Between 1906 and 1930, the Daily Mail newspaper, initially on the initiative of its proprietor, Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe,[1] 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.[2]
Prizes
| Year announced | Year awarded | Contest | Amount (£) | Adjusted 2024 amount | Winner(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1906 | 1910 | London to Manchester flight | 10,000 | £1,289,400 | Louis Paulhan |
| 1907 | 1907 | Model aeroplane competition | 100 | £13,400 | Alliott Verdon Roe, W. Howard |
| 1908 | Quarter mile out and return flight | 100 | £13,200 | Henri Farman | |
| 1908 | 1909 | Cross-channel flight | 1,000 | £131,700 | Louis Blériot |
| 1909 | Circular mile by a British aircraft | 1,000 | £131,700 | John Moore-Brabazon | |
| 1909 | 1909 | Fastest lap at Blackpool Aviation Week | 1,000 | £131,700 | Henri Farman[3] |
| 1910 | Second cross-channel flight | 100 | £12,900 | Jacques de Lesseps | |
| 1910 | 1910 | Best cross-country aggregate | 1,000 | £128,900 | Louis Paulhan |
| 1910 | 1911 | Circuit of Britain race | 10,000 | £1,286,300 | André Beaumont (Jean Conneau)[4] |
| 1912 | 1912 | Aerial Derby cup | 105 | £13,100 | Thomas Sopwith |
| 1913 | 1913 | Aerial Derby cup | 105 | £13,100 | Gustav Hamel |
| 1913,[A 1] 1918[5] | 1919 | Transatlantic flight | 10,000 | £580,500 | Alcock and Brown[6] |
| 1913[7] | -- | Circuit of Great Britain for "waterplanes" | 5,000 | £621,500 | [6] |
| 1914 | 1914 | Aerial Derby cup | 105 | £12,700 | W. L. Brock |
| 1914 | Cancelled | Circuit of Great Britain | 5,000 | £606,100 | |
| 1919 | 1919 | Aerial Derby cup | 210 | £12,200 | Gerald Gathergood |
| 1923 | 1923 | Economy flight for motor gliders | 1,000 | £72,000 | |
| 1925 | 1926 | Economy flight for dual-control light aircraft of British construction | 3,000 | £219,900 | George Bulman (Hawker Cygnet)[8] |
| 1930 | 1930 | Solo flight from England to Australia | 10,000 | £798,600 | Amy Johnson[9][10] |
In addition, four "consolation" prizes were awarded:
| Year announced | Year awarded | Contest | Amount (£) | Winner(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1906 | 1910 | London to Manchester flight | 105 | Claude Grahame-White |
| 1910 | 1911 | Round-Britain flight | 200 | Jules Védrines |
| 1913 | 1913 | Round-Britain flight for British "waterplanes" | 1,000 | Harry Hawker |
| 1913 | 1919 | Transatlantic flight | 5,000 | Harry 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. ISBN 0-370-00067-6.