When it come to business high-flyers, a team from RAF Linton-on-Ouse is proving hard to beat.

The team from the airbase near York has beaten off opposition from some of North and West Yorkshire's top institutions to win a major business competition.

Sqn Ldr Steve Brewer, Sqn Ldr Al Dolding Flt Lt Paul Hughes, Flt Lt Simon Brown, Flt Lt Colin Deane and Warrant Officer Al Bodkin were awarded first place in the Chartered Management Institute's (CMI), West Yorkshire Business Challenge.

During the challenge each team had to manage a mythical take-away pizza company. Every 30 minutes the institute judges gave the teams new problems to deal with and the decisions and inputs made were entered into a computer model to produce a profit-and-loss sheet for each of the trading periods.

As winners, theirs was the company that made the most profit.

Sqn Ldr Brewer said: "Our company was located on Ludwig Von Beethoven Strasse, and after several suggestions for a name, we came up with Von Bake-Oven - at least it was original.

"Throughout the afternoon, after receiving our performance figures and that of our competitors, we duly adjusted prices, changed advertising methods, and became totally focused on our business trading activities with many heated boardroom discussions taking place. This was a complete change for all of us and made us think 'outside the box'."

The four-hour competition ended with a meal after which judges announced that the RAF team had won Best Advertising Poster as well as Most Profitable Company.

Sqn Ldr Al Dolding said: "We really enjoyed the experience and showed that RAF personnel can compete on an equal footing with industry. We look forward to defending our title."

Updated: 10:53 Monday, June 13, 2005