Royal Aero Club

Awards & Trophies

SILVER MEDAL OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB

The gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded annually for outstanding achievement in aviation during the preceding year or over a number of years, principally, but not necessarily, as a pilot.

1910 A. Ogilvie
1910 R. Loraine
1910 Lt.Col. J.D. Dunville
1911 P. Prier
1911 C.F. Pollock
1911 J. Valentine
1911 S.F. Cody
1912 No award
1913 H.G. Hawker
1914-33 No award
1934 O. Cathcart-Jones
1934 K.H.C. Waller
1935-47 No award
1948 A.E. Bristow
1949 C.L. Pashley
1950 Capt. Sir G. de Havilland
1950 M.H.A. Petre
1951 A.E. George
1952 No award
1953 W.Cdr. R.H. Mclntosh
1954 No award
1955 S.Ldr. J.S. Fifield
1956 Lt.Cdr. G.A.J. Goodhart & Cdr. H.C.N. Goodhart
1957 W.Cdr. C.A. Arthur
1957 Lt Col. A.J. Deane-Drummond
1957 Capt. E.E. Fresson
1958 Ann Welch
1959 Major D.W. Williams
1960 No award
1961 A.M. Houlberg
1962 R.R. Paine
1963 Col. R.L. Preston,
1963 E.J. Furlong
1964 F.N. Slingsby
1964 R.E. Hardingham
1965 N.H. Jones
1965 J.K. Quill
1966 Sheila Scott
1966 G.H. Miles
1967 R.D. Wilson
1968-70 No award
1971 F. Irving
1971 J.L. Dell
1972 Janet Ferguson
1972 J. Nott
1973 D.A. Cameron
1973 R. Jones
1973 T. Storey
1974 J. Williamson
1975 C. Simpson
1975 W.Cdr. K.H. Wallis
1976 S. Ames
1976 J. Hartley
1977 E.S. Baddeley
1977 L.H. Riddell
1978 Dr. A. Slater
1978 P. Clark
1979 J. Meacock
1980 G. Green
1980 M. Jones
1980 R. Nesbitt-Dufort
1981 A. Greenhalgh
1981 J. Spiller
1981 R. Stratton
1982 J.M.K. Black
1982 C. Shea-Simonds
1982 J. Stewart-Wood
1983 J. Bagley
1983 A.V.M. B. Brownlow
1984 M. Imray
1984 S. Smith & C. Brown
1984 F. Wootton
1984 T.S. Zealley
1985 N. Dacre
1985 S. Scott
1985 D. Worrall
1985 C. Williams
1986 J. Blake
1986 R. Moulton
1987 J. Leden
1987 C. Nicholas
1987 B. Snook
1988 J. Long
1988 K. Mansell
1988 F. Marsh
1988 A. McClymont
1988 A.Wakelin
1989 T. Mace
1990 T. Bradbury
1990 P. Halman
1991 R. Legg
1991 B. Watson
1992 Martin Dilly
1993 Edward Mole
1994 Mark Jefferies
1994 Laurence Shaw
1995 Diana Britten
Diana Britten won the premier British award in acrobatic competition, the Neil Williams/Daily Telegraph Trophy at the British Aerobatic Association's National Championships in September 1995 and so took the title of British Aerobatic Champion.
1995 Michael Carnet
Michael Carnet has made extraordinary contributions to British paragliding as a pilot, Chief Flying Instructor, record breaker, team captain, team leader and master tactician in three World Championships, and Chairman of the BAPC/BHPA PC Competitions Committee.
1995 Wally Kahn
Wally Kahn, to recognise his enormous contribution to gliding over 50 years. He first flew solo in a glider in 1946 and achieved his FAI Silver Badge the same year (No. 85 on the British Register). A year later he gained his Gold Badge and in 1975 reached the highest achievement of all three Diamonds - only the 50th pilot in the UK to do so.
1996 David Cole
David Cole is Chairman of the British Microlight Aircraft Association. His FAI posts have included president of the Microlight Commission, member and currently president of CASI, and FAI vice-president for the United Kingdom. He directed both European Microlight Championships in Britain, and currently represents the United Kingdom in the World Air Games organisation.
