Cambridge Aero Club receives impressive accolades

Above: The Honourable Company of Air Pilots recently awarded its Pike Trophy to Cambridge Aero Club's Head of Training Anthony Cooke, which he will be presented with tonight at a banquet at the Guildhall in London.
Courtesy Marshall

As part of the CAA’s accreditation process, any prospective or existing Approved Training Organisation (ATO) is subject to an ongoing audit cycle which includes meeting the team of trainers, assessing the quality of management systems against applicable regulations and confirming the suitability of facilities and equipment such as aircraft and training devices.

Under the leadership of Head of Training Anthony Cooke, the Cambridge Aero Club received the best possible audit outcome. In fact, based on the high standards being achieved, the next audit will be in four years, making Cambridge Aero Club the only ATO within the auditor’s area of responsibility with such a long period between audits.

Commenting on the outcome, Cambridge Aero Club Managing Director Terry Holloway said: “The result we have achieved reflects our exceptionally high standards, as well as the hard work that all members of the team consistently put in to ensure safety and quality.”

Building on this success, the Honourable Company of Air Pilots recently awarded its much-coveted Pike Trophy to Head of Training Anthony Cooke. The award will be presented at a banquet at the Guildhall in London on October 26th.

Awarded in recognition of an individual’s outstanding contribution to civil flying instruction, the Pike Trophy has also previously been held by Leslie Worsdell, a pre-war flying instructor with Marshall who returned to the company after World War II and retired as Airport Director in the 1990s.

Having held a Private Pilot’s Licence since 1985, Anthony gained a commercial licence in 2002 and became a full-time flying instructor in 2007. He has flown over 40 different types of aeroplane and has amassed over 6,000 flying hours, of which 4,500 have been as a flying instructor, and now leads a team of 14 flying instructors.

In this capacity, Anthony has tutored and mentored many aspiring aerobatic pilots from scratch and provided them with the skills which have enabled them to compete at basic level in aerobatic competitions.

“As a flying supervisor of student pilots, his own flying instructors, and more experienced and accomplished pilots, Anthony is in a class of his own in which he constantly sets high standards of safety awareness,” said Terry Holloway.

“Anthony possesses skills and enthusiasm of the highest order, and he has encouraged and guided many students into a career in aviation through gaining a Private Pilot’s Licence.”