The Pike Trophy

Awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to civil flying instruction.

(amended Terms of Reference 2019)

2019 Awarded twice to:  Dorothy Saul-Pooley and Carol Louise Cooper

Carol Cooper has to date, dedicated 32 years to flight instruction, incredibly still operating from the same airfield she learnt to fly from all those years ago. Carol went on to become Chief Flying Instructor, Head of Training and joint owner at Andrewsfield. The enthusiasm and professionalism that she continues to display enhances the excellent reputation she has within the industry.

In 1980 after her very first flight, Carol single minded decided she had to find the money to learn to fly and in 1983 achieved her PPL. This led to her gaining her AFI rating in 1987, when she then started teaching full time at Andrewsfield, a job which 32 years later she still has.

Following her AFI Carol continued to add qualifications to her name, including multi instructing and instrument instructing. She has taught over 200 people to fly and since becoming a FIC instructor in 1997 over 250 pilots to be instructors.

Remaining at Andrewsfield Carol continued to achieve and set high standards as the CFI and Head of Training. in 2000 she became a Flying Instructor Examiner and went on to add CPL Examiner and FRTOL Examiner along with CAA Senior Examiner as EASA came along in 2012. Most recently she is also involved in providing Examiner Seminars for the CAA.

Carol has also been involved teaching and encouraging people with disabilities to fly. She taught the first person in the UK to gain a PPL with prosthetic arms, not only did he learn, but also bought an aircraft and flew his family in it. Another pilot had very little use of his lower legs, and after assessing his ability to fly, Carol subsequently taught him for his licence.

One of her ambitions is to continue to encourage woman to get involved with Aviation, by giving talks to local Women’s Institutes, clubs etc. Using her enthusiasm to explain how she has taught women to fly, and also taught and tested women for both commercial licences, and instructor ratings, and is still encouraging women into aviation by starting to teach her niece to fly.

Her excellent reputation has led to her teaching World Red Bull Air Race Champion Paul Bonham, and very recently Air Marshal Sean Reynolds CB CBE DFC for their instructor ratings.

Ignoring the opportunities to join the more financial rewarding airline route, she was clear from the very start where she wanted to be. Her love of teaching people to fly at all levels, and the path she has chosen, has led to a career that gives her huge job satisfaction.  Last September, Carol passed the 25,000-hour mark, all in light aircraft, this should be recognised by the industry as an incredible achievement for someone still in their 50s

For her dedication to training and achievement of high standards Carol Cooper is accordingly awarded the Pike Trophy.

Dorothy Saul-Pooley learnt to fly 30 years ago, whilst working in London as an Intellectual Property Lawyer.  She gained her Multi Engine, IMC and night ratings in the following year, and then gave up law in 1991 to qualify as a commercial pilot and flying instructor.  Her enthusiasm for instructing has been passed on to her many students, and she has always demonstrated her belief in the need for excellence, assisting her students to “achieve the best they possibly can.”

Over the past 27 years, Dorothy has flown more than 10,000 flying hours of which over 8,500 are instructional, on 120 types and variants of aircraft.  After a few years working in aviation insurance law and accident investigation, Dorothy returned to full-time instructing, and in early 2000 qualified to teach instructors.  Since then she has trained more than 300 people for the various ratings and certificates, including examiners and Flight Instructor Course instructors.  Appointed as a senior examiner by the CAA, Dorothy has examined over 700 candidates.

In addition to her fixed wing qualifications, Dorothy is also a helicopter instructor having first learnt to fly helicopters in her late 40s.  Dorothy set up her own niche dedicated flying instructor and examiner training school in 2005, gaining approval from the CAA to run instructor refresher seminars.  She has achieved an enviable reputation for high standards, and most of her seminars are fully booked, often many weeks in advance. 

Along the way, Dorothy has utilised her considerable linguistic skills and has been the author, editor and publisher of many well-known training publications, in particular the series now known as The Air Pilot Manuals, familiarly known to many as “the Trevor Thoms.”  Her communication skills also led her to set up and run the Professional Flying Instructor Association, under which title she has organised more than 50 evening meetings to enhance and improve instructor skills.  These provide mentoring and networking opportunities within the instructor population.  They have been done completely voluntarily and are financially subsidised by Dorothy.

Dorothy was a very active member of the Education and Training Committee of the then Guild from 1998 until she completed her year as Master of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots in 2015.  She undertook the roles of both Chairman and Vice Chairman as well as setting up and chairing the Instructor Sub-committee.  Within that role, she also spearheaded the liaison with Central Flying School, which led to the continuing cooperation to provide the biannual Senior Instructor Forum held at RAF Cranwell.  During her time as a very active member of the Company, Dorothy has also been a scholarship selector, represented the Company on several external CAA committees, and acted as a mentor to many trainee pilots and instructors.

Dorothy has devoted the past 30 years to flying instruction, and with her desire for excellence has achieved a very high standard of training for which she is a deserving recipient of the Pike Trophy.

Previous Winners:

1963/64 L V Worsdell Esq

1964/65 Captain Charles William Cowan Hamilton

1966  Not Awarded

1966/67 J W (Peter) Peckowski Esq AFC ARAeS

1967/68 Rex A Smith Esq

1969  Not Awarded

1969/70 Captain F Kirk

1970/71 W H W Lucas Esq

1971/72 Captain C W Sweetman

1972/73 A E Bramson Esq

1973/74 E Claxton Esq

1974/75 Captain Douglas E Batten AFC DFM

1975/76 Captain R R Critchley

1978/79 Captain J Varley

1979/80 James John Forbes (Hamish) Logan Esq

1980/81 Miss Joan Lily Amelia Hughes MBE

1981/82 F C Hector Taylor Esq DFM

1982/83 Squadron Leader R T Bowring AFC

1984  Not Awarded

1984/85 Squadron Leader John B Gratton RAF (Rtd)

1985/86 Sidney Harry Parker Esq

1986/87 Colin Beckwith Esq

1987/88 F J Loveridge Esq

1988/89 John K Hill Esq

1989/90 Squadron Leader R J Cutler

1990/91 Harry A A Smeulders Esq

1991/92 Captain P W Kennedy

1993  Not Awarded

1993/94 Captain Donald G (Archie) Kinch DFM

1994/95 Peter F C A Thorn Esq

1995/96 John C Cole Esq

1997/98 Harvey R Britten Esq

1998/99 Captain Leonard James Otley

1999/2000 Captain Peter David Godwin FRIN

2000/01 Captain Thomas Michael Dyson

2001/02 Michael Arthur (Rufus) Heald Esq MBE

2003  Not Awarded

2003/04 Captain George Arthur Bedford

2004/05 William Frederick Arthur (Bill) Ison

2005/06 Captain Andrew Gutteridge

2007  Not Awarded

2007/08 Richard William Kenneth Snell

2008/09 Captain Richard "Dickie" Bird

2009/10 Ian Bain Mackie

2010/11 Mark Woodhouse

2011/12 Group Captain Christopher E Gould

2012/13 Andrew Dunstan

2014 - 2015 Not Awarded

2016  Captain Philip G Mathews MAP

2017 Piers Hugh Smerdon

2018  Not Awarded

2019  Dorothy Saul-Pooley

       Carol Louise Cooper