Britannia Trophy

The Britannia Trophy is a British award presented by the Royal Aero Club for aviators accomplishing the most meritorious performance in aviation during the previous year.[1]

In 1911 Horatio Barber, who was a founder member of the Royal Aero Club, was given £100 for a commercial flight. Not wanting to tarnish his amateur status, he presented the money to the club for the trophy.[2]

The first award was presented in 1913 to Captain C.A.H Longcroft of the Royal Flying Corps for a non-stop flight from Montrose to Farnborough in a Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2a.[2] The trophy has not been awarded every year, particularly during the first and second world wars, and has been awarded jointly and to teams, as well as individuals.

In 1952 the Royal Aero Club presented plaques to all the surviving holders who previously only held the trophy for one year and were not given a permanent memento.[2]

Recipients

Year Recipient Accomplishment Aircraft
1913Cptn C.A.H. Longcroft, Royal Flying CorpsNon-stop 445 miles, Montrose and FarnboroughRAE B.E.2a
1914Sqn Cdr J.W. Sedden, Royal Naval Air ServiceNon-stop flight of 325 miles, Isle of Grain to PlymouthMaurice Farman Seaplane
1915–1918Not Awarded
1919Cptn Sir John AlcockFirst trans-atlantic flight, (awarded posthumously)Vickers Vimy
1920Lt H.J.L (Bert) HinklerNon-stop flight of 650 miles, Croydon - Turin in 9 hr 35 minutesAvro Baby
1921Not Awarded
1922F. P. RaynhamA soaring flight of 1hr 53 minutes from Firle
1923Alan Cobham (later Sir Alan)A flying tour of the Middle East and North Africa covering 12,000 miles in 130 hoursAirco DH.9C
1924Wg Cdr Stanley Goble and Flt Lt Ivor McIntyreCircumnavigation of AustraliaFairey III
1925Alan CobhamLondon to Rangoon and return, 17,000 miles in 210 hours flight timede Havilland DH.50
1926Sir Alan CobhamEmpire route survey flight Rochester to Melbournede Havilland DH.50J
1927Lt R.R. BentleyLondon to Cape Town - 7,250 milesde Havilland DH.60 Moth
1928Lt H.J.L (Bert) HinklerFirst flight to Australia in a light aircraft. London to Darwin - 11,005 miles in 15 daysAvro 581E Avian
1929Hon. Dame Mary BaileyReturn flight from Croydon to Cape Town, including a tour of South Africa - 18,000 milesde Havilland DH.60 Moth
1930Sqn Ldr Charles Kingsford-SmithFor two flights; a West bound trans-atlantic flight Dublin to Harbour Grace (Fokker) and Heston to Darwin (Avro)Fokker F.VIIb/3m and Avro 616 Avian IVA
1931Lt H.J.L (Bert) HinklerNew York City to London via South America and the South Atlantic, 10,560 milesde Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth
1932Capt. C.F. UwinsSetting the Class C world altitude record height for aeroplanes of 43,976 ftVickers Vespa
1933J.A. MollisonA flight from Lympne to Port Natal, Brazil of 4,600 milesde Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth
1934C. W. A. Scott & T. Campbell BlackFor winning the speed section of the MacRobertson Air Race from Mildenhall to Melbournede Havilland DH.88 Comet
1935Jean BattenA flight from England to South America including the fastest solo South Atlantic crossing and, the first by a womanPercival Gull
1936Jean BattenA flight from England to New Zealand, 14,000 milesPercival Gull
1937Fg Off A.E. CloustonFor two flights; the Istres (Marseilles) - Damascus - Paris race where he came fourth, and for a London - Cape Town flight of 45 hours with a return of 57½ hoursde Havilland DH.88 Comet
1938Sqn Ldr R. KellettRecord long distance flight from Ismailia to DarwinVickers Wellesley
1939Alex HenshawRecord return flight - London to Cape TownPercival Mew Gull
1940–1944Not Awarded
1945Grp Cpt H.J. WilsonWorld Speed Record of 606 mph (975 km/h) at Herne BayGloster Meteor IV
1946Grp Cpt E.M. DonaldsonWorld Speed Record of 606 mph (975 km/h) at LittlehamptonGloster Meteor IV
1947Sqn Ldr H.B. Martin & Sqn Ldr E.B. SismoreLondon to Cape Town record in 21 hr 32 min at 279 mph (449 km/h)de Havilland Mosquito PR34 (a modified Mosquito with 1710 hp RR Merlin 113A engines for "dedicated photo-reconnaissance")
1948Grp Cpt John CunninghamClass C Aeroplane height record at 59,445 ft (18,119 m)de Havilland Vampire (modified)
1949Not Awarded
1950P.A. WillsOn the occasion of his fourth victory in the British National Gliding Championships
1951Captain Oscar Philip JonesSenior British Overseas Airways Corporation pilot with 30 years as an airline Captain flying nearly 20,000 hours and covering over 3,000,000 mi (4,800,000 km)
1952Wg Cdr R.P. Beaumont, Flt Lt P. Hillwood and Sqn Ldr D.A. WatsonFirst double crossing of the Atlantic within 24 hoursEnglish Electric Canberra B5
1953Sqn Ldr R.L.E. Burton & Flt Lt D.H. GannonThe winning of the speed section of the London to Christchurch, NZ race (approx 11,781 mi (18,960 km))English Electric Canberra PR3
1954Not Awarded
1955Cpt J.W. Hackett and P.J. MoneypennyRecords set for a return London - New York flight with a total time of 14 hr 22 minsEnglish Electric Canberra PR7
1956L.P. TwissThe world speed record of 1,132 mph (1,822 km/h). First flight officially timed at over 1,000 mph (1,600 km/h)Fairey Delta 2
1957M. Randrup and W. ShirleySetting a height record (for Class C aircraft) of 70,300 ft (21,400 m)English Electric Canberra B2
1958Grp Cpt John Cunningham & P. BuggeDevelopment flying of the de Havilland Cometde Havilland Comet
