The King's Cup Race is an annual British handicapped cross-country air race, first contested on 8 September 1922. The event was open to British pilots only, but that did include members of the Commonwealth.
The event was established by King George V as an incentive to the development of light aircraft and engine design. The first race was a 810 mile contest from Croydon Aerodrome, south of London, to Glasgow, Scotland and back again after an overnight stop. The winner of the first race was Frank Barnard, chief pilot of the Instone Air Line, in a passenger-carrying Airco DH.4A.
There were no races during World War II (1939-45), and the contest did not resume until 1949. The race was abandoned in 1951, due to bad weather.
Read more about King's Cup Race: Winners
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