ......
...he'd rather snap photos of others!!
Taking a break...
Office overlooking River Thames!
My "Farewell Do" at the Fox and Goose Howard and Martin presenting the
huge card and
bouquet!
Sadly in 1994 the Bae site in Kingston was to see its
last days. They planned on knocking it all down and eventually moving its
staff to Farnborough!!
Alas that was the end for me...I did not wish to travel up to
Farnborough so I took voluntary redundancy in 1993. They were all sad for me to go
but as you can see I had a tremendous "Do" before I left.
Martin drew an excellent caricature of me and the gang! I couldn't get
away without such a great gesture! The bouquet was
lovely too.
In 1994 Kingston site became a HUGE
rubble.....
...........we were all gutted!
This is when Harrier II made its last departure from Kingston
