University Collects Highest UK Honour for it’s ‘Flying Classroom’

Cranfield University received in February its sixth Queen’s Anniversary Prize, presented by HRH The Prince of Wales, with HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen and his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes are the highest awards in the UKfor higher education institutions. They are awarded every two years to universitiesand colleges who submit work judged to show excellence, innovation, impact andbenefit for the institution itself and for people and society generally in thewider world.

The medal was collected on behalf of the University by BaronessYoung of Old Scone, Cranfield’s Chancellor, Sir Peter Gregson, Cranfield’sChief Executive and Vice-Chancellor and Professor Graham Braithwaite, Directorof Transport Systems.

Cranfield was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its worksupporting the nation’s aero-engineering students. The University is home tothe National Flying Laboratory Centre (NLFC), which brings together academicsand technical specialists to deliver experiential learning for aerospaceengineering students from over 20 UK universities.

Cranfield’s fully instrumented aircraft, operating from its ownGlobal Research Airport, offer a unique learning flight test experience foraerospace engineering students at Cranfield and other universities. NFLC alsosupports the development and testing of new airborne technologies and proceduresfor future flight.

Professor Sir Peter Gregson, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellorof Cranfield University, said: “We are honoured to be one of just a handful ofacademic institutions to be awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for the sixthtime. This award is a tribute not only to the current and former academic, technicaland support staff of NFLC, but also the thousands of students who have flownwith us and gone onto become leading aerospace professionals.”