1996 David Faulkner Bryant
David Faulkner Bryant was Chairman of PFA. He was the guiding hand and driving force during the Popular Flying Association's twenty formative years from the mid-sixties. His personal example and ever cheerful leadership provided the groundwork that endures today in the voluntary aspects of all things PFA, which now has a current membership of 9,000.
1996 Tom Hardie
Tom Hardie was the BHGA's airspace officer and was elected Chairman in 1991. His tireless devotion played a large part in the successful amalgamation of the BHGA and the BAPC in 1992, forming the British Hang-Gliding and Paragliding Association, of which he was the first Chairman. His enthusiastic work with NATMAC and the GAWG protects members freedom to fly.
1996 William Walker M.P.
Bill Walker, M.P. learned to glide with the ATC in 1943 and was chief flying instructor at Edzell and a staff instructor at No. 2 Gliding Centre. he later held several other posts in the Air Cadets at progressively senior levels. As an M.P. his support resulted in improvements in the ATC fleet of gliders, and as parliamentary spokesman for the BGA he helped to preserve a prime Scottish gliding site threatened by an airway and continues to promote airsport.
1997 Gillian Bryce-Smith
Gillian Bryce-Smith became Editor of the British Gliding Association's magazine, Sailplane & Gliding, in 1973. Since then she has overseen its progress from a slightly amateur publication produced by a committee, to a highly successful magazine with an increasing circulation and a healthy account balance.
1997 Jeff Chandler
Jeff Chandler has trained over 5,000 parachute students. He has been a member of the British team each year since 1982 and made over 6,000 jumps. In 1997 he won the World Championships for Parachute Accuracy Landings in the Senior event and continues to compete at all levels in all parachute disciplines.
1997 Paul Dewhurst
Paul Dewhurst has competed in international Microlight competitions since 1990. He has been British, European and World Champion in the single-seat weight-shift class. In 1997, flying a fixed-wing aircraft, he won the Gold Medal at the World Air Games in Turkey. He has captained the British team and enthusiastically passes his expertise on to newcomers to the sport.
1997 Steve Good, Mike Smith, Jennifer Murray & Quentin Smith
Steve Good , Mike Smith, Jennifer Murray and Quentin Smith circumnavigated the world in opposite directions, flying two light helicopters. The latter pair's flight was sponsored by Air BP and raised over £100,000 for charity.
1998 Ian Ashpole
Ian has a wide experience of flying, including 300 hours piloting aircraft, 1000 parachute drops and over 2500 hours in Balloons and Airships. He is a member of the BBAC Flying Committee and a CAA Examiner. He has been involved in many balloon experiments and film stunts, including tightrope walking, trapeze and abseiling from balloons, while earning a reputation for safety.
1998 Richard Long
Richard started paragliding in 1989. As well as becoming a Club coach, he was soon elected as BAPC national treasurer. He managed the merger with the British Hang Gliding Association to form the BHPA, and was responsible for setting up the new operating company. He has recently retired as treasurer, having overseen a ten-fold growth and leaving a very healthy organisation with an annual turnover of nearly £1M.
1998 William Scull
Bill has been gliding for over 40 years. He was initially an Instructor on powered aircraft and then Gliders. Since 1969 he has worked for the BGA as National Coach and then Director of Operations. He retired in 1994, but has continued as Chairman of the Safety Committee, and on external committees including the RAeC parliamentary committee, and the General Aviation Safety Council. He is the author of several books on gliding.
1998 David Wise
David has given 16 years of service to the PFA in several background roles. He was on the Executive Committee for nine years and subsequently the UK delegate to the FAI Homebuilt Commission for six years. He has represented PFA on external committees and contributed regularly to the magazine. He used his experience of foreign touring to write the PFA booklet on 'Crossing the Channel' and has done much to encourage the large number of PFA pilots who now venture abroad. For ten years, he has been manager of aircraft parking for the PFA Annual Rally, which attracts over 1700 visiting aircraft.
1999 Peter Allum
Peter has been at the top of competitive parachuting and sky-diving for 20 years. His 14,000 jumps are believed to be a record. He has been British National Champion in 4- and 8-way free-style 18 times, and has represented Britain 15 times in European and World Championships. As well as participating, he has made a major contribution in coaching the formation sky-diving teams.
1999 Simon Baker
Simon has been flying Microlights for 23 years. As well as qualifying as an Instructor, Examiner and Senior Inspector, he has been very active in promoting microlight flying, including appearing in television documentaries. He has also been very successful in top-level competitions, including British two-seat champion five times and World Champion twice.
