Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
This page gives brief details of international aviation records set by the RAF both intentionally and as a result of operations.
Category | Record | Date(s) set | Pilot/Leader | Aircraft |
Distance | Cairo -Kano return, 5,268 miles | 27 Oct 1925 - 19 Nov 1925 | Sqn Ldr A Coningham | DH9A |
Distance | Cairo - Cape Town | 1 Mar 1926 - 12 Apr 1926 | Wg Cdr C W H Pulford | Fairey IIID |
Distance | Plymouth - Singapore | 17 Oct 1927 - 28 Feb 1928 | Gp Capt H M Cave-Brown-Cave | Southampton |
Non-stop distance | Cranwell - Persian Gulf, 3400 miles, 35 hours | 1927 | Flt Lt C R Carr/Flt Lt L E M Gillman | Horsley |
Speed | 281.49 mph | 1927 | Fg Off S N Webster | Supermarine S5 |
Non-stop distance | Cranwell - Karachi, 4130 miles | Apr 1929 | Sqn Ldr A G Jones-Williams/Flt Lt N H Jenkins | Fairey Long-Range Monoplane |
Speed | 328.63 mph | 1929 | Fg Off H R D Waghorn | Supermarine S6 |
Speed | 340.08 mph | 1931 | Flt Lt J N Boothman | Supermarine S6B |
Speed | 400+ mph | 1931 | Flt Lt G H Stainforth | Supermarine S6B |
Non-stop distance | Cranwell - Walvis Bay, 5340 miles, 37 hrs 25 min | Feb 1933 | Sqn Ldr O R Gayford/ Flt Lt G E Nicholetts | Fairey Long-Range Monoplane |
Altitude | 49,967 ft | Sep 1936 | Sqn Ldr F R D Swain | Bristol 138 |
Altitude | 53,937 ft | Jun 1937 | Flt Lt M J Adams | Bristol 138 |
Non-stop distance (formation) | Cranwell - Ismailia, 4,300 miles, 32 hrs | 7/8 Jul 1938 | Wg Cdr O R Gayford | Wellesley |
Non-stop distance | Ismailia - Darwin, 7,158 miles, 48 hrs | 5 Nov 1938 - 7 Nov 1938 | Sqn Ldr R Kellett | Wellesley |
Speed | 606.25 mph | 7 Nov 1945 | Gp Capt H J Wilson | Meteor F4 |
Speed | 616.81 mph | 1946 | Gp Capt E M Donaldson | Meteor F4 |
Distance/Time | UK - Cape Town, 6,700 miles, 21 hrs 31 min | 1947 | Sqn Ldr H B Martin | Mosquito |
Distance/Time | UK - New Zealand, 12,270 miles, 23 hrs 50 min | 8 Oct 1953 10 Oct 1953 | Flt Lt R L E Burton/Flt Lt D H Gannon | Canberra |
Distance/Time | UK - New Zealand, 12,270 miles, 23 hrs 50 min | 8 Oct 1953 10 Oct 1953 | Flt Lt R L E Burton/Flt Lt D H Gannon | Canberra |
Non-stop distance | UK - Cape Town, 6.060 miles, 11 hrs 28 min | 9 Jul 1959 | Wg Cdr M J Beetham | Valiant (using Air-to-Air Refuelling) |
Non-stop distance | Longest jet flight, 7,400 miles, 18 hrs 5 min | 2 Mar 1960 | Sqn Ldr J Garstin | Valiant (using Air-to-Air Refuelling) |
Non-stop distance | UK - Singapore, 8,110 miles, | 25 - 26 May 1960 | Sqn Ldr J Garstin | Valiant (using Air-to-Air Refuelling) |
Non-stop distance | Scampton - Sydney, 11,500 miles, 20 hrs 5 min | 20-21 Jun 1961 | Sqn Ldr M G Beavis | Vulcan (using Air-to-Air Refuelling) |
Non-stop distance | Waddington - Perth, 8,433 nau miles, 17 hrs 15 min | 8-9 Jul 1963 | Wg Cdr A Griffiths | Vulcan (using Air-to-Air Refuelling) |
Long Distance Recce Mission | Ascension Island - South Georgia, 7000+ miles, 14 hrs 45 min | 20 Apr 1982 | Sqn Ldr J Elliott | Victor B (K) Mk 2 |
Long Distance Bombing Mission | Ascension Island - Port Stanley, 7860 miles | 1 May 1982 | Flt Lt M Withers | Vulcan B Mk 2 |
Long Distance Recce Mission | Ascension Island - Argentinean Coast, 8,300 miles, 19 hrs 5 min | 15 May 1982 | Wg Cdr D Emmerson | Nimrod MR Mk 2 |
Non-stop distance | Brize Norton - Perth, 15 hrs 53 min | 8-9 Apr 1987 | Wg Cdr J Uprichard | VC10K3 ZA147 (using Air-to-Air Refuelling) |
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