Between 1906 and 1930, the Daily Mail newspaper, initially on the initiative of its proprietor, Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe,"Direct initiative of Lord Northcliffe Flight" PDF Archive, 6 September 1913 awarded numerous prizes for achievements in aviation. The newspaper would stipulate the amount of a prize for the first aviators to perform a particular task in aviation or to the winner of an aviation race or event. The most famous prizes were the £1,000 for the first cross-channel flight awarded to Louis Blériot in 1909 and the £10,000 given in 1919 to Alcock and Brown for the first non-stop transatlantic flight between North America and Ireland.

The prizes are credited with advancing the course of aviation during the early years, with the considerable sums offered becoming a much-coveted goal for the field's pioneers.

Prizes Year announcedYear awardedContestAmount (£)Adjusted amountWinner(s)19061910London to Manchester flight10,000£Louis Paulhan19071907Model aeroplane competition100£Alliott Verdon Roe, W. Howard1908Quarter mile out and return flight100£Henri Farman19081909Cross-channel flight1,000£Louis Blériot1909Circular mile by a British aircraft1,000£John Moore-Brabazon19091909Fastest lap at Blackpool Aviation Week1,000£Henri Farman1910Second cross-channel flight100£Jacques de Lesseps19101910Best cross-country aggregate1,000£Louis Paulhan19101911Circuit of Britain race10,000£André Beaumont (Jean Conneau)Lewis 1970, pp. 43–44.19121912Aerial Derby cup105£Thomas Sopwith19131913Aerial Derby cup105£Gustav Hamel1913, 19181918 conditions for £10,000 prize1919Transatlantic flight 10,000£Alcock and Brown1913Map showing the course to be followed Flight, 16 August 1913--Circuit of Great Britain for "waterplanes"5,000£19141914Aerial Derby cup105£W. L. Brock1914CancelledCircuit of Great Britain5,000£19191919Aerial Derby cup210£Gerald Gathergood19231923Economy flight for motor gliders1,000£19251926Economy flight for dual-control light aircraft of British construction3,000£George Bulman (Hawker Cygnet)"Lympne Competition 1926", Flight PDF Archive, 23 September 192619301930Solo flight from England to Australia10,000£Amy JohnsonJohnson was also awarded the Harmon Trophy for her achievement

In addition, four "consolation" prizes were awarded:

Year announcedYear awardedContestAmount (£)Winner(s)19061910London to Manchester flight105Claude Grahame-White19101911Round-Britain flight 200Jules Védrines19131913Round-Britain flight for British "waterplanes"1,000Harry Hawker19131919Transatlantic flight5,000Harry Hawker, Kenneth Mackenzie Grieve

See also

List of aviation awards Scott Collection, a collection of aerophilately items relating to the 1912 flights

Annotations

Notes

References Lewis, Peter. British Racing and Record-Breaking Aircraft. London:Putnam, 1970. .