"Everyone ‌when they're kids, they look up, they see the planes flying and they think, damn..." he said as he fielded questions ‌from passersby at a stand. The UK aerospace and defence sector is facing a shortage of around 10,000 specialized engineers a year — with AI and other newer technologies sucking up talent. More than 50% of licensed aerospace engineers are older ‌than 50 in Britain; fewer than 10% are under ⁠30, a March report by the Royal Aeronautical Society showed. The UK sector has grown 31% in the last decade, but the talent pipeline has not kept pace, trade group ADS said. Elsewhere at the show, there were engine-building exercises and Top Gun-like flying displays, all designed to draw young recruits in.