The club and its chief flying instructor, Phil Unicomb, were both voted number one in Australia in the prestigious 2014 Wings Awards.

This dual win elevates Mr Unicomb and the Royal Newcastle Aero Club into the spotlight of Australian aviation.

The decision on the awards was made by the Australian Division of the Royal Aeronautical Society and Australian Flying magazine, with BendixKing by Honeywell, FlightOne and FlyCirrus.

Tony Savia, general manager of the Royal Newcastle Aero Club, said the award was a great achievement for everyone who worked there.

“This is the result of a lot of hard work by many dedicated people,” Mr Savia said.

“To be judged the best aero club of the year by a panel of experts is a wonderful tribute.

“To me, it means the recognition of hard work by everyone involved: the engineers, the flying instructors and those who work in our front office.

“And Phil Unicomb is a marvellous flying instructor and a great promoter of aviation in all its fields.

“His attitude is about having fun and building camaraderie. This win is a big win for Maitland too.” 

Mr Unicomb said he was delighted by the honour.

“Our club has a wonderful staff who work very well together with an excellent fleet of aircraft and this award is a tribute to what they have done.”

“Over the years, I have won national and international awards for aerobatic, air racing and formation flying.

“But I must say, this award outdoes them all.”