Shared by Lindsay Muir, UK Delegate, FAI Ballooning Commission.

The Britannia Trophy is awarded by the UK's Royal Aero Club to the British aviator/s who accomplished the most meritorious performance in aviation during the previous year. In 2024 the trophy honoured three young pilots who showed remarkable courage during the tragic accident of an experienced pilot and close friend, Peter Gregory.

The Britannia Trophy

British Balloon & Airship Club Citation

Following is the citation submitted by the British Balloon & Airship Club (BBAC) to the Royal Aero Club.

In June 2023, Peter Gregory (24), one of the UK’s and up-and-coming young balloon pilots was tragically killed in a balloon accident during a competition. Understandably, Peter’s accident deeply affected his family and girlfriend (who were crewing for Peter) as well as many other balloonists, especially the younger ones. There were three pilots who witnessed Peter accident from close quarters as they were flying alongside him. They were first on the scene having all landed within a few hundred metres of the accident. These three pilots - all under 30 - included Daniel Gregory (Peter’s brother), Dominic Bareford (Event Director) and Chloe Hallett (Peter's friend and flatmate). Despite being deeply traumatised by what they had witnessed, all three overcame the shock of that day to achieve success in different balloon competitions in late summer 2023:

At 27, Daniel (Dan) has only been competing since 2017, frequently alongside and against his slightly more successful younger brother Peter. Dan felt the need to carry on flying for Peter, but the horror of his brother’s accident was plain to see on his face after difficult flights. Despite this, in August 2023 Dan achieved a 3rd place in the British Hot Air Balloon Nationals and a podium place in the 2023 FAI Junior World Hot Air Balloon Championship, his best ever competition results. 

Dominic is the most successful young balloonist in the world, having won the British Hot Air Ballooning Nationals in 2018 and 2021, and the 23rd FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship 2018 alongside various other events. But the feeling of responsibility for having set the tasks on a flight which ultimately lead to Peter’s death must have been weighing heavily on him. Despite this, in August 2023 Dominic became British Champion once again at the 6. Horber Neckar-Balloncup and UK Nationals 2023 then went on to achieve 2nd place at the 32nd Enea Leszno Balloon Cup and 11th Polish Junior Championship.

Chloe (29) has been competing for 9 years but on a much less serious basis than Dan and Dom. Chloe was to compete in the 5th FAI Women’s World Hot Air Ballooning Championship in Australia in September 2023 but in the run up to the event, watching her mother take off in a balloon in difficult conditions made her break down in tears. It took her a long time to get back in the air again and for a number of weeks it was uncertain whether she would actually compete in Australia or not. When she did make it out to Australia she had not flown as P1 since the accident. However, despite Chloe describing her practice flight in Australia as “awful”, her confidence during the week grew and grew and she finally achieved a top 10 result (9th), her best result to date.

Britannia Trophy 

The British Balloon and Airship Club would like to honour these three young balloon pilots who overcame their fears and the deep loss of a brother and friend to achieve success out of adversity.  While they accomplished success individually, their camaraderie helped them to try and understand what had happened when Peter was killed, to move forward and to overcome their fears and to finally succeed. 

Daniel Gregory holds the Britannia Trophy, with Dominic Bareford (R) and Chloe Hallett (L)

At the 2024 Awards Ceremony of the Royal Aero Club, the Britannia Trophy was presented to Daniel Gregory, Dominic Bareford and Chloe Hallett. FAI Ballooning Commission (CIA) congratulates these pilots on their bravery during the tragedy of Peter's accident and their compassion to honour his legacy with their further accomplishments in balloon competition.

Queens Cup for 2023

Also awarded during the 2024 Royal Aero Club Awards Ceremony was the Queens Cup, a British aviation competition that rotates through the different aviation disciplines each year. In 2023, it was Ballooning that held the competition.

In 2023, the BBAC held the competition as a long distance race over a weekend, similar to the Gordon Bennett, except with multiple take offs permitted.  For more details and an explanation of the event, view the video below:

Celebration of the Queens Cup 2023

Congratulations to Dominic Bareford on winning the event and earning the 2023 Queen Cup.

Dominic Bareford receives the Queen's Cup

Photo Credits: Liz Isles