There are now two main trophies which are awarded annually to members for a variety of feats and achievements.
Guinness Trophy
The Guinness Trophy was presented to the BMPA by Arthur Guinness Son & Co (Park Royal) Ltd on 27th June 1970. It is awarded annually to the winner of a flying or navigation competition at the autumn meeting. A list of previous winners is given below, there was no competition in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.
It was not possible to run the flying competition for this in 1974 as Jersey is permanently IFR. Chris Linton and Derek Wilkins kept it for the following year. In 1976, at Southend, the trophy was awarded to the member whose aircraft touched down nearest to the ETA previously notified to the Hon Secretary; Brian Pickard and Jim Pembleton both touched down equally within 10 seconds of their declared times so were declared joint winners. The next year there was no one at Middle Wallop to record landing times; four members claimed to have arrived “on the dot” so the trophy was awarded to Karl-Heintz Schmidt for his long distance flight from Bonn, which terminated with his SF260 getting a bent nose-wheel leg, caused by a wallop from a sod on the field at Middle Wallop.
The 1978 fly-in was at Newcastle, organised by Mary Smith and she was awarded the Trophy. At Yeovilton in 1979 the trophy was awarded for a combination of distance flown, engine size and number of passengers. Maurice Hallett and Sheila Crute flying their Rallye from Newcastle narrowly beat Dr R Kendall in his home-built Cavalier from Sunderland.
In 1989 the president, David Rowe won it at Bournemouth by accident. He was late leaving Headcorn and go “sent round the houses” by Southampton ATC. By chance his wife Gill filmed the landing and the time recorded on the video tape – and shown in the corner of the picture – revealed that he was just about spot on his declared ETA!
| Year | Winner | Aircraft | Meeting |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | David Horobin | G-MOTI | York |
| 2021 | Chris Corbin | G-DRCC | Chester |
| 2019 | Jonathan Brown | G-SAPM | Cambridge |
| 2018 | Jonathan Brown | G-SHED | Brize Norton |
| 2017 | Jonathan Brown | G-SAPM | Inverness |
| 2016 | Liana Middleton | G-AVWI | Sywell |
| 2015 | Andrew Partner | G-AZWS | Newquay |
| 2014 | Andrew & Sara Clymo | G-AZRK | Old Warden |
| 2013 | Mike Bagshaw | G-ATXD | Gloucestershire |
| 2007 | Andrew & Sara Clymo | G-AZRK | Winchester |
| 2006 | Roger Austin | G-AXPB | Cranfield |
| 2005 | Kevin & Ann Gibbin | G-BVES | Bagby |
| 2004 | Ian & Diane Martin | N95TA | East Midlands |
| 2003 | Ian & Diane Martin | G-WARH | Shoreham |
| 2002 | David & Malcolm Nott | G-TWYN | Newcastle |
| 2001 | John & Ann Busby | G-MELV | Bristol |
| 2000 | Michael & Penny Bagshaw | G-BENJ | Cambridge |
| 1999 | Tony & Diana Watson | – | Coventry |
| 1998 | Kevin & Ann Gibbin | G-AZIB | Dundee |
| 1997 | Tony & Diana Watson | – | Black Country |
| 1996 | Michael & Caroline Bagshaw | G-BENJ | Norwich |
| 1995 | Tom Day | G-AYOZ | Scarborough |
| 1994 | Geoff & Gerlinde Fearnley | G-THSL | Nottingham |
| 1993 | Geoff & Gerlinde Fearnley | G-THSL | Swansea |
| 1992 | John & Ann Busby | G-BBXU | Leeds |
| 1991 | Geoff & Gerlinde Fearnley | G-THSL | Southampton |
| 1990 | Ray & Rosemary Outwin | G-ATZS | Cheltenham |
| 1989 | David & Gill Rowe | G-BALJ | Bournemouth |
| 1988 | Dr H O Holm | – | Cambridge |
| 1987 | Dr J M Masson AAMF | – | Stratford |
| 1986 | Pat & Michael Fisher | G-BAKJ | Manchester |
| 1985 | Ray & Rosemary Outwin | G-AZOA | Rochester |
| 1983 | Dr R H W Hartmann Germany | – | York |
| 1981 | Alice et Jacques Dubuisson | – | Kidlington |
| 1980 | Dr V Nolens & Dr V P Nolens | – | Teeside |
| 1979 | S Crute & M Hallett | – | Yeovilton |
| 1976 | Jim Pembleton, Brian Pickard | – | Southend |
| 1975 | Dr H O Holm | – | Bembridge |
| 1973 | Dr C D Linton & Dr D C Wilkins | – | St Just |
| 1972 | Bill & Inga Wilkinson | – | Cambridge |
| 1971 | Brian & Celia Pickard | – | Redhill |
| 1970 | Dr H O Holm | – | Sleap |
Pooley Quaich
Quaich or Quaigh (Scot.) n a drinking-cup, originally made of staves and hoops, now usually of silver or pewter. [Gael. cuach, a cup.]
The Pooley Quaich was presented to the BMPA by Bob and Janet Pooley at the 1998 Autumn Meeting in Dundee. It is now awarded by the President, in place of the lost President’s Cup, to any member who is considered to have made an outstanding contribution to the Association.
| Year | Winner | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Ian Wilson | For great contribution to the association by taking on the responsibilities of secretary. |
| 2021 | Ian Donnan | For several years’ service to the BMPA as hon secretary. |
| 2019 | David Hillam | For his work on the website. |
| 2018 | Janet Gibson | For her six years of service as Hon. Treasurer. |
| 2017 | Frankie Walters | For her continuing sterling service to the Association by auditing the accounts. |
| 2016 | Brian Pickard | For his absolutely sterling resolution to attend all BMPA meetings he possibly can, in spite of all the practical difficulties he faced in doing so. |
| 2015 | Jeremy Radcliffe | For many years service as Secretary. |
| 2014 | David Hillam | For organising meetings at Cheltenham and Somerset. |
| 2013 | Frankie Walters | For many years service to the BMPA and acting as its auditor of accounts. |
| 2005 | Norena McAdam | For many years service as Secretary. |
| 2003 | Tony Segal | For aviation medical research. |
| 2001 | David Knott | For a meritorious days flying to Tortworth, Kemble and Bristol having sat his ATPL in the morning, travelled by helicopter to South Wales to collect his father and then back to Kemble for the evening |
| 1998 | Jeremy & Sally Radcliffe | For winning an aviation quiz at Dundee. |
President’s Cup
The President’s Cup was originally called the Sydney Agnew Cup and was awarded to the winner of a photographic competition for aviation subjects. It was inaugurated at the 1980 Summer meeting at Teeside and has been awarded to FD Trevarthen (1981, for a picture of a girl on a Tiger Moth) and Doug Bain (1982, Concour d’Elegance and lecture on survival) amongst others.
More recently, the President’s Cup was awarded at the autumn meeting by the President, for particular service to the Association during the preceding year.
Unfortunately, in recent years the President’s Cup has been lost. It is thought most likely that a number of years ago it was awarded to a visitor from abroad who, due to an error of communication, did not realise that it should be returned. All attempts to identify the recipient or the destination have so far been fruitless!