International Dawn to Dusk Competition – Established 1964

Piper at sunset

– 60th ANNIVERSARY –

2023/24 Competition is open - Closing date for entries is 30th September 2024.

The Dawn to Dusk Competition, celebrating its 60th anniversary, provides a unique aeronautical challenge participating in a day's flying using an aircraft of the competitor's choice. The competition is an opportunity to further your flying, to expand your horizons and to give you the excuse you need to have the flying adventure you have always wanted to have.

If you are interested in entering the competition, please click on the 'How to Enter' tab below. If you have any questions, please email enquiries@pooleysdawntodusk.com and we will come back to you.

Established by the late Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip and the Tiger Club, the objective of the Dawn to Dusk is to encourage the most interesting employment of a manned aircraft within the limits of competent airmanship and to demonstrate the capabilities of pilot and machine in a day's flying, in the hours between Dawn and Dusk, whilst undertaking an original and praiseworthy objective.

Entry is FREE and really simple. All that is required is for the competitor to set themselves a challenging goal with a theme and fly it. You then need to write up a log of your preparations and flight. The judges enjoy seeing photographs from your flight and if you wish to include a video, please do. An example of a previously submitted log can be found here.

The only limit on the challenge you set yourself is your imagination! Many choose to link their challenge with a charitable endeavour, raising money as they fly. Examples of previous themes can be found below under 'Previous Winners and Themes'.

Entries are welcome from across the world.

An entry can be flown at any time of the year, with the cut off date for submission of your log falling on the last day of September. Entries received after this date will be entered into the following year's competition.

Further Information

Competition Conditions

The competition is an opportunity to further your flying, to expand your horizons and to give you the excuse you need to have the flying adventure you have always wanted to have. We want the competition to be as easy to enter and fly as possible but please familiarise yourself with the conditions of entry:

The conditions are simple:

  1. The competition is open to any qualified pilot, in any aircraft, from any country in the world, whatever your level of experience.
  2. There is no charge to enter the competition.
  3. Flights must be for a minimum of 4 hours airborne time between the hours of dawn and dusk on one day and may start and finish from any place in the world.
  4. You can pick any theme/objective you wish. Adding a charitable aspect is not a requirement but has become popular in recent years.
  5. Please also review the judging criteria in the 'Judging' section.
  6. Any airspace infringement means an automatic disqualification.

A checklist detailing the entry requirements and full T&Cs will be sent one week after you receive your entry form.

Scoring and Judging

Scoring

The points basis on which the Competition is scored is set out below. The winner will be the Competitor scoring the highest number of total points under this system in accordance with the regulations.

Subjects Possible Score
1. The Plan  
a. Originality 30
b. Research 20
c. Flight Planning 20
Total points for The Plan:  70
2. The Flight  
a. Airmanship 30
b. Difficulty 30
c. Distance and planned/achieved ratio 10
d. Airborne time and planned/achieved ratio 10
e. Weather conditions 10
Total points for The Flight:  90
3. The Log  
a. Presentation and relevance 20
b. Completeness and accuracy 20
c. Inclusion of a video 10
Total points for The Log:  50
4. Challenges or advantages  
a. Pilot and crew experience 20
b. Equipment 10
Total points for Challenges or advantages:  30
Total Points available:  240

Note: Failure to observe the regulations and complete the flight report in all particulars will result in loss of points. Serious omissions or inaccuracies may result in exclusion.

 

Judging

The Judges reserve the right to penalise any Competitor who, in their opinion, has taken unnecessary risks or demonstrated bad or doubtful airmanship. Competitors may be required to give a written or verbal explanation of any of the circumstances connected with the flight. Particularly blatant cases of bad airmanship may result in exclusion.

The decision of the Judges is final. It is pointed out that the Competitors agree to be bound by this, and all other regulations issued for the Competition, upon completing the Entry Form. The Judges reserve the right to reject an entry without having to assign a reason.

The results will be announced as soon as possible and an awards Presentation and Reception will be held at the RAF Club, Piccadilly, London in January or February of the following year.

Sponsorship and Awards

Sponsorship

The Dawn to Dusk Competition is sponsored by Pooleys Flight Equipment.

