BRITANNIA TROPHY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 47, 24 January 1938, Page 7

BRITANNIA TROPHY.

AWARDED TO MR CLOUSTON.

LONDON, Jan. 22.

The Royal Aero Club has awarded Flying-Officer A. E. Clouston the Britannia trohy for the best performance of 1937, for his Paris-Damascus air race flight and South African round flight.

Flying-Officer Clouston was horn at -Motueka, near Nelson, where his father, mother, five sisters and three brothers live. He learned to fly at the Marlborough Aero Club, Blenheim, and then went to England on a shortservice commission for the Royal Air Force. He served with the R.A.F. between 1930 and 1935, leaving to become one of the four special civil test pilots with the Air Ministry. In November, 1937, with Mrs Betty KirbyGreen, he established three new Eng-land-Capetown records. He flew from London to Capetown, South Africa, and back in three days five hours and 48 minutes flying time. He broke the outward record by 32 hours and 55 minutes, flying to Capetown in 45 hours and 2 minutes. He flew hack to London in 57 hours and 23 minutes, reducing the existing record by 38 hours and 57 minutes. He reduced the round flight, record formerly held by Miss Amy Johnson hy 16 hours and 17 minutes. In the New Year honours, Flying-Officer - Clouston was awarded the Air Force Cross.