Almost 100 people attended the 2018 Awards Dinner of the NZ Division of the Royal Aeronautical Society, held on October 26 at the James Cook Hotel in Wellington, with a good number of representatives from the Bay of Plenty and Poverty Bay.

Three award recipients from Tauranga and Gisborne brought with them good sized family groups along with others from the Bay of Plenty Branch, RAeS where the three award nominations had been originated.

'The Annual Awards event includes awards made to eminent members of the aviation community, as well as members and units of the RNZAF,” says Aviation Historian, Des Underwood.

'Presentation of these awards were made by the Hon Ron Mark MP, Minister of Defence with Air Commodore Darryn Webb RNZAF presenting awards to the military recipients.”

'Invited to address those present after the dinner, Ron paid particular tribute to the men and women of the RNZAF he had seen during his time as Minister of Defence and especially to the current NZDF deployment to Antarctica where he had seen them working in the demanding conditions on the ice.”

The first recipient was Andy Stevenson from Gisborne who was presented with the EA Gisbon Award for 2018. The award is a memorial to former Wing Commander Esmond A. ‘Gibby' Gibson RNZAF, who became the first Director of Civil Aviation in NZ.

The award is to acknowledge substantial technical achievement in the field of agricultural aviation or generally in the field of aviation safety. It takes the form of a silver medal, a certificate and a citation.

The award citation noted it was made in recognition of the extraordinary innovation and excellence in refining agricultural aviation operating techniques and technology in NZ and overseas for more than five decades.

The citation went on to record Andy as having founded Farmers Air Ltd, an agricultural aviation company based in Gisborne. Notably, it noted he was Chief Pilot and Managing Director and had accumulated over 30,000 accident-free house since he started in ag aviation.

After the presentation, Andy said he know of Gibson's work but had never met and appreciated the legacy he had left.

'Congratulations went to Andy Stevenson on his creditable record of accident-free flying over more than five decades,” says Des.

'After the presentation, he was already talking of his next project around another variant of the remarkable Falco XL derived from the PAL XL 750 type.”

The Meritorious Service Awards are made to recognise long term contributions and practical achievements in all sections of aerospace in New Zealand.

The award takes the form of a certificate, a citation and a Silver medal. Meritorious Service Awards were made to Andrew Gormlie and Bruce Chapman from Tauranga who are members of the Bay of Plenty Branch.

Andrew is the CEO of Classic Flyers Aviation Museum who was recognised for ‘his enduring efforts in the preservation of classic aircraft and aviation history in New Zealand.'

Bruce Chapman, a retired airline pilot with Air New Zealand and who leads the aircraft restoration at Classic Flyers was recognised for ‘his valuable contribution to the aviation industry, flight training and work with the preservation of historic aircraft.'

Among the other award recipients, Peter Beck was awarded an upgrade to his earlier Meritorious Service Award with the presentation of the Rhodium Medal.

This is the highest level of the award and only awarded once before. This award advancement recognises Peter Beck's part in the recent launch of the Electron rocket into orbit from the Mahia Launch Site by Rocket Lab.