Formed over thirty six years ago (in 1968), at what was then Riverside Airstrip in Dundee, with a solitary single seat Tipsy Nipper, Tayside Aviation has developed into one of the foremost flying training and aircraft engineering organisations in the United Kingdom.

It currently operates around two dozen aircraft from three locations: Dundee, Perth and Fife (Glenrothes) Airports, and offers JAR Private Pilots License (PPL), National Private Pilots License (NPPL), Commercial Pilots License (CPL) and Flying Instructor (FI) training as well as aircraft rental.

The company also has JAR 145 (European) aircraft engineering approval at Dundee and is the largest light aircraft maintenance organisation in Scotland.
In 1994 the company was awarded the United Kingdom RAF/RN Flying Scholarship contract for three years, and this contract was renewed in 1997 for five years with a facility to extend the contract for a further two years to 2004. The Flying Scholarship contract required 520 potential RAF/RN pilots and ground branch Officers to be provided with 20 hours of flying training over an 18-day residential course.
In 2001, 265 flying scholars were trained at the three company locations with the remainder being sub-contracted to five flying clubs and schools south of the border.

Last year (2003) Tayside Aviation was once again awarded the contract covering the next five years, training up to 250 cadets per year and each cadet getting 12 hours of flying on the new 13 day residential course.
In the busy summer months, Tayside Aviation employ around 20 full-time flying instructors and 6 aircraft engineers out of a total staff of around 50.
The company aircraft fleet consists of 10 Cessna 152s, 4 Diamond Aircraft DA-20 Katanas, 3 Piper PA-28 Warriors, 1 Piper Arrow IV and a Tipsy Nipper.The company is the largest light aircraft maintenance organisation in Scotland.

AWARDS
The company was awarded the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) UK Customer Care Trophy for 1994/95 and was contracted by the Hong Kong Government to provide ab initio and multi-engined flying training for cadet pilots of the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force (now the Government Flying Service) from 1990 to 1993.

Tayside Aviation was awarded the AOPA Customer Care Trophy in 1994

In 2003 Tayside Aviation Managing Director, Lovat Fraser was awarded the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA) Lennox-Boyd Trophy which is presented to organizations or individuals for "contributing significantly to the furtherance or improvement of flying training, Club flying or piloting standards in the previous year".

It is understood however that the Trophy was awarded for the contribution to the improvement of flying and instructional standards over many years, including the management of the RAF/RN Flying Scholarship Scheme (FSS) since Tayside Aviation was appointed UK Prime Contractor for the FSS in 1994.

The Lennox-Boyd is the most prestigious trophy which AOPA awards each year and was presented to Lovat Fraser by Martin Robinson, the AOPA UK Chief Executive on 28th February 2003 in Dundee.

The Lennox-Boyd Trophy was presented to the Association of British Aero Clubs (which in 1966 merged with the Aviation Canter of the Royal Aero Club to form the British Light Aviation Center) by the late Rt Hon Alan Lennox-Boyd PC CH MP (subsequently Viscount Boyd of Merton) in 1953, for annual award for efficiency among member schools, Clubs, Air Centers and Groups. In 1963 the scope of the award was extended to include individuals as well as organisations.