Details of the Awards Ceremony, when the results will be announced, will be forwarded to all entrants in due course.

Trophies and Awards

1st Duke of Edinburgh Trophy (plus £1000)

2nd Coventry Trophy

3rd Tiger Club Trophy

Pooley Sword - Best Presented Report and Log

Helicopter Trophy

Glenisla Trophy - Pilot and crew each having less than 75 hours in command

Icarus Trophy - Best solo entry

Microlight Trophy

Long Distance Medal

Bonney Trophy

Family Award

Club Trophy

Best Video Award

 

Awards

Every Competitor who finishes the Competition, in accordance with the regulations, and submits a log and written/video report will be presented with a Certificate.

The awards will be available for presentation provided that, in the opinion of the Judges, there is a Competitor eligible for them.

How to Enter

How to Enter

Thank you for your interest in the competition. Please complete your initial details below and we will send you the full entry form to complete by email.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR ENTRY!

Previous Winners and Themes

Year Number of entries Longest Distance Flown (NM)  Winner Theme Aircraft
1964     Don Lovell   Turbulent
1965     Don Lovell   Turbulent
1966     Robin Voice   Turbulent
1967     Paul Herring   RF4
1968 17 2027 Hubert Schnabel (Germany) 8 countries and 7 seas Mooney 20A
1969 21 2230 Hubert Schnabel (Germany) 12 EEC countries Mooney 20A
1970 23 1742 Mike Bialkiewicz (Poland)   RF4
1971 27 2100 Lucien Hankart (Belgium) Denmark and back C150
1972 21 1265 Mike Bialkiewicz (Poland)   RF4D
      Lucien Hankart   C150
1973 6 1256 Tom Foxworth (US) Early Kings Cup Races Stampe
1974 15 1416 R. Ashford & A. McClymont   Jodel 150
1975 14 1475 Tom Foxworth (US) Western Front WW1 Tiger Moth
1976 10 1540 Tony Cattle & Mike Wheatley 6 original EEC countries C172
1977 9 1283 Marlyn Wood & Alan Butcher Beginnings of man Condor
1978 7   Pat Holmes Most northerly and southerly UK headlands C150
1979 7 1531 John Blake & Stratton Richie Battlefields of the Irish Guards C150
1980     Charles Shea-Simonds & Amanda Mitchell   Stampe
1981 11 1405 Charles Shea-Simonds & Julie Hanks Private airstrips C150
1982 8 1893 Howard Cox & Christopher Turner Steam railways Piper Cub
1983     Howard Cox & Christopher Turner   C150
1984 28 2475 Eddie Coventry & Don Bullen 45 counties of England Piper Arrow
1985 12 1285 Charles Shea-Simonds & Sean Long Army Parachute Association BN Islander
1986 20 880 D. Southwell & D. Cook 8th USAF Shadow
1987 17 2500 Andre Dumas & Bob Purves (Canada) Fur trappers Baron
1988 9 1260 Christopher Harris & John Stevens Friesan Islands Rallye 180
1989 37   L. Jones Fenleigh & J. Laurance (photographer) Pre-Reformation Cathedrals C152
1990 17 1366 L. Jones Fenleigh & T. Ankers (photographer) Lord Dowding - A solitary man C152
1991 12 1493 T. Gauvain & D. Hughes Pro Utilitate Nominum Piper Cadet
1992 19 2351 M. McCormac & J. McCormac The Civil War Cherokee Cruiser
1993 17 1111 M. McCormac Operation Chastise PA140
1994 17 1457 C. Dodds & R. Smith Lost names of British Aviation Hornet Moth
1995     Marcus Palmer & John Pile National Trust Gardens C172
1996     Beryl Thorpe & Janet Higginbotham Capability Brown MS880
1997/98     Barry Webb & Maureen Elliott Scampton to the Ruhr Dams Piper Arrow III 201R
1999     Alan James & Alan Watson   Air Camper
2000 15   Tim & Jenny Whitome Scottish Islands PA17
2001 20 954 Trisha Nelmes & Helen Krasner Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 C152
2002/03 10 960 Tor Richvoldsen Wooden Hotels PA28
2004 15 727 Marion McCall & Bishop David McCall (Australia) Beating the Bounds, Bunbury WA C172
2005/06 24 1282 Anthony Davis Motor Racing Circuits PA28
2007 10 906 Marion McCall & Bishop David McCall (Australia) Crossing the Nullebor Plain, Australia C172
2008/09 15 1398 Colin Hales Round UK Rand KR2
2010 10 1703 David & Patrick Joyce Half a million islands Europa X5
2011 7   Mike Roberts & Kim Towle Most airfields in one day PA28
2012/13 7   Marion & David McCall (Australia) The Eyre Adventure Cessna 172
2014-16 9 1420 Fiona & Angus Macaskill Powering over Paragliders Vans RV9A
2017 5 1022 Ian Butter RNLI and Air Sea Rescue PA28-181 Archer
2019/20 11 1542 (Mike Roberts & Nick Rogers) Fiona & Angus Macaskill Getting a Guinness - Most Airfields visited in 12 hours by a Fixed Wing Aircraft

