Flying Lawyer is now GAPAN Master
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Flying Lawyer is now GAPAN Master
Hearty congratulations to His Honour Judge Tudor Owen FRAeS, our very own Flying Lawyer 
His Honour Judge Tudor Owen FRAeS, widely known in aviation as “the Flying Lawyer”, has been invested Master of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators, one of Britain’s leading independent aviation bodies.
Judge Owen has combined his passion for aviation with a highly successful legal career since learning to fly the Chipmunk with the University of London Air Squadron in 1971. He subsequently gained Night and Twin ratings and, in 1995, his private pilots licence for helicopters with JetRanger and Gazelle ratings.
As a Barrister, he specialised in both aviation and criminal law, representing airlines and the Ministry of Defence in multimillion pounds civil cases as well as successfully defending a number of pilots prosecuted by the Civil Aviation Authority, often pro bono. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 2001.
Judge Owen was appointed to the Bench in October 2007 and sits Snaresbrook Crown Court in London, Britain’s busiest Crown Court.
In 2008, he highlighted the increasing use and danger of lasers to aircraft, when he sentenced two defendants to six months imprisonment for shining a laser light at a police helicopter. This was the UK's first custodial sentence for such an offence. The Court of Appeal upheld the sentence and repeated Judge Owen’s warning that people caught shining laser lights at aircraft should expect to receive a custodial sentence.
The Guild has a tradition of electing Masters from different spheres of aviation to ensure it has the widest range of expertise and experience. Judge Owen’s immediate predecessors have included an Air Marshal, an Admiral, a corporate jet Captain and an airline Captain.
ENDS
For further information...
Please contact the Guild of Air Pilots & Air Navigators PR team:
Steve Slater: +44 (0)1494 776831 or [email protected]
GAPAN offices +44 (0)20 7404 4032 [email protected]
About the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators.
The Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators was established in 1929, by a small group of professional pilots at the instigation of Sir Sefton Brancker, the Director of Civil Aviation, who became the first Master and Sqn Ldr Ernest L. Johnston, the Deputy Master. Sadly both men were lost in the airship R101’s tragic accident in 1930, but they and other aviation luminaries of the period including Sir Alan Cobham were responsible for ensuring that pilots and navigators enjoyed professional status. Since that time, one of the Guild's prime objectives has been to foster and improve that standing.
It became a Livery Company of the City of London in 1956, the 81st Livery Company to be formed in 800 years.
The Guild is unique amongst City Livery Companies in having active Regional Committees in Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and North America.
The Guild supports the education and training of pilots from initial training to specialist training at the highest levels. Through its charitable activities, education and training, technical committee work, aircrew selection, scholarships and sponsorships, advice and recognition of the achievements of fellow aviators world wide, the Guild keeps itself at the forefront of the aviation world.
Intriguing that he is referred to by GAPAN as Flying Lawyer: maybe we should charge naming rights 
Honourable Company of Air Pilots , Tudor Owen
(L-R) The Clerk, Sqn Ldr Chris Ford (Warden), Air Marshal Cliff Spink (Immediate Past Master), Judge Tudor Owen (Master), Mrs Dorothy Pooley (Master Elect), Capt Chris Spurrier (Warden), The Beadle.
Honourable Company of Air Pilots, Judge Tudor Owen
and with the Lord Mayor:
Honourable Company of Air Pilots Tudor Owen
“FLYING LAWYER” BECOMES MASTER OF
GUILD OF AIR PILOTS AND AIR NAVIGATORS
His Honour Judge Tudor Owen FRAeS, widely known in aviation as “the Flying Lawyer”, has been invested Master of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators, one of Britain’s leading independent aviation bodies.
Judge Owen has combined his passion for aviation with a highly successful legal career since learning to fly the Chipmunk with the University of London Air Squadron in 1971. He subsequently gained Night and Twin ratings and, in 1995, his private pilots licence for helicopters with JetRanger and Gazelle ratings.
As a Barrister, he specialised in both aviation and criminal law, representing airlines and the Ministry of Defence in multimillion pounds civil cases as well as successfully defending a number of pilots prosecuted by the Civil Aviation Authority, often pro bono. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 2001.
Judge Owen was appointed to the Bench in October 2007 and sits Snaresbrook Crown Court in London, Britain’s busiest Crown Court.
