Awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the maintenance of high standards of civil flying instruction and safety, taking into account working conditions and opportunities.

2010 awarded to:  MARK WOODHOUSE

Since graduating as a Qualified Flying Instructor in the RNZAF in 1988, Mark Woodhouse has clearly established himself among the elite in the aviation training community in New Zealand.  Since leaving the RNZAF, he has served as the Chief Flying Instructor at the Massey University School of Aviation and as a training Captain on the Saab 340 with Air Nelson. During this time he also established, and maintains, a very sound reputation for writing and conducting ground courses for ATPL subjects and instructional techniques for the industry, and consulting to the Civil Aviation Authority on syllabus development and flight test standards guides. He is an A category instructor and civil Flight Examiner with over 15,000 hours flight time.  He was awarded the CAA Flight Instructor Award in 2007.

But it is for his outstanding achievements as the Chief Flying Instructor at the annual Walsh Memorial Scout Flying School for the past 15 years that he is most renown.  The ‘Walsh’ is now in its 46th year of safe and successful operations. Each year, approximately 65 16 to 19 year-old students, accommodated in single tents, camp on Matamata airfield for two weeks of intensive introduction to flying operations.  Volunteer instructors, from some of the most experienced in the country, to the most junior, give their time and skills freely to provide the students an outstanding exposure to aviation.  Most, sometimes all, of the ab initio students fly their first solo in this time.

Mark programmes and manages all flying operations, 16 aeroplanes, airfield marking and safety protocols, 25 instructors, the refuelling team, air traffic control liaison, meteorological services liaison and the rescue/fire team.   He has written an excellent Flight Operations Manual (policy, procedures and rules for ‘the Walsh’) and a Flight Training Manual Supplement that are second to none in New Zealand flying schools.  These he reviews and amends as necessary each year. All this he does voluntarily in his own time.

Intensive operations using parallel runways permit up to 800 hours flying and 1,800 movements at the school during the two-week period, making the grass airfield one of the world’s busiest for those two weeks of each year.  Mark’s impeccable personal example, decisiveness and leadership style generates spontaneous respect and authority and is manifest in a high standard of discipline and safety awareness at the school.  Given the conditions under which he works - a scout camp on a country airfield, with a new team each year - the achievement of an immaculate safety record over all these years can be laid squarely at his feet.

Mark Woodhouse has made, and continues to make, an exceptional contribution to the maintenance of high standards of civil flying instruction and safety and is accordingly awarded the Pike Trophy.

Previous Winners

1963 L V Worsdell Esq

1964 C W C Hamilton Esq

1965 Not Awarded

1966 J W Peckowski Esq

1967 R A Smith Esq

1968 Not Awarded

1969 Captain F Kirk

1970 W H W Lucas Esq

1971 Captain C W Sweetman

1972 A E Bramson Esq

1973 E Claxton Esq

1974 Captain D E Batten

1975 Captain R R Critchley

1976 Not Awarded

1977 Not Awarded

1978 Captain J Varley

1979 James John Forbes Logan Esq

1980 Miss Joan Lily Amelia Hughes

1981 Hector Taylor Esq

1982 Sqn Ldr R T Bowring

1983 Not Awarded

1984 Sqn Ldr J B Gratton RAF (Rtd)

1985 Sidney Harry Parker Esq

1986 Colin Beckwith Esq

1987 F J Loveridge Esq

1988 John K Hill Esq

1989 Squadron Leader R J Cutler

1990 H A A Smeulders Esq

1991 Captain P W Kennedy

1992 Captain D G Kinch DFM

1993 Not Awarded

1994 Peter F C A Thorn Esq

1995 John T Cole Esq

1996 Not Awarded

1997 Harvey R Britten Esq

1998 Captain L J Otley

1999 Captain P D Godwin

2000 Captain T M Dyson

2001 Rufus Heald Esq

2002 Not Awarded

2003 Captain George Bedford

2004 William (Bill) Ison

2005 Captain Andrew Gutteridge

2006 Not Awarded

2007 Richard William Kenneth Snell

2008 Captain Richard "Dickie" Bird

2009 Ian Bain Mackie

2010 Mark Woodhouse