British Civil Aviation in 1912

3 March
A prototype Avro 500 is flown at Brooklands.

20 April
The first Hendon flying display takes place.

22 April
Englishman Denys Corbett Wilson makes the first aeroplane crossing from Britain to Ireland.

1 May
Alliott Verdon Roe flies the Avro Type F, the first monoplane with a fully enclosed pilot’s cabin.

4 August
William Barnard Rhodes-Moorhouse pilots the first two-passenger aeroplane crossing of the English Channel, in a Breguet biplane.

10 August
F.K. McClean flies under the Thames bridges in London, in a Short S33 pusher biplane.

12 October
The Michelin Cup is won by Samuel Cody after he completes a 186 mile course around Britain, flying a total of 220 miles.

24 October
The British Empire Michelin Cup, for endurance flying, is won by Harry Hawker when he flies for 8 hours 23 minutes in a Burgess-Wright biplane.

Also this year…
Gordon Bell becomes the first professional test pilot for the Short Brothers at Eastchurch.