C. W. A. Scott

Who was C. W. A. Scott?

Flight Lieutenant Charles William Anderson Scott, AFC was a famous English aviator, best known for winning the MacRobertson Air Race in 1934.

Born on Friday the 13th he was the son of Mary Donaldson and Charles Kennedy Scott, who was founder of the Oriana Madrigal Society and the founder and conductor of the Philharmonic Choir. Scott was also the great nephew of Lord Scott-Dickson a Scottish Unionist politician and judge. Scott was born in London and was educated at Westminster School. He was a keen musician, poet and yachtsman. After leaving school he served on a sugar plantation in British Guiana for a short time before returning to England and joining the Royal Air Force in 1922 where he learned to fly.

While serving with the RAF, Scott gained a reputation for his aerobatic skill and was RAF heavyweight boxing champion for two consecutive years. He left the RAF in 1926 and emigrated to Australia, where he took up a post as a commercial pilot for the fledgling airline company Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services. In 1929, while on leave from QANTAS following a crash in a de Havilland DH.50J, Scott met his first wife Kathleen. In 1930, he broke the solo record from Brisbane to Melbourne in a de Havilland DH.60 Gipsy Moth aeroplane to get to the birth of his daughter Rosemary. Scott became world famous when he broke the England–Australia solo flight record in 1931, flying a de Havilland DH.60 Moth. For this achievement, the King awarded him the Air Force Cross in 1931. Competing against fellow pilots such as Bert Hinkler, Charles Kingsford Smith and Jim Mollison, Scott went on to beat the Australia–England solo flight record in 1932 and then re-took the England–Australia the same year. In 1934, he was picked, along with Tom Campbell Black, to fly one of three purpose-built de Havilland DH.88 Comet Racers to compete in the MacRobertson Air Race, which is still considered the world's greatest air race. Scott and Black won the race, breaking the England–Australia flight record of 162 hours down to 52 hours and 33 minutes. They reached the finish line in Melbourne in 71 hours winning the £10.000 prize money and becoming world famous overnight. Following the race, Scott received several medals and awards and was celebrated wherever he went, including invitations from King Edward VIII.