1999 Tim Ellison.
Tim suffered serious spinal injuries in the crash of an RAF Harrier in 1992. He has made a remarkable fight-back over several years. Through the help of a specialist school in the USA, he regained a flying licence and became the first paraplegic to gain a US ATPL. He flew himself home across the Atlantic in a modified Beech Bonanza, and is now flying commercially on a Cessna Citation. He is Vice-Chairman of the British Disabled Flying Club, and plays a leading role in their activities.
1999 Simon Ward.
Simon has been parachuting for 20 years and has made 3,500 jumps. He is among the World's leading parachute camermen and has made a major contribution to promoting sport parachuting in the media. He has been involved in many television documentaries, commercials and stunts, as well as recording major parachute events, including free-fall link-up record attempts. He was Chairman of the organisers for the successful all-British team of 100 sky-divers which broke the formation skydiving record in July 1999.
2000 Francis Donaldson
Francis has been Chief Engineer of the Popular Flying Association for ten years. He is responsible for overseeing the airworthiness of about 1500 flying aircraft and 1000 construction projects, including over 100 new aircraft completed by PFA members each year. He has consistently struck a balance between the requirements of the CAA and helping members with new designs, and his example has facilitated delegation by the CAA to other air sport organisations.
2000 Roger Hayes
Roger has been taking part in air racing for over 20 years and nearly 100 races. He is only the third person since its inception in 1922 to have won the King's Cup three times, in 1989, 1993 and 1999.
2000 Lindsay Muir
Lindsay established a women's world record for balloons in classes AX-10 to AX-15 with a flight of over 19 hours. The flight started in Kent, then crossed the Channel to France. It was planned to fly through the night but bad weather necessitated a night landing at 0125 near Lisbourg. Lindsay has been ballooning for many years and has an outstanding record in competitions and record-setting.
2000 Adrian Nicholas
Adrian broke the world records for free-fall endurance and distance, which had stood for over 40 years. Use of a novel winged suit enabled him to develop lift from his body travelling at over 100 mph. He jumped from about 30,000 ft and covered 10 miles from the drop point while free-falling for over five minutes. He has made over 7000 jumps and participated in free-fall formation records. He has played a major role in pushing back the boundaries in sky-diving, and in coaching others in making high-performance jumps safely.
2001 Brian Cosgrove, MBE
Brian, affectionately referred to as the Father of Microlighting, has done a huge amount to promote the BMAA as an independent authority respected by the CAA in both pilot traning and engineering.
2001 Lofty Thomas
Since joining the British Parachute Association in 1966 Lofty has given sustained and exceptional service. He has served as Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the BPA, was Team Leader at the 1982 World Championships and was also Head of Delegation at several of international events.
2001 Kath Watson
During her 14 years as Chairman of the BMFA Kath has steered the Association through a large growth in membership. She launched the newspaper BMFA News in 1990. She secured substantial sponsorship from BAE Systems for the British Model Aerospace Challenge and more recently sponsorship for the University Challenge
2002 Johnny Carr
Johnny Carr started hang gliding in 1972, in the early days of the sport. He is the only person to have competed in the National Hang Gliding League every year since its inception in 1976. He has been British Champion on several occasions from 1981 to 2002 and a medal winner in international and World Championships. He has been on the BHGA & BHPA competitions committee since its inception and is Life President of the Southern HG Club.
2002 Peter McDermott
Peter McDermott has been a regular member of the UK team for Radio-Control Scale Model flying since 1986 and has been a consistent medal-winner at European and World Championships. He has been on the BMFA Scale Technical Committee since 1986 and the FAI-CIAM Scale sub-committee since 1995, where he has been responsible for a complete rewrite of the F4C Judges guide and several successful rule-change proposals.
2002 Terry Slater
Terry Slater has been gliding since 1961. He became CFI of an RAFGSA club in 1970 and a Senior Examiner in 1987. He has run many courses, particularly encouraging junior development. He has served on the BGA Executive and the Instructors Committee, and has recently played a major role in negotiating the introduction of the NPPL.
