Duty editors’ A welcome Andy Brown Martin Chalk merry Christmas and happy new year to all! It has been a tough year for many of our members, and we extend our thoughts to colleagues recently made redundant at Thomas Cook, and wish them luck as they seek new employment. It has also been a busy year for the Association and our colleagues who took part in the recent BA and Ryanair industrial action. To this end, we have an article from our General Secretary Brian Strutton, as well as some thoughts from two of the pilots involved. Honorary member Captain Mike Clarke also recalls the industrial landscape and strikes of the 70s and 80s, providing an interesting comparison with today’s situation. The winter theme this issue looks at weather, and includes interviews from Met Office forecasters and air traffic controllers who explain how their job is made doubly difficult when there is a lot of bad weather around. And, just to remember in this digital and technical age, it is often the tone of a pilot’s or air traffic controller’s voice that conveys the most information. We also examine whether weather (couldn’t resist that) is getting worse, with so much talk about climate change. We have our regular article about finance from Darren Williams, with some thoughts on financial planning for redundancy, and also an interesting contribution from Terry Brandon on legal issues. On the technical side, First Officer Adam Crehan-Clark takes a good look at the possibility of electric-powered aircraft, and both the maths and physics point to the gas turbine being good for a few years yet! On a lighter note, our very own Old Git from the Rocking Chair takes a more light-hearted look at industrial relations in the 70s, and Dash Trash provides his own amusing version of Angry Birds. Wishing all our members good fortune and better industrial relations for 2020 and, most importantly, safe flying. LIFT-OFF