1959No. 111 Squadron RAFFor aerobatic display formation worksHawker Hunter F6
1960T.W. Brooke-SmithFor the first vertical takeoff, transition to normal flight and vertical landing in this aircraftShort SC.1
1961Anne and D. BurnsFor their achievements at the World Gliding Championships
1962Not Awarded
1963A.W. BedfordAchievements as Chief Test Pilot of the Hawker Aircraft Company, particularly in development of VTOL aircraftHawker Siddeley P.1127 & Harrier
1964Not Awarded
1965The Red ArrowsMeritorious service as an aerobatic teamFolland Gnats
1966Not Awarded
1967Sheila ScottOn the establishment of over 100 point-to-point international recordsPiper Comanche
1968Sqn Ldr R.G. HannaLeadership of The Red Arrows for three seasonsFolland Gnat
1969–1972Not Awarded
1973D.P. DaviesAs Chief Test Pilot of the Air Registration Board, granting airworthiness certificates to commercial aircraft for many years
1974–1976Not Awarded
1977N. Todd, B. Walpole and S. BoltonThe development, planning and flying of Concorde on its first supersonic trans-Atlantic passenger serviceConcorde
1978Sqn Ldr D.G. LeeTwice winning the World Gliding ChampionshipsSchleicher ASW 17[3]
1979Not Awarded
1980Julian NottWorld altitude record in a hot-air balloon of 55,134 ft (16,805 m)"Innovation" hot air balloon now on display in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Dulles Airport
1981Sqn Ldr D. G. LeeA further three victories at the World Gliding ChampionshipsSchempp-Hirth Nimbus-3[4]
1982–1983Not Awarded
1984St John Ambulance air wingOutstanding service since 1972 by their team of 165 volunteer pilots in transporting over 700 heart and liver transplants with accompanying medical staff
1985British Hang Gliding Team
1986J. Egginton & D. ClewsThe world sectional speed record for a helicopter 401 km/h (249 mph)Westland Lynx
1987P. Lindstrand & R. BransonFirst trans-Atlantic crossing by hot air balloon, 3075 3,075 mi (4,949 km) in 31 hrs 41 mins.Virgin Atlantic Flyer
1988Not Awarded
1989British Hang Gliding Team
1990British Microlight Team
1991Not Awarded
1992D. Cameron & R. BaylyThe victory of the first trans-Atlantic balloon race, Maine to Portugal, 4,823 km (2,997 mi) in 124 hrs 34 minCameron R-77 Rozière balloon
1993–1994Not Awarded
1995Chris Rollings and Chris PullenThe first 1,000 km (620 mi) glider flight in the UK.Schleicher ASH 25E
1996Not Awarded
1997David BarefordTwenty years of competition in hot air ballooning, British, European and World Champion and bronze medal at the World Air Games
1998Brian MiltonRound the world flight in a flex-wing microlight. This flight crossed 25 countries and took four months and 400 hours flying timePegasus Quantum 912
1999Brian Jones & Bertrand PiccardThe first circumnavigation of the world by a free balloon, continuing for a further 4 days to complete 40,814 km (25,361 mi), an endurance of nearly 20 daysBreitling Orbiter 3
2000Jennifer Murray & Colin BodillA microlight versus helicopter race around the globe in support of the charity Operation SmileRobinson R44 (Murray - helicopter) & Mainair Blade (Bodill - microlight)
2001British Microlight TeamWinning the second World Air Games & eighth World Microlight Championships
2002Not Awarded
2003Andrew DavisMeritorious performances in competitions as a glider pilot, including being, from 1981, a member of the British Gliding Team for and unprecedented twelve World Championships
2004Richard Meredith-HardyFlying over Mount Everest in a weight-shift microlightPegasus Quantum (with a turbo-charged Rotax 914 engine)
2005David Hempleman-AdamsA new World Altitude Record for open-basket hot-air airship (21,830 ft (6,650 m))
2006Manuel QueirozFirst British pilot to circumnavigate the world in a homebuilt aircraftVan's RV-6
2007John WilliamsFor developments in the field of gliding sports and the three longest UK glider flights, increasing the furthest distance flown in a day from 1,020 km (630 mi) to 1,540 km (960 mi)
2008David Hempleman-Adams & Jonathan MasonWinners of the Gordon Bennett race
2009Cpt Paul BonhommeWinner of the Red Bull Air Race World ChampionshipZivko Edge 540
2010Cpt Stephen NoujaimBreaking the London-Cape Town and return-trip records for aircraft under 1,000 kg (2,200 lb)Van's RV-7
2011David SykesFirst paraplegic to fly solo from England to AustraliaP&M Aviation Quik
2012Gerald CooperMeritorious performances in aerobatics culminating in 2012 becoming the European Unlimited Aerobatic ChampionXtreme Air XA-41
2013Jon HiltonFirst flight by Microlight from Britain to Canada and returning to BritainFlight Design CTSW
2014 Richard Bird & Richard Foster Microlight flight from Goodwood to Cape Town and back in their Comko C42 microlight. Departing on New Year's Day, they flew a total of 14846 nautical miles in 39 flying days, returning on 14 May. Comko C42 microlight
2015 British Microlight Team The British Microlight Team excelled itself in the 2015 FAI World Air Games in Dubai. The British Team performed a clean sweep of the medals with David Broom winning Gold, Paul Dewhurst Silver and Rees Keene the Bronze medal, with Mark Fowler in fourth, Rob Keene in sixth and Chris Saysell in eighth place.
2016 Steve Edwards, David Hempleman-Adams and Frederik Paulsen Steve Edwards, David Hempleman-Adams and Frederik Paulsen took off from the Geographical North Pole in a Lindstrand 105 hot air balloon on 16 April 2016.