Bolkow Monsun B209

2021 7 1500 (Anthony Maxwell) Kai Barnett 529 (Rota) Squadron, Chain Home Radar Calibration, a homage to gyro pilots from bygone days

Rotorsport UK MTOSport Gyrocopter

2022 11 1180 (Derek Pake & Adam Forsyth) Michael Benson & Marie Woltman The Lighthouses of Devon and Cornwall

Robin DR400-120

2023 15 1905 (Theresa Macdonald, Amanda Deed, Jessica Phillips & Gail Collins) Derek Pake & Kate Turner Eireborne (A circumnavigation of Ireland)

Vans RV-8

2023 Trophy Winners

Trophy Recipient(s) Theme Aircraft
Duke of Edinburgh Trophy (1st) Derek Pake & Kate Turner Eireborne (A Circumnavigation of Ireland) Vans RV-8
Coventry Trophy (2nd) Theresa Macdonald, Amanda Deed, Jessica Phillips & Gail Collins Australia in a Day Beechcraft Bonanza
Tiger Club Trophy (3rd)

Daniel & Anna Langton

Dragons at Dawn and Dusk: An Arthurian Adventure Quik GT-450 Microlight
Pooley Sword (Best log) Martin Leusby, Ron Armitage & Sandra Davis Kent's Airfield then and now...140 years of Kent aviation history Cessna 172
Bonney Trophy Nic Orchard Temporarily Unsure of Position Aeronca Champ
Icarus Trophy (Best solo entry) Michael Wood To draw the symbol of Ukrainian Resistance in the sky above my part of Scotland SD1 Minisport SSDR
Family Trophy Angus & Fiona Macaskill 50 Kisses - For our 50th Wedding Anniversary 1973 - 2023 BO209 Monsun
Long Distance Medal Theresa Macdonald, Amanda Deed, Jessica Phillips & Gail Collins Australia in a Day Beechcraft Bonanza
Helicopter Trophy Not awarded - -
Glenisla Trophy (less than 75 hours P1) Not awarded - -
Microlight Trophy Dr Peter Griffiths Abandoned Railways of Southern Scotland Skyranger Classic
Club Trophy (new award in 2023) Ian Revell & John Mott The FSDP Big Wing Tour - Scotland Cessna 172SP
Best Video Award (new award in 2019/20) Jason Davidson & Simon Shackell P-for-Popsie. Operation Chastise. Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the Dambusters' Raid Piper PA44
Commendations

Ruth Bridges, Sharlene & Hudson Benn

Janice Anderson

David Pitman & Gavin Johns

Mike Roberts & Nicholas Rogers

 

Michael James

Team Bridges-Benn Dambuster Challenge

 

A Whale of a Time

Celebrating 100 Years of Endurance Motor Racing at Le Mans and in particular the contribution made by British Motor Manufacturers

Extreme! The Highest, Lowest, Longest, Shortest, Oldest, Newest plus furthest North, East, South & West airfields in Great Britain

Fly from the UK's most Westerly airfield to the most Easterly

Piper PA-28-161

 

Cessna 172 Skyhawk SP

Robin DR400-120

 

Cessna 172

 

Piper PA28-161