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.

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.

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. 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.

Recipients YearRecipientAccomplishmentAircraft1913Cptn C. A. H. Longcroft, Royal Flying CorpsNon-stop 445 miles, Montrose and FarnboroughRAE B.E.2a1914Sqn Cdr J. W. Sedden, Royal Naval Air ServiceNon-stop flight of 325 miles, Isle of Grain to PlymouthMaurice Farman Seaplane1915–1918Not Awarded1919Cptn Sir John AlcockFirst trans-atlantic flight, (awarded posthumously)Vickers Vimy1920Lt H. J. L. (Bert) HinklerNon-stop flight of 650 miles, Croydon–Turin in 9 hr 35 minutesAvro Baby1921Not Awarded1922F. P. RaynhamA soaring flight of 1hr 53 minutes from Firle1923Alan CobhamA flying tour of the Middle East and North Africa covering 12,000 miles in 130 hoursAirco DH.9C1924Wg Cdr Stanley Goble and Flt Lt Ivor McIntyreCircumnavigation of AustraliaFairey III1925Alan CobhamLondon to Rangoon and return, 17,000 miles in 210 hours flight timede Havilland DH.501926Sir Alan CobhamEmpire route survey flight Rochester to Melbournede Havilland DH.50J1927Lt R. R. BentleyLondon to Cape Town – 7,250 milesde Havilland DH.60 Moth1928Lt H. J. L. (Bert) HinklerFirst flight to Australia in a light aircraft. London to Darwin – 11,005 miles in 15 daysAvro 581E Avian1929Hon. Dame Mary BaileyReturn flight from Croydon to Cape Town, including a tour of South Africa – 18,000 milesde Havilland DH.60 Moth1930Sqn 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 IVA1931Lt H. J. L. (Bert) HinklerNew York City to London via South America and the South Atlantic, 10,560 milesde Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth1932Capt. C. F. UwinsSetting the Class C world altitude record height for aeroplanes of 43,976 ftVickers Vespa1933J. A. MollisonA flight from Lympne to Port Natal, Brazil of 4,600 milesde Havilland DH.80A Puss Moth1934C. W. A. Scott and T. Campbell BlackFor winning the speed section of the MacRobertson Air Race from Mildenhall to Melbournede Havilland DH.88 Comet1935Jean BattenA flight from England to South America including the fastest solo South Atlantic crossing and, the first by a womanPercival Gull1936Jean BattenA flight from England to New Zealand, 14,000 milesPercival Gull1937Fg OffA.E. Clouston For two flights; the Istres (Marseille)–Damascus–Paris race where he came fourth, and for a London–Cape Town flight of 45 hours with a return of hoursde Havilland DH.88 Comet1938Sqn Ldr Richard Kellett Record long distance flight from Ismailia to DarwinVickers Wellesley1939Alex HenshawRecord return flight – London to Cape TownPercival Mew Gull1940–1944Not Awarded1945Grp Cpt H. J. WilsonWorld Speed Record of at Herne BayGloster Meteor IV1946Grp Cpt E. M. DonaldsonWorld Speed Record of at LittlehamptonGloster Meteor IV1947Sqn Ldr H. B. Martin and Sqn Ldr E. B. SismoreLondon to Cape Town record in 21 hr 32 min at 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 de Havilland Vampire (modified)1949Not Awarded1950P. A. WillsOn the occasion of his fourth victory in the British National Gliding Championships1951Captain Oscar Philip JonesSenior British Overseas Airways Corporation pilot with 30 years as an airline Captain flying nearly 20,000 hours and covering over 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 B51953Sqn Ldr R. L. E. Burton and Flt Lt D. H. GannonThe winning of the speed section of the London to Christchurch, NZ race (approx )English Electric Canberra PR31954Not Awarded1955Cpt 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 PR71956L. P. TwissThe world speed record of . First flight officially timed at over Fairey Delta 21957M. Randrup and W. ShirleySetting a height record (for Class C aircraft) of English Electric Canberra B21958Grp Cpt John Cunningham and P. BuggeDevelopment flying of the de Havilland Cometde Havilland Comet1959No. 111 Squadron RAFFor aerobatic display formation worksHawker Hunter F61960T. W. Brooke-SmithFor the first vertical takeoff, transition to normal flight and vertical landing in this aircraftShort SC.11961Anne and D. BurnsFor their achievements at the World Gliding Championships1962Not Awarded1963A. W. BedfordAchievements as Chief Test Pilot of the Hawker Aircraft Company, particularly in development of VTOL aircraftHawker Siddeley P.1127 and Harrier1964Not Awarded1965The Red ArrowsMeritorious service as