Sopwith test pilot C Howard Pixton(1885-1972) won the 1914 Schneider Trophy air race held in Monaco[1]flying a Sopwith Tabloid seaplane powered by a 100 hp Gnome 9V rotary engine, completing the race at an average speed of 86.83 miles per hour. The trophy was then moved to the British Royal Aero Club.
Pixton started his flying career in 1910 at Brooklands and became friendly with A V Roe. Together they started the Avro School of Flying and Pixton became the first test pilot for Avro. He was commissioned in the Royal Flying Corps and joined the Air Investigation Department at Farnborough.
His later career involved flying the first newspapers to the Isle of Man and Pixton is reputed to have flown the first fare paying passengers, also to the Isle of Man.
He died in 1972 and is buried at Jurby, Isle of Man.