Wing Commander Gemma Lonsdale is Officer Commanding Air Wing Engineering at RAF Coningsby and responsible for the maintenance and safety of the Station’s Typhoon fleet.
Gemma Lonsdale joined the RAF in 2005, immediately after graduating from Loughborough University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. She said:
“Something has always captivated me about engineering. From an early age it was definitely the flying, but as I grew older it was also about working in a team to get an aircraft flying. You need individuals, but you also need a team ethos.”
During her near twenty-year career, Wing Commander Lonsdale has worked in almost every branch of aircraft engineering. Her first posting was to RAF Lossiemouth on the Tornado GR4, then a short stint on gliders before returning to the world of fast jets. As a Squadron Leader, Gemma Lonsdale was the Senior Engineering Officer on 3 (Fighter) Squadron.
“You get people who have an engineering skill set who can motivate and keep a team going, but equally there are engineers who are much more academically minded. Some are boisterous characters, and others are quieter, but each one is as important as the other, so there is something out there for you.”
On the subject of International Women in Engineering Day, Wing Commander Lonsdale has no doubts. She said:
“I’ve always felt part of a team, but you can speak to a girl in primary school, and it never occurs to them that they could be designing the next crucial equipment. For me INWED is to let young people know that engineering is achievable and possible. You do need to focus, but don’t have to be an A* student to succeed in engineering.”
One of Gemma Lonsdale’s inspirational engineering figures is Beatrice Shilling, an English aeronautical engineer, motorcycle racer and sports car racer. During the Second World War she designed the RAE Restrictor a crucial device that overcame the problem of the Rolls-Royce Merlin aeroplane engines losing power during negative-g manoeuvres.
Gemma Lonsdale shares Beatrice Shilling’s love of motorsport and is a member of the RAF Motorsports Association. She said:
“There is so much that’s extra in the Royal Air Force. You don’t just get to do the engineering; you get to travel and take part in amazing sports as part of your job. You can actually be trained to race in motorsports when you’re in the RAF.”
Speaking to any young woman who is considering a career in RAF Engineering, Wing Commander Lonsdale said:
“Just do it. People will always find something to be nervous about, but all of those worries disappear when you take that first leap, because there are so many different avenues of engineering, you will absolutely find the kind of engineering that suits you.”