2003 Alan Cassidy.
Alan Cassidy retired as an RAF engineer in 1990 and became a full-time aerobatic pilot and instructor. He has won the British national championship four times, and has been a member of the British team at most international championships since 1995. He has been head of contest organisation for the BAeA since 1991. He is the current UK delegate to the FAI Aerobatic Commission and has been a member of the International Jury at several FAI Championships. He is involved with a scheme to identify young British aerobatic pilots and to arrange scholarships to help them develop to an internationally competitive standard.
2003 Jez Hood.
Jez Hood won the Standard Class at the 2003 World Junior Gliding Championships, held at Nitra in Slovakia, with a consistent performance involving more than 40 hours flying over 11 days. He had previously achieved 5th place in 1999 and Silver in 2001. He was also the UK Junior Champion in 2001.
2003 Gordon Rigg.
Gordon Rigg started flying hang gliders in 1984, and in 1987 took part in his first UK Championships. In 1989 he set a UK distance record of 152 miles, which stood for ten years. He has won the UK Championships five times since 1996, fighting his way back to the title after a serious back injury. He has been a member of the UK Team since 1996, including serving as Captain, and has won several team medals. He has been active in Coaching both at his local Club and for upcoming competition pilots. He has served on the hang gliding competitions panel for many years, and has contributed articles on the competition scene to every issue of the BHPA magazine for eight years.
2003 Reggie Spooner.
Reggie Spooner became involved with hang gliding in its earliest days in 1972. Using his professional knowledge, he set up the specialist Airsports Insurance Bureau. When the BHGA was set up in 1974, he was one of the first Council members, later becoming Chairman and then a Vice-President. When the BHGA merged to form the BHPA in 1992, he retired from the Council. He gave the AIB to the BHPA, since when it has contributed £30,000 to BHPA funds. He also set up a £30,000 trust fund for the development of hang gliding. The Trust provided the catalyst for the South Wales club to raise funds and purchase a 1000-acre site at Blorenge, and has since been instrumental in the purchase of two other sites.
2004 Gordon Isles.
Gordon Isles has been flying control line model aircraft for 23 years. For ten years he has been a member of the UK F2A speed team. He has been placed second in European and World Championships on five occasions and has also served as team manager. He has pushed up the UK record for speed and is the current holder at 299 kph. He pioneered the use of carbon fibre wings in speed models. His main forte is the design of propellers where he has worked closely with Dowty-Rotol and he has his own wind tunnel for experiments.
2004 Harriet Pottinger.
Harriet Pottinger became involved in hang gliding in 1994 when she edited a newsletter for pilots in exchange for lessons. By 1996 she won most of the competitions at her club in Devon and also joined its committee. She also took up paragliding in 1998 and is a talented pilot in both disciplines. She was elected to the BHPA Executive Council in 1997, and became Chairman of its Board of Directors in 1999, where she has served until her recent retirement. She will be remembered for her close grasp of all areas of the association's activities, and her organising skills, commitment and tireless work for BHPA.
2004 Andy Shaw.
Andy Shaw first competed in the parascending National Championships in 1980, and has won the Under-18 and Army Championships. Subsequently he has rarely been outside the top three in the UK Nationals, and has won the individual title five times. He has captained the Green Dragons to six team Championship victories. He was squad coach and team member winning Gold at the World Accuracy Championships in 2000 and Silver in 2003, and World Number One ranking in 2004. He became CFI of the Green Dragons Club, which he developed into one of the leading paragliding and hang gliding clubs in Britain, introducing thousands of people to the sport. He has developed a training course for paraglider instructors and club managers. Since 2001 he has been an EC member of the BHPA, where he has been working to develop youth participation.
2004 Geoff Weighell.
Geoff Weighell started flying hang gliders and moved on to early microlights in 1981. He is a successful competition pilot. He was a member of the British team which won the first World Championships in 1985. He won the round Britain Rally in 1999 and in 2003 led the team which flew a microlight for 1000 nautical miles in a day. He progressed to become an Instructor, an Instructor-course trainer and an Instructor Examiner. He has been the Chairman of the CAA Panel of Microlight Examiners since 1994, and his influence has achieved a high level of professionalism and safety in microlight instruction. In 2001 he was elected Chairman of BMAA and played a major role in negotiating the successful introduction of the NPPL.
