that there was only one engine company in England. After a brief period, Hooker retired in 1967, staying on as a consultant only. Hooker's eminence in the field was widely recognised and he was made an Honorary Fellow of the AIAA. In 1970, he retired fully, and was upset that after almost 30 years in the industry, he had never become director of engine development. Return to Rolls-Royce In February 1971, Rolls-Royce was driven into receivership by its hugely expensive RB.211 project. Just prior to the bankruptcy, at the end of 1970, Hugh Conway (group managing director, gas turbines) agreed that Hooker should come out of retirement to go to Derby to survey the situation, insisting Hooker be accorded the status of technical director at Derby. Hooker was made responsible for technical supervision of the four gas turbine divisions and was leading a Rolls-Royce effort to improve both power and fuel consumption of the engine. 'The situation came to a head in February 1971, just before we got the improved engine on test, when Lord Cole declared Rolls-Royce insolvent'. Hooker was immediately appointed to the board of the new nationalised company, Rolls-Royce (1971) Ltd. As technical director, he provided the expertise, drive and energy to lead and inspire the team, including drawing in old colleagues (some long retired), to rectify the problems and soon the RB.211 was in production. Its first application was for Lockheed's L-1011 Tri-Star. Hooker and his revitalised team then went on to complete the design of the more advanced RB211-524 series. It was to be another two years before, under Sir Kenneth Keith, they were at last permitted to go ahead with its full development. Hooker was knighted for his role in 1974. After another four years, he retired once again in 1978. In 1975, he was awarded an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Science) by the University of Bath. During his return to Rolls-Royce, Sir Stanley was part of several high-level trade missions to China. These led to his becoming Honorary Professor of Aeronautical Engineering at Beijing University. The last year of Sir Stanley Hooker's life was a brave struggle against disease. He was determined to complete his autobiography, and in this, as in most of his enterprises, he was successful. With uncanny precision he managed to put off death until the day before the actual publication of the work. In 1984, therefore, his autobiography was