Farnborough International Venue and Events (FIVE) played host to the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Centenary Gala Dinner celebrating of 100 years of powered, sustained flight in the UK on Wednesday 15 October 2008.

The Society’s most prestigious social event of the year, the dinner was attended by some 350 guests, and welcomed principal guest Lord Brabazon of Tara, grandson of the holder of pilot licence number one and Libby Dover, representing the 'future', a young lady just completing her commercial pilot training and about to embark on a career in aviation.

FIVE: Playing hosts to the flying elite

The dinner was all about aviation – the past, the present and the future. It provided a unique opportunity for the aerospace community to come together and celebrated a momentous occasion in the history of British aviation.

The Society purposefully chose Farnborough International’s exciting new venue FIVE as the venue for this event as it is aptly located very close to the actual spot where Samuel Franklin Cody made the first sustained flight in the UK in October 1908. The main purpose of this event was to mark the achievements of the pioneers of British Aviation, as well as to help promote the education and development of future UK aerospace professionals.

Barbara Crow, FIVE’s sales manager, said: “This dinner was a wonderful celebration of this very special Farnborough centenary, and of course, a great showcase for the corporate entertaining capabilities of our new venue, FIVE. The event provided corporate guests with a platform to promote themselves at the forefront of the aerospace community, the opportunity to network with other senior industry executives and government representatives and the chance to entertain key clients at a glamorous aerospace event.”