Kevin Pickup
Lead Technologist - Product Verification
BAE Systems (Operations Ltd)
I was first introduced to the concept of NDT whilst on industrial placement from university with what was then British Aerospace Ltd at the Military Air site, Warton, Lancashire, where I worked in the NDT R&D section looking at air coupled UT, shearography and automated DR. and was offered a scholarship for my final year at university with the promise of a job afterwards. Following my degree completion I returned to what had then become BAE Systems to continue my role as a developer of NDT technology. In the following years I obtained level 2 approvals working on the production side of the business and slowly moved into the governance side of NDT conducting supplier approvals and bagging a few level 3s on way, eventually becoming the Responsible Level 3 for the Military Air business but always with one eye on the development of new technology. Following a companywide shuffle and reinvigoration in the field of adopting new technology I was appointed as Lead Technologist for Product Verification developing the technology we will deploy on tomorrow’s platforms and inserting new technology into legacy programmes for improved effectiveness. So nearly 24 yrs on I am still doing NDT today and should image I will be for a good few more! I am also currently the Chair of the UK National Aerospace NDT Board, I serve on the Aerospace, Composites and Technical committees of the British Institute for NDT and hopefully will be returning to their council later this year.