EARLIER this month Major Pip Lines, who serves with Tidworth-based 6 Battalion REME, was given an award for her work skills on the high-tech Bloodhound Supersonic Car (SSC) Project.

Bloodhound SSC is a supersonic land vehicle currently in development. Its goal is to attain a 1,000 miles per hour world land speed record.

The team aims to break the land speed record with the pencil-shaped car, powered by a jet engine and a rocket designed to reach 1,000 miles per hour together with a petrol engine auxiliary power unit Major Lines’ determination in inspiring children to take up science and engineering led her to receive Marie-Claire’s Women at the Top Award recently.

She said: “Winning the award was out of the blue, but it was a great opportunity to get the idea of engineering and the role of the forces out there.

“If someone can open a magazine and read about it and it inspires them to find out more about either becoming an engineer or joining the army, then that’s a good thing.”

She is one of six ambassadors for the Bloodhound and one of a small team of REME engineers who undertake six-month placements on the Bloodhound project.

Earlier this year Pip took part at the Farnborough Air Show and the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where she spent time teaching children about the supersonic car, and explaining the science and engineering behind it.

Major Lines said: “It’s hands-on as the kids design and test cars on the track.

“They were genuinely really excited by that.

“The great thing with having girls on the project is that it highlights to girls that engineering is an option.”