In 2008, he highlighted the increasing use and danger of lasers to aircraft, when he sentenced two defendants to six months imprisonment for shining a laser light at a police helicopter. This was the UK's first custodial sentence for such an offence. The Court of Appeal upheld the sentence and repeated Judge Owen’s warning that people caught shining laser lights at aircraft should expect to receive a custodial sentence.
The Guild has a tradition of electing Masters from different spheres of aviation to ensure it has the widest range of expertise and experience. Judge Owen’s immediate predecessors have included an Air Marshal, an Admiral, a corporate jet Captain and an airline Captain.
ENDS
For further information...
Please contact the Guild of Air Pilots & Air Navigators PR team:
Steve Slater: +44 (0)1494 776831 or [email protected]
GAPAN offices +44 (0)20 7404 4032 [email protected]
About the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators.
The Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators was established in 1929, by a small group of professional pilots at the instigation of Sir Sefton Brancker, the Director of Civil Aviation, who became the first Master and Sqn Ldr Ernest L. Johnston, the Deputy Master. Sadly both men were lost in the airship R101’s tragic accident in 1930, but they and other aviation luminaries of the period including Sir Alan Cobham were responsible for ensuring that pilots and navigators enjoyed professional status. Since that time, one of the Guild's prime objectives has been to foster and improve that standing.
It became a Livery Company of the City of London in 1956, the 81st Livery Company to be formed in 800 years.
The Guild is unique amongst City Livery Companies in having active Regional Committees in Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and North America.
The Guild supports the education and training of pilots from initial training to specialist training at the highest levels. Through its charitable activities, education and training, technical committee work, aircrew selection, scholarships and sponsorships, advice and recognition of the achievements of fellow aviators world wide, the Guild keeps itself at the forefront of the aviation world.
Honourable Company of Air Pilots , Tudor Owen
(L-R) The Clerk, Sqn Ldr Chris Ford (Warden), Air Marshal Cliff Spink (Immediate Past Master), Judge Tudor Owen (Master), Mrs Dorothy Pooley (Master Elect), Capt Chris Spurrier (Warden), The Beadle.
Honourable Company of Air Pilots, Judge Tudor Owen
and with the Lord Mayor:
Honourable Company of Air Pilots Tudor Owen
Note: The Guild became the Honourable Company of Air Pilots in February 2014
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
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What else can be said except: "Very well done!"
Nice outfit ...
By Golly....given a really good scrubbing...he cleans up pretty nice!
Congratulations Tudor....I could not think of a better Person to lead such an august group.
I am honored to have shared a Cockpit with you Sir!
(....and a memorable flight it was too!)
Congratulations Tudor....I could not think of a better Person to lead such an august group.
I am honored to have shared a Cockpit with you Sir!
(....and a memorable flight it was too!)
Join Date: Jul 2000
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Thank you for your very kind posts.
I feel honoured to be elected Master of such a wonderful organisation but my pride is tempered by profound humility, and more than a little trepidation, when I consider the calibre of my distinguished predecessors in the post.
Tudor
_____________
RVDT
No, it's not Freemasonry.
(I'm not a Freemason.)
I feel honoured to be elected Master of such a wonderful organisation but my pride is tempered by profound humility, and more than a little trepidation, when I consider the calibre of my distinguished predecessors in the post.
Tudor
_____________
RVDT
No, it's not Freemasonry.
(I'm not a Freemason.)
Last edited by Flying Lawyer; 21st Mar 2013 at 12:54.
Join Date: Dec 1999
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is this aviation Freemasonry?
Civil Aviation is represented in Freemasonry by the Per Caelum Lodge No. 8602
Congrats FL!
Last edited by Agaricus bisporus; 22nd Mar 2013 at 13:12.
Birddog,
I shall have you know that I sat upon my hands that day....and Tudor did the driving and thus he was quite safe. As it turned out....it was my final ever flight in a Helicopter. I could not have had a better finish to my flying career.
Done in the UK in splendid weather, with a wonderful companion, and in a very pretty Huey! That is about as good as it gets!
I shall have you know that I sat upon my hands that day....and Tudor did the driving and thus he was quite safe. As it turned out....it was my final ever flight in a Helicopter. I could not have had a better finish to my flying career.
Done in the UK in splendid weather, with a wonderful companion, and in a very pretty Huey! That is about as good as it gets!