Founded in 1911 by pioneering South African aviator, Rear-Admiral Sir John L. Weston, the Aeronautical Society of South Africa (AeSSA), is an autonomous, voluntary, non-profit association affiliated as a Division of the Royal Aeronautical Society in the United Kingdom.  

AeSSA’s members comprise aerospace professionals, corporate members and enthusiastic aviation amateurs.  

AeSSA conforms to the professional standards and requirements of the Eng-ineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and aims to advance the theory and practice of aeronautical engineering by:  

• Facilitating professional development of members through training events, including organising an annual Aerospace Conference.
• Promoting professional registration with ECSA and providing mentorship and career guidance.
• Providing free assistance to corporate partners, including drafting Commitments of Undertaking with ECSA and in-house training of candidates.
• Providing qualified assessors, reviewers and moderators to assist ECSA in the evaluation and accreditation of candidate engineers, technologists and technicians. 

In addition, AeSSA interacts with the South African Civil Aviation Authority and other local companies and associations, including the Flight Test Society of South Africa, the Commercial Aviation Association of South Africa and the South African Air Force. 

AeSSA is internationally registered as a corporate member of the International Council of Aeronautical Sciences and the International Society of Air Breathing Engines. 

Membership of AeSSA provides a path to professional engineering registration. The society  arranges lectures, conferences, symposia and training courses, and also awards prizes and medals in recognition of members’ achievements. 

Members interact with international aviation airworthiness authorities, such as the Federal Aviation Administration (US) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (Europe), on aeronautical engineering and technology enhancement matters, the establishment and upholding of aviation quality assurance standards and flight 
safety.

Through its network of partnerships, AeSSA supports a range of outreach and information-sharing youth programmes locally and across southern Africa, that aim to introduce the next generation to aerospace and aviation, through mentorship and exposure to role models and real-life experiences.

Membership application

To become a member, please visit www.aessa.org.za and complete the relevant online application form. The membership grades available are Student Affiliate, Associate (ARAeS), Associate Member (AMRAeS), Member (MRAeS), and Fellow (FRAeS).