On 17 November 1906 the
Daily Mail newspaper offered a £10,000 prize for the first aviator to fly the between
London and
Manchester, with no more than two stops, in under 24 hours. Powered flight was a relatively new invention, and the newspaper's proprietors
were keen to stimulate the industry's growth; in 1908 they offered £1,000 for the first flight across the
English Channel (won on 25 July 1909 by the French aviator
Louis Blériot), and £1,000 for the first circular flight made by a British aviator in a British aeroplane (won on 30 October 1909 by the English aviator
John Moore-Brabazon). In 1910, two men accepted the newspaper's 1906 challenge; an Englishman,
Claude Grahame-White, and a Frenchman,
Louis Paulhan. Apprenticed to a local engineering firm, he later worked for his uncle
Francis Willey, 1st Baron Barnby. He started his own motor vehicle business in
Bradford, before travelling to
South Africa to hunt big game. In 1909, inspired by Blériot's historic cross-channel flight, he went to France to learn how to fly, and by the following January he became one of the first Englishmen to obtain an
aviator's certificate. He also started a flying school at
Pau, which he moved to England later that year. Isidore Auguste Marie Louis Paulhan, better known as Louis Paulhan, Paulhan was no stranger to British audiences; he competed in an early flight meeting in October 1909 at
Blackpool, and shortly afterwards flew in an exhibition at the
Brooklands motor racing circuit. Paulhan took part in many airshows, including several in the United States of America, and at
La Brayelle Airfield in
France, where in July 1909 he set new records for altitude and flight duration.
Grahame-White's first attempt (undated) Grahame-White was the first to attempt the journey. He planned to take off at 5:00 am on 23 April 1910, near the Plumes Hotel in the London suburb of
Park Royal. A crowd of journalists and interested spectators assembled there from about 4:00 am, with more arriving by car, until about 200–300 were present.
The Times described the sky as "clear and starlit", and the weather as "very cold, as there was a slight frost." Grahame-White arrived at about 4:30 am and began to prepare his
Farman III biplane. The aeroplane was brought into the field from the yard it was stored in, and its seven-cylinder
rotary engine was started. Once the engine warmed up, Grahame-White took his seat. Several people wished him well, including his sister, mother and
Henry Farman. He guided the biplane for about 30–60 yards/metres across the frosted grass, and took off at about 5:12 am, before altering his direction to head for the start of the course—a
gasometer at
Wormwood Scrubs, within the required radius of the
Daily Mail office in London. Cheered loudly by the thousands of spectators who anticipated his arrival, Grahame-White flew across the starting point and turned north-west toward
Wembley. Standing on top of the gasometer,
Harold Perrin, secretary of the
Royal Aero Club, waved a flag to indicate the start of Grahame-White's attempt. By 5:35 am the aviator was over
Watford, and at 6:15 am he flew over
Leighton Buzzard. Crowds of cheering spectators were there to greet him as he flew above the line of the
London and North Western Railway, at an altitude of about . Meanwhile, Perrin and two mechanics from
Gnome et Rhône (who supplied the engine used on the Farman III) boarded one of two cars, and were headed for
Rugby. Along the way, one car took a short cut across a field and crashed into a ridge; one occupant was seriously injured.
Paulhan's attempt (1909) Grahame-White's biplane was returned to London, and on 25 April was being repaired at Wormwood Scrubs, in the
Daily Mail hangar. Paulhan arrived at
Dover from
California, where he performed exhibition flights. Another competitor,
Emile Dubonnet, also formally entered the contest, and was due to try a few days later. On 27 April 1910 Paulhan's biplane (a newer model than Grahame-White's) was brought to
Hendon, on the site of what is now the London branch of the
Royal Air Force Museum. It was assembled in less than 11 hours, and at 5:21 pm that day Paulhan took off for Hampstead Cemetery, his official starting line. He arrived there ten minutes later, flew on to
Harrow, and began to follow the route of the London and North Western Railway. The railway company prepared for the event by whitewashing the
sleepers of the correct line for the competitors to follow. Paulhan was followed by a special train, on board which were Mme. Paulhan and
Henry Farman. Other members of his party followed by car. Fifteen minutes later, Paulhan reached
Lichfield, where about into his journey he ran out of fuel. He managed to land the biplane in a field near
Trent Valley railway station. The aeroplane was pegged down, and Paulhan left with his colleagues to stay overnight at a nearby hotel. Grahame-White meanwhile stayed at the house of a Dr. Ryan. Both aviators intended to restart at 3:00 am the following day. Guided by the headlamps of his party's cars, he took off at 2:50 am. Within minutes of becoming airborne however, he almost crashed; while he was leaning forward to make himself comfortable, his jacket brushed the engine ignition switch and he accidentally turned the engine off, but he quickly corrected his error and was able to continue. Grahame-White was notified of Paulhan's success, and reportedly shouted "Ladies and gentlemen, the £10,000 prize has been won by Louis Paulhan, the finest aviator that the world has ever seen. Compared with him I am only a novice. Three cheers for Paulhan!" He retired to bed, leaving his mechanics to repair his aeroplane, and later sent Paulhan a telegram, congratulating his rival on his achievement. Grahame-White attempted to resume his journey to Manchester, and reached
Tamworth, but he later abandoned the flight. ==Legacy==