This August marks the 100th Anniversary of the Circuit of Britain Race, a challenge sponsored by The Daily Mail, for the first pilot to fly around Britain in a waterplane. Of the four pilots who entered the race, Harry Hawker, an Australian, was the most successful, flying over 1000 miles of the 1540 mile race before crashing just north of Dublin.
To commemorate his heroic flight, the oldest airworthy amphibian still flying in the UK, the IWM Duxford based Catalina G-PBYA plans to complete the same circuit. The plane and crew will, as closely as possible, follow the 1913 route over a five day historic flight. The 2013 challenge is being mounted by Catalina Pilot Jeff Boyling who, like Harry Hawker, was born in Australia and shares a passion for aeronautical adventure.
By marking this occasion Jeff hopes to inspire younger generations with the wonders of flying and keep “the golden era of aviation” alive today.
