WILLIAM RONALD TANNOCK BSc (Hons) CEng FRAeS

In a career in excess of 50 years in aviation Ron Tannock is perhaps without peer in his breadth and depth of experience and professional effectiveness through to the most senior levels in the airline industry. His personal contribution to the integrity and professionalism of New Zealand commercial aviation through periods of tumultuous change in governance and operational fundamentals has been immense.
Ron was apprenticed as an aeronautical designer with Scottish Aviation in 1956 and completed a BSc (Hons) at the Royal College of Science and Technology, Glasgow, in 1962. He migrated to New Zealand in 1965 to join the National Airways Corporation (NAC) as an assistant technical superintendent. He subsequently proved his worth in management roles in passenger services, technical services, quality control and, after the merger with Air New Zealand, as aircraft maintenance manager, chief engineer, and manager of Commercial Services through the fleets of DC-3, Vickers Viscount, F27, B737, DC-8, DC-10, B767, and the B747.
In 1983 he became the general manager of an Air New Zealand subsidiary, Straits Airfreight Express (SAFE). This airline operated 13 Bristol B170 Freighters and two Armstrong Whitworth AW660 Argosy aircraft on regional routes and also had a limited engineering contracting business. Under Ron’s astute stewardship the maintenance facility was expanded to become one of the largest propeller overhaul companies in the Southern Hemisphere and a major military engineering contractor. His foresight was to ensure the company’s continuing growth and prosperity when the ageing fleet, and a changed competitive market, forced him to announce the end of flying operations in 1990.
 

Previous Winners

1992 Henry (Harry) Bielby Esq

1993 Captain A G (Gorden) Vette

1994 Not Awarded

1995 Raymond Gilbert Mulqueen Esq

1996 Air Commodore Stuart Mclntyre

1997 Not Awarded

1998 Ossie James

1999 Captain Stuart Julian

2000 John William Reid MBE

2001 Not Awarded

2002 Captain Bryan Stephen Wyness BSc

2003 Not Awarded

2004 Ian Andrew Ritchie

2005 Maxwell Brooke Stevens

2006 Not Awarded

2007 William Ronald Tannock

 

Updated 15-Dez-2008
AWR