Authority
1. The Combined Propulsion Technical Activity Committee (CPTAC) is set up under the authorities of the Aerospace Industries Division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS).
2. The CPTAC shall:
2.1 Keep engineers abreast of advances in aerospace propulsion technology through lectures, seminars and conferences, and by doing so encourage and promote further innovation and development of that technology.
2.2 Promote propulsion seminars for students to encourage entry into an aerospace career and raise the profiles of the Institution and the Society.
2.3 Reach the broadest possible spectrum of interested engineers, by collaboration with appropriate Divisions and Groups of the IMechE, the RAeS and other related institutions and organisations.
2.4 Make knowledge available to the widest possible audience by encouraging the publication of proceedings and reports.
2.5 Solicit and discuss views on subjects relevant to the CPTAC to enable, where appropriate, an informed, balanced view to be created as a specialist or position paper that may be used by the IMechE or the RAeS to inform members of those organisations or a wider audience.
2.6 Use best endeavours to encourage good quality and ensure authenticity of material.
Areas of Responsibility
3. The technology areas for which the CPTAC is responsible are as follows:
3.1 Powered aircraft propulsion.
3.2 Space vehicle propulsion.
3.3 Missile propulsion
3.4 Auxiliary power units (APUs).
4. The CPTAC will liaise with other Divisions and Groups to promote areas of common technological interest. PRP001-05 Combined Propulsion/Terms of Reference – Sept 2004 Membership.
5. The Committee shall consist of a minimum of seven and a maximum of fifteen full (voting) members.
6. A quorum shall be five members ONE OF WHOM SHALL BE THE CHAIRMAN OR DEPUTY (OR VICE) CHAIRMAN. A MAJORITY OF ANY QUORUM SHALL BE MEMBERS OF THE INSTITUTION OR SOCIETY.
7. Committee full (voting) members shall be proposed, seconded and elected by members of the Specialist Group, by a suitable electoral process determined by the Committee, with the aim of giving a wide spread of industry, academia, operators (civil and military), Government departments, regulatory bodies, students and consultants.
8. A full (voting) member shall serve on the Committee for a maximum period of three years, and may be re-elected for a similar maximum period but may not serve on the Committee for more than three consecutive periods in total. Members may be re-elected to serve on the Committee after a period of two years absence from Committee membership.
9. A MAJORITY OF FULL (VOTING) COMMITTEE MEMBERS SHALL BE MEMBERS OF THE INSTITUTION OR SOCIETY (ANY GRADE). The Committee may co-opt non-voting members as required to ensure subject coverage, expertise and balance etc, who need not be members of the Institution or Society, up to a number limited to 25% of the committee membership.
10. THE CHAIRMAN SHALL BE A MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTION OR SOCIETY. He or she shall be proposed and seconded and elected by full voting members of the Committee and may be elected by a show of hands unless three or more members request a secret ballot. The Chairman shall hold office for a maximum of two consecutive terms of three years. The Chairman may be reelected after having been out of office (as Chairman) for a period of two years.
11. A Deputy (or Vice) Chairman, WHO SHALL BE A MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTION OR SOCIETY, shall be elected by the same procedure and with the same restrictions on period of office, as the Chairman. The Deputy (or Vice) Chairman may be elected as ‘Chairman Elect’ and/or serve as Chairman for a period consecutive with his/her term as Deputy (or Vice) Chairman.
12. Other officers elected or selected by the Committee may have any or no restrictions on their terms of office, as the Committee may determine from time to time.
13. Committees shall establish practical and transparent procedures, including timing, for the election of members to comply with the provisions of paragraph 3 above, and for the election of Chairman and Deputy (or Vice) Chairman as set out in paragraphs 6 and 7 above. This may or may not include holding an AGM, as determined by the Committee.
14. The Committee shall meet as frequently as its work demands, but normally four times each year. The Committee shall report on its activities, on a regular basis and by a suitable means to its Group membership the Learned Society Board of the RAeS and the Aerospace Industries Board of the IMechE. THE COMMITTEE SHALL ESTABLISH A PROGRAMME OF REGULAR CONFERENCES, SEMINARS OR LECTURES IT WILL ORGANISE, JOINTLY ORGANISE OR IN WHICH IT WILL PARTICIPATE.
15. After four absences from consecutive meetings a full (voting) member’s tenure of office shall lapse, unless the Committee, after consideration of the circumstances, determine not to apply this requirement.
16. The Secretary shall be provided from the Institution’s staff.
17. The Chairman or the chosen representative will represent the Committee on the LSB and the AIDB.PRP001-05 Combined Propulsion/Terms of Reference – Sept 2004 Event organisation.
18. The organisation of lectures, seminars and conferences including undertaking market research will alternately be led by the IMechE and the RAeS with support from the other body in terms of sending calls for papers, programmes and registration to their respective lists of relevant members.
18.11 If workloads on the organisation’s conference staff or funding patterns produce an imbalance over a number of events, an event may be led by the other organisation in agreement with both organisations’ conference staff managers.
19. All material published prior to and after the event will ensure that both organisations are equally recognised as supporting the event.
20. The process for agreeing the viability of running an event should reflect both institution's current criteria.