Richard Noble

Against a background of today's low risk culture, Richard specialises in developing high risk ventures. Obviously not all of them can be successful, but the Thrust2 project which brought the World Land Speed Record back to Britain in 1983 and the ThrustSSC 's first ever supersonic Land Speed Record, in 1997, are the best known. Other projects have included: the ARV Super2 light aircraft, the Atlantic Sprinter Blue Riband contender, Programme Funding - an experimental television programme funding company, and the Farnborough Aircraft, which is currently in the process of creating the first point to point commercial high speed taxi aircraft. The projects have always tended to be innovative and that puts them against the odds and against the commercial funding system, which will always favour the conventional, as a result funding has always been difficult challenge. However, Richard's continuing determination and tactics as well as having a dedicated team, have allowed him raise funds in many different ways in order for these projects to come to fruition. This initself makes for a fascinating story. As a conference and after-dinner speaker for the last 20 years, Richard focuses on the huge problems of trying to innovate in Britain and how these problems can be overcome with outstanding and highly motivated teamwork. The presentations are illustrated with spectacular video and the inevitable humour from the incredible situations which occured.