Daily Mail Trans-Atlantic Air Race
Encyclopedia
The Daily Mail Trans-Atlantic Air Race was a race between London
and New York
to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the first trans-atlantic crossing by Alcock and Brown.
in New York to the Post Office Tower in London. 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 between London and New York was by Squadron Leader Tom Lecky-Tompson flying a Royal Air Force
Hawker Siddeley Harrier in 6 hours 11 minutes. The shortest time between New York and London was by Lieutenant Commander Peter Goddard a passenger in a Royal Navy
McDonnell Douglas Phantom in 5 hours 11 minutes.
who used her own private aircraft, Stirling Moss
and Mary Rand
.
to Wisley Aerodrome
and were refuelled
by Handley Page Victor
aerial tankers over the Atlantic.
On 11 May 1969 a Royal Navy Phantom of 892 Naval Air Squadron
set a new world air 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.
decided to use the unique Vertical Take Off and Landing capablilty of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. The Harrier used a coal yard next to St Pancras station
in London and landed on the quayside of the Bristol Basin
in New York.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the first trans-atlantic crossing by Alcock and Brown.
The race
The race was held between the 4 and 11 May 1969, although named an air race it was actually a race of individuals between the Empire State BuildingEmpire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
in New York to the Post Office Tower in London. 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 between London and New York was by Squadron Leader Tom Lecky-Tompson flying a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Hawker Siddeley Harrier in 6 hours 11 minutes. The shortest time between New York and London was by Lieutenant Commander Peter Goddard a passenger in a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
McDonnell Douglas Phantom in 5 hours 11 minutes.
Civilian competitors
The first competitor to leave London was Miss Anne Alcock the niece of Sir John Alcock, she was followed by a number of other runners including Sheila ScottSheila Scott
Sheila Scott OBE , was an English aviatrix.Born Sheila Christine Hopkins in Worcester, Worcestershire, England in 1922, educated at the Alice Ottley School, she broke over 100 aviation records through her long distance flight endeavours, which included a "world and a half" flight in 1971...
who used her own private aircraft, Stirling Moss
Stirling Moss
Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss, OBE FIE is a former racing driver from England...
and Mary Rand
Mary Rand
Mary Denise Rand, MBE, is a former English track-and-field athlete. She won the gold medal in the long jump at the 1964 Summer Olympics by breaking the world record, becoming the first-ever British female to win an Olympic gold medal in a track and field event.-Early life:She is the daughter of...
.
Royal Navy
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 Bennet Naval Air StationFloyd Bennett Field
Floyd Bennett Field is New York City's first municipal airport. While no longer used as an operational commercial, military or general aviation airfield, the New York Police Department still flies its helicopters from its heliport base there...
to Wisley Aerodrome
Wisley Airfield
-History:Built in 1944, the airfield was built for the flight testing of aircraft built at Vickers aircraft factory at the nearby Brooklands. New aircraft types making their first flights from Wisley included the Vickers VC.1 Viking, Valetta, Varsity, Viscount and Valiant...
and were refuelled
Aerial refueling
Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight....
by Handley Page Victor
Handley Page Victor
The Handley Page Victor was a British jet bomber aircraft produced by the Handley Page Aircraft Company during the Cold War. It was the third and final of the V-bombers that provided Britain's nuclear deterrent. The other two V-bombers were the Avro Vulcan and the Vickers Valiant. Some aircraft...
aerial tankers over the Atlantic.
On 11 May 1969 a Royal Navy Phantom of 892 Naval Air Squadron
892 Naval Air Squadron
892 Naval Air Squadron was a carrier-based fighter squadron of the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was formed in 1943, flying Grumman Martlets, and was the only operational Fleet Air Arm squadron to fly the McDonnell Phantom FG.1.-History:...
set a new world air 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.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
decided to use the unique Vertical Take Off and Landing capablilty of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. The Harrier used a coal yard next to St Pancras station
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
in London and landed on the quayside of the Bristol Basin
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
in New York.
London to New York
| Event | Name | Aircraft | Time | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | C R Freud | 8hr 4 min | £5000 | |
| Unsponsored personal attempt via Shannon | E.A.Freudmann | 8hr 14 min | £2,500 | |
| Chartered business jet | Sir Billy Butlin Billy Butlin Sir William Heygate Edmund Colborne Butlin, , was a British, South Africa-born entrepreneur whose name is synonymous with the British holiday camp.American Heritage Dictionary 2004, p. 135.Scott 2001, p. 5... |
Hawker Siddeley HS.125 | 11 hrs 30 min | £500 |
| Light Aircraft (single seat) | S Wilkinson | Beagle | 20 hrs 23min | £1000 |
| Light aircraft (woman) | Sheila Scott Sheila Scott Sheila Scott OBE , was an English aviatrix.Born Sheila Christine Hopkins in Worcester, Worcestershire, England in 1922, educated at the Alice Ottley School, she broke over 100 aviation records through her long distance flight endeavours, which included a "world and a half" flight in 1971... |
Piper Twin Commanche | 26 hrs 34 min | £1000 |
New York to London
| Event | Name | Aircraft | Time | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shortest time | Lieutenant Commander Peter Goddard | McDonnell Douglas Phantom | 5 hrs 11 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 | |
| Charter business jet | Tony Drewery | Vickers VC10 Vickers VC10 The Vickers VC10 is a long-range British airliner designed and built by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd, and first flown in 1962. The airliner was designed to operate on long-distance routes with a high subsonic speed and also be capable of hot and high operations from African airports... |
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 |
External links
- The Atlantic Race - Details of Categories in the "Daily Mail" event - 1969 FlightFlight InternationalFlight International is a global aerospace weekly publication produced in the UK. Founded in 1909, it is the world's oldest continuously published aviation news magazine...
pre-race article - Harrier at St Pancras? - a 1969 news item in Flight about the probable take-off point for the RAF's Harrier entry
- Air Race Record news of the unofficial New York - London record set by the Royal Navy Phantom