Naval Aviator elected Master of GAPAN
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Naval Aviator elected Master of GAPAN
The Master of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators for the coming year is a Naval Aviator, Rear Admiral Colin Cooke-Priest, CB FRAeS.
Colin entered Royal Naval College Dartmouth in 1957 and, after serving in a variety of major warships, joined the Observer School at the RNAS Hal Far Malta in 1962 and gained his ‘wings’ the following year.
Flying anti-submarine helicopters with 814 Squadron in HMS VICTORIOUS and HMS ALBION, he saw service in Aden, the Far East and in Borneo during the confrontation with Indonesia.
After a tour as Operations Officer in HMS RUSSELL, he served in the Royal Australian Navy in the aircraft carrier HMAS MELBOURNE for a two year exchange appointment with 817 Squadron.
On return he was appointed Senior Observer of 824 Squadron in HMS ARK ROYAL and then as Senior Instructor at the Naval Observer School.
Promoted to Commander in 1973, he commanded frigates HMS PLYMOUTH and HMS BERWICK before taking over the ‘Future Helicopter’ desk in the Directorate of Naval Air Warfare.
In 1979 he was Naval Assistant to the Commander-in-Chief Fleet. Promoted to Captain during this appointment, he returned to MOD as Assistant Director of Naval Air Warfare.
Subsequent appointments included Director of the Maritime Tactical School and command of frigates HMS BOXER and HMS BRILLIANT as Captain Second Frigate Squadron.
In 1988 he commanded the Royal Naval ‘Armilla’ Task Force in the Gulf.
He was promoted Rear Admiral in 1989 on his appointment to SHAPE, Belgium as Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff (Operations) and Maritime Advisor to Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
He became Flag Officer Naval Aviation in December 1990 and served in this appointment until he retired from the Navy in 1993.
Colin met his wife Sue at RNAS Hal Far where she was serving as a Communications Wren. One of their sons is a serving Naval Officer.
He is a Life Vice-President of the Fleet Air Arm Officers’ Association, and a former Trustee of the Aviation Scholarship Trust, the Fleet Air Arm Museum and the RN Historic Flight.
The GAPAN Court 2009/10
Many of the Court are ex military pilots, probably well known to many of us here
Left to right:
Paul Tacon, Clerk (Former AAC helicopter pilot)
Captain Wally Epton, Warden (ex RAF and BBMF pilot)
Air Commodore Rick Peacock-Edwards, Immediate Past Master
Rear Admiral Colin Cooke-Priest, Master
Dr Michael Fopp, Master-Elect
Air Marshal Cliff Spink, Warden
HH Judge Tudor Owen, Warden
The Beadle.
Colin entered Royal Naval College Dartmouth in 1957 and, after serving in a variety of major warships, joined the Observer School at the RNAS Hal Far Malta in 1962 and gained his ‘wings’ the following year.
Flying anti-submarine helicopters with 814 Squadron in HMS VICTORIOUS and HMS ALBION, he saw service in Aden, the Far East and in Borneo during the confrontation with Indonesia.
After a tour as Operations Officer in HMS RUSSELL, he served in the Royal Australian Navy in the aircraft carrier HMAS MELBOURNE for a two year exchange appointment with 817 Squadron.
On return he was appointed Senior Observer of 824 Squadron in HMS ARK ROYAL and then as Senior Instructor at the Naval Observer School.
Promoted to Commander in 1973, he commanded frigates HMS PLYMOUTH and HMS BERWICK before taking over the ‘Future Helicopter’ desk in the Directorate of Naval Air Warfare.
In 1979 he was Naval Assistant to the Commander-in-Chief Fleet. Promoted to Captain during this appointment, he returned to MOD as Assistant Director of Naval Air Warfare.
Subsequent appointments included Director of the Maritime Tactical School and command of frigates HMS BOXER and HMS BRILLIANT as Captain Second Frigate Squadron.
In 1988 he commanded the Royal Naval ‘Armilla’ Task Force in the Gulf.
He was promoted Rear Admiral in 1989 on his appointment to SHAPE, Belgium as Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff (Operations) and Maritime Advisor to Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
He became Flag Officer Naval Aviation in December 1990 and served in this appointment until he retired from the Navy in 1993.
Colin met his wife Sue at RNAS Hal Far where she was serving as a Communications Wren. One of their sons is a serving Naval Officer.
He is a Life Vice-President of the Fleet Air Arm Officers’ Association, and a former Trustee of the Aviation Scholarship Trust, the Fleet Air Arm Museum and the RN Historic Flight.
The GAPAN Court 2009/10
Many of the Court are ex military pilots, probably well known to many of us here
Left to right:
Paul Tacon, Clerk (Former AAC helicopter pilot)
Captain Wally Epton, Warden (ex RAF and BBMF pilot)
Air Commodore Rick Peacock-Edwards, Immediate Past Master
Rear Admiral Colin Cooke-Priest, Master
Dr Michael Fopp, Master-Elect
Air Marshal Cliff Spink, Warden
HH Judge Tudor Owen, Warden
The Beadle.
