The 'Aerial Derby' Air Race round London began in 1912; the race held in 1919 (the 'Victory' Derby) was actually the fourth.It had substantial prizes - although never quite enough to attract the intended overseas competitors - and many of the leading aviators of the time competed.

There were always separate prizes for outright speed, and performance versus a handicap.To begin with, Flight thought it was "quite the most effective race of the year" - "It is no exaggeration to say that millions of people see the race, talk about it for days before it is flown, and discuss it for days after it has become a memory".

However, by 1922 they thought that "this year's race was even duller than last year's". The race had degenerated into a purely national affair, and become rather predictable - the same aircraft won the Speed Race 3 years in a row, and in 1923 the 9 machines finished in exactly the order predicted by the handicappers.

It was abandoned in 1924 and effectively amalgamated with the King's Cup (which had started in 1922).

Occasionally, the Royal Aero Club would float the idea of reviving it, but it never happened.

The Secretary of the Air League of the British Empire (Air Vice Marshall Sir William Sefton Brancker, of whom much more elsewhere), decided in 1921 to encourage air racing with a new competition, and The Royal Aero Club was tasked with determining how it should be won.

To begin with, the only people who could realistically compete were all in the RAF. Nevertheless, in 1921, "in spite of the fact that at times a 40 miles an hour easterly wind was blowing and a miserable drizzle fell on and off throughout the afternoon, some quite decent racing was put up".

 The King's Cup 1922- 1938

Between the wars the annual race around Britain, for the cup originally presented by King George V, was Britain's premier air race: the event to be seen in. 

Sir Christopher Brand became Director-General of Aviation for Egypt and decided that an international race, with prizes, would be A Good Thing. Lots of people turned up and, once the weather had stopped being, ahem, 'feminine', they had a splendid time. 

 The Greatest Air Race (again):

The 1934 MacRobertson Race from Mildenhall to Melbourne

The MacRobertson Race itself - probably the most successful air race of its kind, ever - is spendidly and copiously documented elsewhere. What is more difficult to find, is information about the people involved; many of them have fascinating stories, it turns out.

I've also discovered that they got the handicap results wrong (although it's probably a bit late to say this, now, I suppose); and in these pages you can find, in exhausting detail, my reasoning. Whichever way you look at it, David and Kenneth Stodart in the Courier woz definitely robbed.

Air Race Handicapping between the wars

 It was September, 1934, and Gabrielle Ruth Millicent Patterson was not happy.

Gabrielle was a 29 year-old mother with a small son, and she was also a very accomplished aviator; the holder of a ‘B’ (professional) licence, and an Instructor’s Certificate. She’d had her ‘A’ licence since 1931. In July, she had been the only woman competitor in Britain’s premier air racing event – the annual King’s Cup Race – but, in her Miles Hawk G-ACIZ (much fancied to do well), she had been forced to withdraw during an eliminating heat, in terrible weather over Peterborough.

 The 1936 Schlesinger Race from Portsmouth to Johannesburg

The poor old 1936 Schlesinger Race has become a rather sad and unloved affair (Flight said "the less said about it the better") but, ignoring their advice, I aim to present a complete account of it here.