International Dawn to Dusk Competition – Established 1964
– 59th YEAR –
2022/23 Competition is open - Closing date for entries is 30th September 2023.
The Dawn to Dusk Competition, now in its fifty ninth year, 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:
- The competition is open to any qualified pilot, in any aircraft, from any country in the world, whatever your level of experience.
- There is no charge to enter the competition.
- 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.
- You can pick any theme/objective you wish. Adding a charitable aspect is not a requirement but has become popular in recent years.
- Please also review the judging criteria in the 'Judging' section.
- 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 Larry Webb & Maureen Elliott Piper Arrow 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
- 2022 Trophy Winners
Trophy Recipient(s) Theme Aircraft Duke of Edinburgh Trophy (1st) Michael Benson & Marie Woltman Devon & Cornwall Lighthouses Robin DR400-120 Coventry Trophy (2nd) Adam Jackson & Martina Petkov Defying Dawn to Dusk Piper PA-28 Cherokee Tiger Club Trophy (3rd) Shared between:
Mike Roberts & Nick Rogers
Derek Pake & Adam Forsyth
Most airfields visited by a light aircraft in 24 hours
The Munro Dash
Cessna 172
Vans RV-8
Pooley Sword (Best log) Michael Benson & Marie Woltman Devon & Cornwall Lighthouses Robin DR400-120 Bonney Trophy Nic Orchard Dawn to Dusk Nursery edition - Building Blocks Aeronca Champ Icarus Trophy (Best solo entry) Andy Amor My English Solstice Odyssey Beagle B.121-150 Pup Family Trophy Amy Whitewick & members of the LAA Wessex Strut 1. GPS Portrait of the Wessex Wyvern - Celebrating the Unity & Courage of the LAA Wessex Strut
2. A Royal Portrait - Celebrating HM The Queen's Platinum Jubilee
Various Long Distance Medal Derek Pake & Adam Forsyth The Munro Dash (1180nm) Vans RV-8 Helicopter Trophy Not awarded - - Glenisla Trophy (less than 75 hours P1) Not awarded - - Microlight Trophy Daniel Langton & Mark Atkinson Air-bagging Wainwrights GT-450 Best Video Award (new award in 2019/20) Mike Roberts & Nick Rogers Most airfields visited by a light aircraft in 24 hours Cessna 172 Commendations Gavin Johns & David Pitman
Geoff Woodfield, Anne Alvis & Laura Alexandrou
Set Course for Scapa: A Tour of Historic Royal Naval Bases
To fly as many hours of daylight on the longest day of the year in the UK and to highlight sites of interest at dawn and again at dusk
Robin DR400-120A
Fuji FA200