The wind chill at the surface of the North Pole was -40° Celsius. causing all of the fuel cylinder gauges to freeze and one of the burners to freeze in the on position. After a distance of 41.2Nm, the crew landed, put up an emergency shelter and made a nice cup of tea.

Lindstrand 105 hot air balloon
2017 Sacha Dench ‘Flight of the Swans’ expedition - 7,000km from the Russian arctic to the UK on a paramotor following the Bewick's swan migration. During the conservation adventure – spanning 11 different countries – she also became the first woman ever to cross the English Channel by paramotor. Paramotor (powered paraglider)
2018 Peter Wilson Peter undertook a series of three epic journeys in his Robinson R66 Helicopter.

On his first journey In  2016 he flew round Africa solo in a VFR helicopter through 23 different countries, completing 16,600nm in 73 days and setting three world records.

For his second journey in 2017 with Matthew Gallacher, they travelled east around the world passing through 42 countries completing 32,000nm in 121 days, (11,600nm over water) and setting another five world records.

The third Journey Round started on 2 December 2018 around Latin America.

Robinson R66 Helicopter

See also

References

  1. "Royal Aero Club Awards and Trophies - The Britannia Trophy". Royal Aero Club. Archived from the original on 10 October 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  2. "The Britannia Trophy Milestones In British Flying For Forty Years". Obituaries. The Times (52501). London. 22 December 1952. col F, p. 7.
  3. "Flight International Archive". 29 December 1979. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  4. "Flight International Archive". 18 December 1982. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
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