History of aviation – October 24, 1912. Although he only obtained his pilot’s license on September 17, 1912 and he only claims 20 hours of flight time, aviator Harry Hawker will shine in the sky on this Thursday 24 October 1912 by becoming the British duration record holder and winning the British Empire Michelin Cup trophy. A double that he has on his record, even though he still has little experience in aviation.
As part of his participation in the British Empire Michelin Cup, which is an endurance event which pits English aviators at the controls of English-built aircraft, the young pilot Harry Hawker completed a flight of no less than 8 hours and 23 minutes, above Brooklands, thus flying 3 hours and 23 minutes more than what the regulations of this competition require to take into account the flight, which must be done without stopovers.
On October 31, 1912, none of his opponents, like Ogilvie, Raynham, Charteris, Knight or Cody, would do better, thereby winning the trophy, thanks undoubtedly to his airplane, namely a Sopwith Burgess biplane. Wright, equipped with a four-cylinder, water-cooled engine capable of developing a power of 40 horsepower.