an aerobatic teamFolland Gnats1966Not Awarded1967Sheila ScottOn the establishment of over 100 point-to-point international recordsPiper Comanche1968Sqn Ldr R. G. HannaLeadership of The Red Arrows for three seasonsFolland Gnat1969–1972Not Awarded1973D. P. DaviesAs Chief Test Pilot of the Air Registration Board, granting airworthiness certificates to commercial aircraft for many years1974–1976Not Awarded1977N. Todd, B. Walpole and S. BoltonThe development, planning and flying of Concorde on its first supersonic trans-Atlantic passenger serviceConcorde1978Sqn Ldr D. G. LeeTwice winning the World Gliding ChampionshipsSchleicher ASW 171979Not Awarded1980Julian NottWorld altitude record in a hot-air balloon of "Innovation" hot air balloon now on display in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Dulles Airport1981Sqn Ldr D. G. LeeA further three victories at the World Gliding ChampionshipsSchempp-Hirth Nimbus-31982–1983Not Awarded1984St 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 staff1985British Hang Gliding Team1986J. Egginton and D. ClewsThe world sectional speed record for a helicopter Westland Lynx1987P. Lindstrand and R. BransonFirst trans-Atlantic crossing by hot air balloon, 3075 in 31 hrs 41 mins.Virgin Atlantic Flyer1988Not Awarded1989British Hang Gliding Team1990British Microlight Team1991Not Awarded1992D. Cameron and R. BaylyThe victory of the first trans-Atlantic balloon race, Maine to Portugal, in 124 hrs 34 minCameron R-77 Rozière balloon1993–1994Not Awarded1995Chris Rollings and Chris PullenThe first glider flight in the UK.Schleicher ASH 25E1996Not Awarded1997David BarefordTwenty years of competition in hot air ballooning, British, European and World Champion and bronze medal at the World Air Games1998Brian MiltonRound the world flight in a flex-wing microlight. This flight crossed 25 countries and took four months and 400 hours flying timePegasus Quantum 9121999Brian Jones and Bertrand PiccardThe first circumnavigation of the world by a free balloon, continuing for a further 4 days to complete , an endurance of nearly 20 daysBreitling Orbiter 32000Jennifer Murray and Colin BodillA microlight versus helicopter race around the globe in support of the charity Operation SmileRobinson R44 (Murray – helicopter) and Mainair Blade (Bodill – microlight)2001British Microlight TeamWinning the second World Air Games and eighth World Microlight Championships2002Not Awarded2003Andrew DavisMeritorious performances in competitions as a glider pilot, including being, from 1981, a member of the British Gliding Team for and unprecedented twelve World Championships2004Richard 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 ()2006Manuel QueirozFirst British pilot to circumnavigate the world in a homebuilt aircraftVan's RV-62007John WilliamsFor developments in the field of gliding sports and the three longest UK glider flights, increasing the furthest distance flown in a day from to 2008David Hempleman-Adams and Jonathan MasonWinners of the Gordon Bennett race2009Cpt Paul BonhommeWinner of the Red Bull Air Race World ChampionshipZivko Edge 5402010Cpt Stephen NoujaimBreaking the London-Cape Town and return-trip records for aircraft under Van's RV-72011David SykesFirst paraplegic to fly solo from England to AustraliaP&M Aviation Quik2012Gerald CooperMeritorious performances in aerobatics culminating in 2012 becoming the European Unlimited Aerobatic ChampionXtreme Air XA-412013Jon HiltonFirst flight by Microlight from Britain to Canada and returning to BritainFlight Design CTSW2014Richard Bird and Richard FosterMicrolight 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 microlight2015British Microlight TeamThe 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.2016Steve Edwards, David Hempleman-Adams and Frederik PaulsenSteve 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 °C. 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 balloon2017Sacha Dench"Flight of the Swans" expedition – 7,000 km 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)2018Peter WilsonPeter 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 16,600 nm 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 32,000 nm in 121 days, (11,600 nm over water) and setting another five world records.

The third Journey Round started on 2 December 2018 around Latin America.Robinson R66 Helicopter

Britannia Trophy

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