11 August, 2017

The British Antarctic Survey Air Unit have been awarded the Johnston Memorial Trophy for 2017 by The Honourable Company of Air Pilots. This is a considerable acknowledgement of the regard held for the air unit in the aviation world.

The Johnston Memorial Trophy, which was first presented in 1931, is awarded for ‘outstanding performance in the operation of airborne systems, manned or unmanned’. This trophy will be presented at the Trophies and Awards Banquet, held at the Guildhall in the City of London on the 26th October.

Tim Stockings, Director of Operations, says:

“We are honoured that the outstanding work done by the British Antarctic Survey Air Unit in support of UK and international science has been recognised by this prestigious award”.

 

British Antarctic Survey Dash 7 over the mountains of the Antarctic Peninsula. Photo: Pete Bucktrout

Founded in London 1929, The Honourable Company of Air Pilots aims to establish and maintain the highest standard of air safety through the promotion of good airmanship. Each year the company makes a number of awards to recognise outstanding achievements in aviation and excellence within the industry. We are delighted that the British Antarctic Survey Air Unit have been awarded the Johnston Memorial Trophy for 2017.

The Honourable Company of Air Pilots Crest

British Antarctic Survey’s Air Unit execute a challenging programme of airborne science and logistics and provide a worldwide capability that gives the environmental science community access to a range of aircraft platforms and instrumentation. The fleet consists of five specially adapted aircraft (De Havilland Canada Dash 7 and four Twin Otters) which operate in Antarctica between October and March, during the summer season.

By receiving the Johnston Memorial Trophy the British Antarctic Survey Air Unit has been recognised for their fantastic performance in supporting and facilitating world-leading science and polar operations. Later this year (26th October), a representative of the air unit will attend the Trophies and Awards Banquet in the City of London to be presented with this distinguished award.