The Aero Club, later the Royal Aero Club, had a number of competitions for the members, who were at the time balloonists.
In 1906 Lord Northcliffe presented a challenge cup to the Aero Club to be called the Northcliffe Cup. It had a value of £100. It was similar to the Hedges Butler Challenge Cup, but it was for the longest journey made in the preceding year. It was awarded annually on the first of January, and if it was won by the same person in two consecutive years it became the property of the holder. There were further rules.
| date | location | winner | notes |
| 29 June 1907 | Ranelagh | John Dunville |
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| 11 December 1908 |
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John Dunville (with CF Pollock and Philip Gardner) | Thirteen hour flight from Chelsea Gas Works to Crailsheim, Stuttgart, Germany. |
| The cup became the property of John Dunville. His widow presented the cup to the Officers' Mess at RAF Aldegrove, where it resides today. | |||
See photographs of the Northcliffe Cup.
The Hedges Butler Challenge Cup was valued in 1909 at £105. It was offered each year, commencing in 1907, for competition in the United Kingdom as a prize for the longest distance flight, starting from London on a specified day. The competition was open to any kind of flying machine. If it was won by the same person three times in succession it became the absolute property of the holder.
| date | location | winner | name of balloon | notes |
| 29 June 1907 | Ranelagh | Colonel JE Capper |
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| 11 July 1908 | Hurlingham | abandoned because of weather |
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| 10 July 1909 | Hurlingham | abandoned because of weather |
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| 22 June 1910 | Hurlingham | Hon Mrs Assheton Harbord | Nirvana |
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| 15 July 1911 | Hurlingham | abandoned because of weather |
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| 22 June 1912 | Hurlingham | Mrs John Dunville | Banshee II |
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| 12 July 1913 | Hurlingham | Mrs John Dunville | Banshee II | five entrants |
| 11 July 1914 | Hurlingham | Mrs John Dunville | Banshee II | six entrants |
| The cup became the property of Mrs John Dunville. | ||||
There is a photograph of the Hedges Butler Challenge Cup on the page of photographs of Mrs John Dunville.
The information on the flights by the Dunvilles and the cups won was provided by John A Baker, Chairman of the British Balloon Museum and Library. He would be interested to know the location of another award won by John Dunville, the Aero Club Challenge Cup. The address of the British Balloon Museum and Library website is www.britishballoonmuseum.org.uk. Please return to www.Dumville.org!
| date | start | place | pilot | co-pilot | balloon | landed | km | time |
| 30.9.06 |
Jardin des Tuileries Paris |
3/16 | Charles S. Rolls | Col. Capper | Britannia |
Sherbourne Hull |
461 | 26:18 |
| 7/16 | Prof. A.K. Huntingdon | C.F. Pollock | Zephyr |
Iwade Milton |
306 | 18:54 | ||
| 11/16 |
Frank Hedges Butler |
Percival Spencer | City of London |
|
175 | 6:40 | ||
| 21.10.07 |
Forest Park St. Louis, Missouri |
9/9 | Griffith Brewer | Lt. Claude Brabazon | Lotus II | Sabina, Ohio | 577.97 | 24:40 |
| 11.8.08 |
Schmargendorf Berlin |
2/23 | John Dunville | C.F. Pollock | Banshee |
Hviddig Hadersleben |
428.75 | 36:53 |
| 3.10.09 |
Zürich Gasfactory Schlieren |
15/17 | Franc K. McClean | A.M. Singer | The Planet |
Rinenen Jicin Bohemia, Germany |
604.9 | 18:28 |
| 17.10.10 |
Forest Park St. Louis, Missouri |
No British Entry | ||||||
| 5.10.11 |
Gasworks Kansas City |
No British Entry | ||||||
| 27.10.12 |
Canstatter Wasen Stuttgart |
8/20 | Jean de Francia |
|
Honeymoon | Kucsulata | 1253 | 41:06 |
| 12.10.13 |
Jardin des Tuileries Paris |
14/21 | John Dunville | Capt. Corbet | Banshee |
|
362 |
|
| There were no competitions from 1914 to 1919 | ||||||||
| 23.10.20 |
Birmingham Alabama |
No British Entry | ||||||
| 18.9.21 | Solbosch Bruxelles | 2/14 |
Capt. Percival Spencer |
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Strumble Head Fishguard, Wales |
667.5 |
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| 6.8.22 | Gasworks Geneva | 14/19 | E. Allen |
Capt. Percival Spencer |
Margaret | Kühback | 459.4 | 16:15 |
| 23.9.23 | Solbosch Bruxelles | 7/17 | John Dunville | R.L. Dunville |
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139 |
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| 15/17 |
Capt. Percival Spencer |
John Berry | Margaret | North Sea |
no result |
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| 15.6.24 | Solbosch Bruxelles | 7/17 |
Capt. Percival Spencer |
John Berry | Margaret | Dieppe, France | 256 | 21:45 |
| 11/17 | Sqn.Ldr. Baldwin | Lord Grosvenor | Banshee III | Noineville | 212 | 23:20 | ||
| 7.6.25 | Solbosch Bruxelles | 8/18 | John Dunville | Sqn.Ldr. Baldwin | Banshee III | Auderville | 465 |
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| 9/18 |
Capt. Percival Spencer |
John Berry | Miramar | Beaumont Huyne | 463 |
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| 14/18 | Johnston | Douglas | Elsie | Etaple, Calais | 197.5 |
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| 30.5.26 |
Wilryck Antwerp Belgium |
5/18 |
Capt. Percival Spencer |
John Berry | Miramar |
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169 |
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| 9/18 | Sqn.Ldr. Baldwin | R.L. Dunville | Banshee III |
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93 |
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| 10/18 | Capt. G.F. Maeger | M.H. Steff | Bee |
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69 |
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| 10.9.27 |
Henry Ford Airport, Detroit |
No British Entry | ||||||
Date is day.month.year, 1908-1926.
Place is the finishing place against the number of entrants.
R.L. Dunville is Robert Lambart Dunville (1893-1931), eldest son of John Dunville.
The details of the entries by the Dunvilles and other British Balloonists in the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett are from information on the www.coupegordonbennett.org website.
Col. John Dunville Dunville, CBE, DL (1866-1929): The Famous Belfast Balloonist
The 1908 Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett
Belfast Aeronaut Crosses the Irish Sea
Photographs of John Dunville Dunville, CBE, DL (1866-1929)
Photographs of the Northcliffe Cup
Robert Lambart Dumville (1893-1931): Chairman of Dunville & Co. Ltd.