Dorothy Holford

Shortlisted for the WISE Lifetime Achievement Award 2015

12 November 2015

Dorothy Holford, Senior Fellow – Loads Data and Structural Capability Principal Engineer – Structural Integrity, QinetiQ

Over a 56-year service to the defence industry, Dorothy has become the foremost specialist in aircraft loads, and has made a globally respected contribution to flight safety and extending the life of operational platforms. She has championed the requirement for loading to be measured on all types of UK military aircraft during daily flying tasks, and has advised on operational loads measurement programmes. The analysis and data presentation techniques Dorothy developed are used throughout the industry. She has made significant contributions to almost all the aircraft types in service with the RAF today, and her pivotal work on the Eurofighter Typhoon and Airbus A400M has made a difference unlikely to be matched for years to come. She says: “Being a woman engineer, I had to ‘earn’ respect and recognition. This required confidence in one’s ability to participate in a technical debate and to support one’s argument with appropriate material.”