• Question: what is the most inspirational feat of engineering that you think inspired you to become an engineer (if any)?

    Asked by marthaflo to Becky, Carrie, Kelly, Robin, Usaid on 14 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Robin Stafford Allen

      Robin Stafford Allen answered on 12 Mar 2012:


      @marthaflo: That is quite easy as I was growing up during the moon-landings. These and Concorde are the projects that I thought were fantastic and greatly encouraged me to do engineering, which I rather regards in my case of being paid for having fun most of the time!
      I had the most amazing father who was an aeronautical engineer (designs aeroplanes) and was a flight engineer in the RAF in the war. He used to encourage me to take the lawnmower or the rotovator to bits and repair them, and then I had a small motorbike (BSA) and my first car when I was 12, which of course could only be driven about 50 yards as it was not, of course, allowed on the roads (it was too old and i was too young!), but I could take it to bits and put it back together to keep it going. Regards Robin

    • Photo: Caroline Roberts Haritonov

      Caroline Roberts Haritonov answered on 12 Mar 2012:


      I think it is difficult to pull out any single invention. Engineers are crucial to every aspect of our lives. Without engineers we would struggle to mass produce food, transport clean water, provide housing, clothing, transportation, communication, heart surgery, replacement limbs + joints, energy, entertainment, the list goes on. As engineers we have the chance to make difference to thousands of lives or more!

    • Photo: Becky Selwyn

      Becky Selwyn answered on 14 Mar 2012:


      There isn’t one particular thing, but I’m always very impressed by really really old buildings that engineers designed and built. Things like Stonehenge, the Pyramids, a lot of Roman engineering achievements too – I’m always amazed at how big and difficult the job must have seemed and they still found ways to do it without any of the equipment we have today.

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