The Daily Mail Trans-Atlantic Air Race was a race between London, UK and New York City, USA to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the first trans-atlantic crossing by John Alcock and Arthur Brown.
Organised by the Daily Mail newspaper, the race was held between 4 and 11 May 1969, although named an air race it was actually a race of individuals between the Post Office Tower in London to the Empire State Building in New York. Each of the individuals or "Runners" had to use some form of air transport. With a number of different categories a total of 21 prizes could be won. A number of point-to-point world records for aircraft were broken.
The shortest overall time from London to New York was by Squadron Leader Tom Lecky-Thompson flying a Royal Air Force Hawker Siddeley Harrier in 6 hours 11 minutes. The shortest time from New York to London was by Lieutenant Commander Peter Goddard, a passenger in a Royal Navy McDonnell Douglas Phantom (callsign 'Royal Blue 3', serial XT859) in 5 hours 12 minutes. [1] [2]
The first civil competitor to leave London was Anne Alcock, the niece of Sir John Alcock. She was followed by a number of other runners including Stirling Moss, Mary Rand and Sheila Scott, who used her own private aircraft.
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Flight crews of the Royal Navy involved in the race | |
Team entered by Royal Navy from Fleet Air Arm Officers' Association |
The Royal Navy entered three "runners" each to be flown across the Atlantic in a McDonnell Douglas Phantom. The navy runners used Phantoms which flew from the Floyd Bennett Naval Air Station to Wisley Aerodrome and were refuelled by Handley Page Victor tankers over the Atlantic.
On 11 May 1969 a Royal Navy Phantom of 892 Naval Air Squadron set a new world speed record between New York and London in 4 hours and 46 minutes.
The Vickers Alcock and Brown trophy was awarded to Lieutenant Commander Peter Goddard for his 5 hour 11 minute crossing which was the fastest West to East crossing.
The Royal Air Force decided to use the unique Vertical Take Off and Landing capability of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. [3] The Harrier used a coal yard next to St Pancras station in London and landed at Bristol Basin on the East River in New York. [3]
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Harrier XV741 landing at St Pancras | |
Harrier GR.1 landing at St Pancras from Royal Air Force Museum |
Event | Name | Aircraft | Time [4] | Prize |
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Shortest time | Squadron Leader Tom Lecky-Thompson | Hawker Siddeley Harrier | 6 hrs 11 min | £6,000 |
Sub-sonic aircraft | R. W. Selph | 7 hrs 6 min | £4000 | |
Scheduled passenger flight via Shannon | Clement. R. Freud [5] [lower-alpha 1] | 8hr 4 min | £5000 | |
Unsponsored personal attempt via Shannon | E. A. Freudmann | 8hr 14 min | £2,500 | |
Chartered business jet | Sir Billy Butlin | Hawker Siddeley HS.125 | 11 hrs 30 min [lower-alpha 2] | £500 |
Light Aircraft (man) | S. Wilkinson | Beagle B.206 | 20 hrs 23min | £1000 |
Light aircraft (woman) | Sheila Scott | Piper Comanche | 26 hrs 34 min | £1000 |
Event | Name | Aircraft | Time [4] | Prize |
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Shortest time | Lieutenant Commander Peter Goddard | McDonnell Douglas Phantom | 5 hrs 12 min | £6000 |
Sub-sonic | Peter Hammond | 6 hrs 54 min | £4000 | |
Direct passenger flight | K J Holden | 6 hrs 48 min | £5000 | |
Unsponsored personal attempt | Miss S M Scribner | 6 hrs 55 min | £2,500 | |
Chartered business jet | Tony Drewery | Vickers VC10 | 7 hrs 3 min | £500 |
Light aircraft (man) | Michael Fallon | 21 hrs 31 min | £1000 | |
Light aircraft (woman) | Nancy Kelly | 22 hrs 31 min | £1000 |
The Hawker Siddeley Harrier is a jet-powered attack aircraft designed and produced by the British aerospace company Hawker Siddeley. It was the first operational ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft with vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) capabilities and the only truly successful V/STOL design of that era.
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The Harrier, informally referred to as the Harrier jump jet, is a family of jet-powered attack aircraft capable of vertical/short takeoff and landing operations (V/STOL). Named after a bird of prey, it was originally developed by British manufacturer Hawker Siddeley in the 1960s. The Harrier emerged as the only truly successful V/STOL design of the many attempted during that era. It was conceived to operate from improvised bases, such as car parks or forest clearings, without requiring large and vulnerable air bases. Later, the design was adapted for use from aircraft carriers.
Transatlantic crossings are passages of passengers and cargo across the Atlantic Ocean between Europe or Africa and the Americas. The majority of passenger traffic is across the North Atlantic between Western Europe and North America. Centuries after the dwindling of sporadic Viking trade with Markland, a regular and lasting transatlantic trade route was established in 1566 with the Spanish West Indies fleets, following the voyages of Christopher Columbus.
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John Alcock and Arthur Brown were British aviators who, in 1919, made the first non-stop transatlantic flight. They flew a modified First World War Vickers Vimy bomber from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Clifden, County Galway, Ireland. The Secretary of State for Air, Winston Churchill, presented them with the Daily Mail prize for the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by aeroplane in "less than 72 consecutive hours". A small amount of mail was carried on the flight, making it the first transatlantic airmail flight. The two aviators were awarded the honour of Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) by King George V at Windsor Castle a week later.
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