Events
Join Our Events
RAeS events deliver expert content, insight and networking across the breadth of technical, engineering and business subjects affecting aerospace professionals.
Our annual calendar of around 20 events of lectures, technical visits, competitions and field trips are designed to support your professional development and industry knowledge.
JK Swire Annual Dinner and Lecture
28 November 2025
As we roll into the last quarter of the year, we are launching our JK Swire Annual Dinner and Lecture.
This year, Capt Emma Henderson is our guest speaker with her lecture, “Defying Gravity and Expectations."
Emma Henderson MBE, one of fewer than 500 female airline captains in the world, shares her remarkable journey from an ordinary childhood dream to commanding commercial aircraft at 39,000 feet. Along the way, she challenged stereotypes, broke through the barriers, and proved that extraordinary achievements often come from ordinary beginnings.
When life on the flight deck came to an abrupt halt, Emma drew on the resilience honed in aviation to reinvent her path founding Project Wingman, a movement that mobilised thousands of aircrew volunteers to support frontline NHS staff during a pandemic.
In this keynote, Emma reflects on what it really takes to thrive under pressure, lead through turbulence, and reimagine what's possible when the runway disappears. Her story is one of courage, reinvention, and the power of defying both gravity and expectations.
Date : 28 November 2025
Time : 7:30pm
Location : New World Millennium Hong Kong Hotel, 72 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR
Dress Code : Black Tie, Evening Gown, Business Attire.
Ticket prices - Priority to members and seating is limited.
HKD 600 members
HKD 1200 non members
Register your interest below, with your name, email, branch membership number.
When your registration is accepted you will receive an email with payment details. These emails will be sent by mid November.
The Future of Flight at GE Aerospace: Advancing Safety, Efficiency, and Durability
8 December 2025
How are new technologies transforming the Future of Flight? From advanced propulsion systems to enhanced passenger experiences, the aviation sector is undergoing its most exciting and profound transformation in decades. GE Aerospace, a leading provider of commercial jet engines today, is channeling significant expertise and resources into designing, developing, and deploying cutting-edge technologies to increase engine efficiency and performance and reshape the Future of Flight. Join us for insights on GE Aerospace’s technology portfolio and the capabilities they are building to address key challenges like safety, efficiency, and durability.
Jeff Shaknaitis is the Future of Flight Airline Leader at GE Aerospace. With a background in engineering, Jeff has more than a decade of experience working closely with GE Aerospace’s airline customers. In recent years, Jeff has played a key role engaging with the industry on future propulsion technologies, sustainable aviation fuel, and other sustainability priorities. His particular focus is on aligning with airlines and lessors globally on GE Aerospace and CFM's RISE technology development program to shape future engine product strategy.
Date: 8 December 2025
Time: 6pm
Venue: Cathay City, Scenic Road, Hong Kong International Airport, Lantau
Christmas Aviation Quiz
12 December 2025
Christmas is almost here and that means it is Christmas Aviation Quiz time!
Have you got your aviation facts and figures ready to challenge your peers in this fun evening. It isn’t about winning and getting the Quiz Trophy, but meeting and sharing with the aviation community over food and drink.
Get four of your friends, think up a fun team name and register for this fun night at our home, the Aviation Club.
Date : 12 December 2025
Time : 6pm to 10pm
Location : Hong Kong Aviation Club, 31 Sung Wong Toi Road, Kowloon.
Fees : Adult team HKD 500 and Young Members Team HKD 250 (collected on the night)
Anatomy of Lunar Regolith: The Moon’s Surface Material
28 August 2025
Space is a rare lecture topic, but Hong Kong plays a role in the netional programme.
Dr Zhao, of the Hong Kong PolyTechnic University, will discuss their research on lunar soil samples returned by the Chinese Chang’e-5 mission. To analyse these samples, they used advanced 3D X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning combined with machine learning techniques. This allowed them to examine over 700,000 lunar soil particles and determine their physical and mineralogical properties in a non-destructive way. The analysis revealed that the Chang’e-5 soil grains are generally smaller and have more complex shapes compared to samples collected by earlier US and Soviet missions. By processing the CT images, we determined the approximate composition of the lunar soil: about 46% glass and plagioclase, around 50% pyroxene and olivine, and roughly 5% ilmenite. Based on these findings, they developed a high-fidelity lunar soil simulant called PolyU-1. This simulant closely matches the real lunar samples in both grain size distribution and mineral composition. Using PolyU-1, they conducted tests to measure key mechanical properties of lunar regolith, such as friction angle and cohesion. Understanding these properties is crucial for predicting how lunar soil will behave during landing, drilling, excavation, and other engineering activities on the Moon. Lastly, Dr Qi will discuss potential ways to use materials found on the Moon to support future missions and infrastructure.
Dr. Qi Zhao is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). He obtained his PhD from the University of Toronto and subsequently worked as a postdoctoral researcher at both the University of Toronto and UC Berkeley before joining PolyU. He is a recipient of the Leopold Müller Award from the Austrian Society for Geomechanics and the Dr. N.G.W. Cook PhD Dissertation Award from the American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA). In 2021, he was selected as a Future Leader of ARMA. Dr. Zhao is a founding management committee member of the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations (RCDSE) at PolyU. His research focuses on developing novel geomechanics and geophysics solutions for sustainable urban development and deep space exploration. He is currently participating in the Chang’e-8 project, developing a probe for in situ measurement of the dielectric constant of lunar regolith at the south pole of the Moon.
Date: 28 Aug 2025
Time: 6pm to 8 pm
Venue: Hong Kong Polytechnic University, QR610
Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Technical Visit
26 July 2025
Formed in 1950, HAECO Hong Kong is home to the headquarters of the HAECO Group. Based at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), they offer a full range of services including airframe services, line services, component services, engine services, inventory technical management, cabin solutions, freighter conversions, technical training and AOG support.
They have a significant presence at HKIA, offering round-the-clock support to more than 100 airline customers and handling over 110,000 flight movements in 2024.
Drawing on seventy-five years of aircraft engineering expertise, HAECO deliver an unparalleled range of airframe and line maintenance solutions, including AOG recovery services. These are enhanced by strong in-house component services and comprehensive back-shop support, as well as long-standing relationships with OEMs.
They are a world-class leader in tailor-made cabin reconfigurations and, in addition, offer technical training and examination services that support operators and industry players around the world.
The visit includes briefings on operations followed by a tour of the hangar and facilities.
Maximum group size will be 25 and members have priority.
Date: 26 July 2025
Time: 09:30-12:00
Location :
80 South Perimeter Road
Hong Kong International Airport
Lantau, Hong Kong