Aviation Career
In England got a job with the Commer Car Company, moving to the Mercedes company in January 1912 and then to Austro Daimler. During this time he spent much of his spare time at Brooklands, then the hub of British aviation, and in June 1912 he got a job as a mechanic for the Sopwith Aviation Company.
He soon persuaded Sopwith to teach him to fly, and succeeded in making his first solo flight after only three lessons. He was awarded his pilots licence, No.297, in September 1912 and shortly afterwards, on 24 October, he won the Michelin Trophy for flight endurance with a flight lasting 8 hr 23 min.
Having established his name as an aviator, he became chief test pilot for Tom Sopwith. At Sopwiths in 1916, Hawker had the personal use of a small aircraft, the Sopwith Bee. He was also a regular competitor in motor car and motorcycle races at Brooklands before and after the First World War. Among his competitive achievements were winning the (October 1912: 8 hours 23 minutes) and an altitude record (1914: 12,900 feet).
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