In the cockpit
A light-aircraft pilot, Tess flies for the same reason she studies astronauts: the cockpit is where physiology, cognition and calm decision-making meet. Workload management, situational awareness, performance under pressure - aviation is applied human performance at altitude.
The Faith Bennett Navigation Cup
Awarded the Faith Bennett Navigation Cup for a world record flying attempt - a nod to the pioneering women of British aviation, and proof that the pursuit of firsts doesn't stop at the lab door.
In 2019, Tess flew a Cessna 150 on a Guinness World Record attempt to reach all 48 contiguous US states, with her wife Morag planning and navigating - 28 states, four engine problems, three emergency landings and £2,395 raised for charity. Follow the whole journey on an animated map.
From freefall to zero-g
Skydiver, parabolic-flight veteran and human centrifuge subject - Tess has experienced flight across the full envelope, from terminal velocity to weightlessness to sustained g-force. Few people study flight physiology from quite so far inside it.