2005 Janet Folkes.
Janet Folkes has been involved in Ballooning for over 20 years, initially flying hot-air balloons and as a competition observer, but more recently flying Roziere and gas balloons. She established 45 World records, many of which still stand today. In 1995 she set the women's World altitude and British distance and general duration records for AX-2 (cloud-hopper) balloons. In 1998 she set women's World distance, duration and altitude records for a Rosiere balloon. In 1999 she set the British general duration and altitude records for a gas balloon. She has competed in several Gordon Bennett and American Challenge gas balloon races, and in 2005 flew 1500 miles from New Mexico to Canada, giving her the British General distance and duration records by a large margin. As well as ballooning she also flies helicopters and hang gliders, and is a sky-diver.
2006 Chris Gay.
Chris Gay is an experienced formation sky-diver, and was taking part in a 16-way canopy formation stack at Empuriarava, Spain in May 2006. Chris had already joined the stack when another participant was knocked unconcious in a collision when leaving the aircraft. Chris pursued the victim for 3/4 mile and eventually achieved a very skilful docking and then a safe lending on the beach, thereby saving her life.
2006 Awarded to Cliff Piper.
Cliff Piper is a retired Commercial Pilot and joined the PFA in 1972. He is one of the few members who have built and flown an aircraft that he designed himself. He organised the homebuilders exhibition at the PFA Annual Rally for many years. He was elected to the Executive Committee in 1992. His biggest contribution has been as Chairman of the PFA Pilot Coaching Scheme. This is to give training for type conversion and farm-strip operation by a national team of Coaches operating under an exemption from the CAA. Subsequently he negotiated approval for the PCS Coaches to conduct biennial reviews. He has also played a major role in the negotiations to establish the NPPL. He was the PFA Representative on the board of GASCO for 12 years.
2006 Awarded to Dr Peter Saundby.
Peter Saundby became a RAF Medical Officer in 1957, retiring as an Air Commodore in 1991. He has held a PPL since 1953 and has been a glider pilot since 1960, becoming an instructor and Medical Adviser to the BGA. For over 20 years, he has been the UK representative to the FAI Medical Commission and Medical Coordinator for Europe Air Sports. He successfully argued the case for a simplified medical requirements for the NPPL in the UK, and is now negotiating with EASA to apply the same rules to the proposed European Recreational PPL. Thousands of British recreational pilots have benefitted from his negotiating skills.
2006 Leigh Wells.
Leigh Wells won the Gold Medal at the 2006 World Standard Class Championships, becoming the youngest World Gliding Champion. He had previously won the UK Junior Championship and a number of National Championships and Bronze in the 2005 European 15 metre Class.
2007 Robert Grimwood.
Robert Grimwood started flying weight-shift microlights despite having lost the sight of one eye. He won a bursary and went solo on his 17th Birthday, and soon qualified as an instructor. He instructed part-time while at University, where he achieved an MSc in Aeronautical Engineering. He now works as CFI of Plastows Microlight Club and as an airworthiness engineer for BMAA. He crewed with Paul Dewhurst and they won Bronze at the 1999 World Championships. Then, as pilot, he won Silver at the 2003 Worlds. This has been followed by Gold medals in the 2004 European Championships and the 2005 and 2007 World Championships.
2007 Peter Harvey.
Peter Harvey was one of the world’s leading hang glider pilots, having flown in many international competitions world-wide. His successes included British National Champion and setting the UK foot-launched distance record. He won two Golds and a Bronze medal with the British Team in World and European Hang Gliding Championships. Looking for a new challenge, in 1995 he turned to competition gliding. He has since won the British Standard Class, Open Class and UK Overseas Gliding Championships. Internationally he won Gold Medals at the 2005 and 2007 Europeans and Bronze at the 2006 World Championships, and has been selected for the UK team for the 2008 Worlds. He is a coach for the BGA Junior International teams and young competitors.
2007 David Hempleman-Adams.
David Hempleman-Adams has had a prolific career in balloon record-breaking, and he was previously awarded the RAeC Gold medal in 2000 and the Britannia Trophy in 2005. This award is to acknowledge his most recent achievements during 2007. In Canada in January, he set a new World Altitude Record for small Class AX-5 hot air balloons with a flight to 9,900 metres (32,500 ft). The extreme cold resulted in the Barographs failing, so the flight had to be repeated. Then in July, he made a solo trans-Atlantic crossing in the smallest balloon ever used, only 1,000 cu.m. This covered 4227 km in 89 hours, establishing several World records.
   

 

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