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]
| Year announced | Year awarded | Contest | Amount (£) | Adjusted amount | Winner(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1906 | 1910 | London to Manchester flight | 10,000 | £ | Louis Paulhan | |
| 1907 | 1907 | Model aeroplane competition | 100 | £ | Alliott Verdon Roe, W. Howard | |
| 1908 | Quarter mile out and return flight | 100 | £ | Henri Farman | ||
| 1908 | 1909 | Cross-channel flight | 1,000 | £ | Louis Blériot | |
| 1909 | Circular mile by a British aircraft | 1,000 | £ | John Moore-Brabazon | ||
| 1909 | 1909 | Fastest lap at Blackpool Aviation Week | 1,000 | £ | Henri Farman[3] | |
| 1910 | Second cross-channel flight | 100 | £ | Jacques de Lesseps | ||
| 1910 | 1910 | Best cross-country aggregate | 1,000 | £ | Louis Paulhan | |
| 1910 | Paris to London flight | 50 | £ | John Moisant | ||
| 1910 | 1911 | Circuit of Britain race | 10,000 | £ | André Beaumont (Jean Conneau)[4] | |
| 1912 | 1912 | Aerial Derby cup | 105 | £ | Thomas Sopwith | |
| 1913 | 1913 | Aerial Derby cup | 105 | £ | Gustav Hamel | |
| 1913, 1918[5] | 1919 | 10,000 | £ | Alcock and Brown | ||
| 1913[6] | -- | Circuit of Great Britain for "waterplanes" | 5,000 | £ | ||
| 1914 | 1914 | Aerial Derby cup | 105 | £ | W. L. Brock | |
| 1914 | Cancelled | Circuit of Great Britain | 5,000 | £ | ||
| 1919 | 1919 | Aerial Derby cup | 210 | £ | Gerald Gathergood | |
| 1923 | 1923 | Economy flight for motor gliders | 1,000 | £ | ||
| 1925 | 1926 | Economy flight for dual-control light aircraft of British construction | 3,000 | £ | George Bulman (Hawker Cygnet)[7] | |
| 1930 | 1930 | Solo flight from England to Australia | 10,000 | £ | Amy Johnson[8] [9] |
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 |