Massey University School of Aviation Chief of Standards Dr Ritchie de Montalk
Dr Ritchie de Montalk, Chief of Standards in the School of Aviation, received the Meritorious Service Award, and Bachelor of Aviation Management student Claire Walton received the Sir Geoffrey Roberts Award.
The annual awards promote excellence in aviation in New Zealand and the Pacific and recognise outstanding achievements, innovation and excellence in the aviation community.
The Meritorious Service Award – Dr Ritchie de Montalk
The Meritorious Service Award recognises Dr de Montalk’s immense contribution to aviation, particularly to flight instructing and flight examining, as well as his four year term as Secretary of the RAeS New Zealand Division
Dr de Montalk says he’s honoured to be the recipient of the Meritorious Service Award.
“As a professional aviator it has been a humbling experience to have one’s career recognised as having made a positive contribution to New Zealand aviation,” Dr de Montalk says.
“That the award has been made by the New Zealand branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society, the world’s only professional body dedicated to the Aerospace Community, makes it very special to me.”
Dr de Montalk has been fully engaged in the aviation industry for 60 years since he completed his first solo flight as a 17-year-old in Greymouth. His career began with pilot training and service in the Royal New Zealand Airforce, then seven years as an agricultural pilot at Wanganui Aerowork. He served 10 years with the Lesotho Airways Corporation as the Chief Pilot, then progressed to Manager Flight Operations.
In 1990, Dr de Montalk joined Massey’s School of Aviation faculty, initially as the Chief Flying Instructor, and then the Manager of Aviation Safety and Standards, before moving into his current position as Chief of Standards.
Dr de Montalk earned a PhD from Massey in 2008, with a ground-breaking study into ab-initio professional pilot training, both in New Zealand and abroad, that identified the importance of introducing and assessing non-technical skills to complement traditional technical skill.
Dr Ritchie de Montalk (centre) with Ashok Poduval, Chief Executive Officer, Massey University School of Aviation (left) and Shaun Johnson, President of the New Zealand Division Royal Aeronautical Society (right)
Sir Geoffrey Roberts Award – Claire Walton
Bachelor of Aviation Management student Claire Walton received the Sir Geoffrey Roberts Award which is given to a young New Zealand citizen who has the firm intention of following a career in civil aviation in New Zealand.
Claire learned to fly at the Ardmore Flying School before embarking on a career as a commercial pilot with duties as a flight instructor in both New Zealand and Shijiazhuang, China, and over nine years as a line pilot at Susi Air in West Papua, Indonesia.
In July 2020 she began full-time study for a Bachelor of Aviation Management at Massey in order to explore other aspects of the aviation industry. Once she graduates, Claire hopes to pursue a role in the field of transport safety after completing an internship with the Transport Accident and Incident Commission during her studies.
“I feel incredibly grateful to receive this award and am looking forward to completing my degree and exploring more into the exciting world of aviation,” Claire says.
Claire Walton receives the Sir Geoffrey Robertson Award from Shaun Johnson, President of the New Zealand Division Royal Aeronautical Society