C . D . Barnard Charles Douglas Barnard ( 8 December 1895 - 7 August 1971 ) was a British pilot , who took part in 1920s air races and record - breaking flights . He was also known as Captain C . D . Barnard . Early life . Charles Barnard was born on 8 December 1895 , the son of Charles Gilbert Barnard . He was once reported to be a cousin of Captain Franklyn Leslie Barnard , an airline pilot who was also notable in air racing events , but that was disproved in the results of the 1901 UK census . World War I . He served as a Private with the Honourable Artillery Company , then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps . His service included postings to 2 Squadron and 3 Squadron . In October 1918 , he was appointed acting Captain , and ended his commission in June 1919 . Thereafter , he served on the Royal Air Force reserve list until July 1936 . < ref name = 76 / 23 / 12 > The National Archives file AIR 76 / 23 / 12 < / ref > Sopwith Aviation . In 1919 , he was employed by Sopwith Aviation Company , and was briefly assigned to operating Sopwith Gnu ( K - 101 ) on pleasure flights from the beach at Southport , where on 10 June 1919 , his engine caught fire . He managed to crash land on the beach , thus saving the life of his passenger . He however , received considerable burns to his own face and arms , that required extensive hospitalisation . De Havilland Aircraft . From 1922 to 1928 , he was employed as a flying instructor by De Havilland Aircraft , at Stag Lane Aerodrome . In 1923 , he made the first flight between London and Malta . 1920s air racing . On 14 July 1923 , he flew De Havilland DH . 9C ( G - EBDD ) in the King ' s Cup Race at Hendon Aerodrome , but was placed outside the top three ? . On 6 August 1923 , he flew Airco DH . 9 ( G - EBEZ ) in The Aerial Derby at Waddon , and finished third . On 4 July 1925 , he flew de Havilland DH . 51 A ( G - EBIM ) in the King ' s Cup Race at Croydon Aerodrome , but failed to finish . On 6 July 1930 , he flew DH . 80A Puss Moth ( G - AAXW ) in the King ' s Cup Race at Hanworth Aerodrome , and finished in 13th place . 1928 / 1929 England to India flights . On 10 June 1928 , he took off from Lympne Airport in Fokker F . VII a ( G - EBTS , named ' Princess Xenia ' ) on a flight to Karachi ( then in India ) . He was accompanied by Flying Officer Eric Herbert Alliott , and Mary Russell , Duchess of Bedford . At this time , the duchess employed Barnard as personal pilot and flying instructor . The flight was interrupted for about eight weeks at Bushire , Persia , during which the duchess returned to England by sea . A replacement Bristol Jupiter engine was fitted , and the aircraft completed the flight to Karachi . On 2 September 1928 , Barnard and Alliott took off from Karachi , towards staging posts at Bushire , Aleppo and Sofia . On 6 September , they reached Croydon for a night landing , after a record breaking flight of 5 , 000 miles in 4 . 5 days . On 2 August 1929 , he took off from Lympne Airport in Fokker F . VIIa ( G - EBTS ) on a flight to Karachi . Co - pilot and mechanic was Robert ( Bob ) Little , and passenger / pilot was the Duchess of Bedford . They returned to Croydon Airport after a record - breaking return flight of 10 , 000 miles in eight days . Barnard was later awarded a Royal Aero Club Gold Medal . 1930 Brian Lewis and C . D . Barnard Ltd . In 1930 he co - founded Brian Lewis and C . D . Barnard Ltd for sales of De Havilland aircraft , and based at Heston Aerodrome . In August 1931 , Brian Lewis and C . D . Barnard Ltd merged with the aviation department of Selfridges to become Brian Lewis & Co . , Ltd . 1930 England to Cape Town flight . On 10 April 1930 , he took off from Lympne in Fokker F . VIIa ( G - EBTS , renamed ' The Spider ' ) , on a flight to Cape Town . He was accompanied by Robert ( Bob ) Little , and the passenger was the Duchess of Bedford , who had purchased the aircraft in September 1929 . On 19 April , they reached Maitland aerodrome , Cape Town , after a record - breaking flight of 9 , 000 miles in 100 flying hours over 10 days . On 29 April , during the return flight , a forced landing was made at Dragoman , Bulgaria . The next day , they returned to Croydon after repairs to the engine oil system . Later , Fokker awarded a silver commemorative medal to Barnard . 1930 solo flights England to Malta and Tangier . On 31 July 1930 , he took off from Lympne in a DH . 80A Puss Moth ( G - AAXW ) on a flight to Malta . The next day he returned to Croydon after two non - stop flights totalling 2 , 800 miles in 27 . 5 flying hours . On 25 August 1930 , he took off from Lympne in a Puss Moth ( G - AAXW ) on a flight to Tangier . The next day he returned to Croydon after two non - stop flights , totalling 2 , 480 miles in 21 . 5 flying hours . In doing so , he was trying open up future passenger routes and improve the speed of news sent from distant locations . Several films ( some with sound ) were made of his 1930 flights . 1931 Barnard ' s Air Tours . In 1931 , he formed C . D . Barnard Air Tours Ltd . On 1 April 1931 , he started an extensive tour of England with displays and joy - riding flights for the paying public . Aircraft used were the Fokker F . VIIa ( G - EBTS ) , Spartan Three Seater Mk 1 ( G - ABJS ) , an Avro Avian Sports , a Desoutter II , Potez 36 ( F - ALJC ' Ladybird ' ) , and a Cierva C . 19 autogiro ( G - AALA ) . Pilots included Ayre , Barnard , Crossley and Reginald Brie . During their tour of six months , Capt . Barnard and his fellow pilots visited 118 towns in 50 different counties , and gave 370 performances . Approximately 40 , 000 people were carried on flights . 1931 Barnard ' s Eastern Cruise . Egypt Palestine Dec 1931 ? 1932 Bristol - Cardiff air service . In June 1932 , Barnard purchased the Fokker F . VIIa ( G - EBTS ) from the Duchess of Bedford . He based it at Heston Aerodrome , and used it mainly for personal charters to overseas destinations . In July 1932 , he flew a demonstration passenger service from Bristol ( Whitchurch ) Airport to Cardiff Municipal Airport , for which the Fokker F . VIIa was leased to British Air Navigation Co Ltd ( BANCO ) . The service was terminated after about two weeks . 1934 India Air Pageants . In December 1933 , Barnard flew Fokker F . VIIa ( G - EBTS ) to Mumbai ( Bombay ) for use in his ' flying circus ' tour of India , promoted as " India ' s First Aerial Pageant " . Other aircraft used included a DH . 82A Tiger Moth , DH . 83 Fox Moth , Spartan Three - Seater , a Blackburn Segrave and a BAC Drone . Pilots included R . L . Palmer , J . B . Pugh , J . Mackay , E . R . Andrews , W . A . Burnside , and J . R . Hatchett . By April 1934 , Barnard , his partner A . H . Dalton , and his pilots had arranged 92 air displays , carried 9 , 241 passengers , and flown about 20 , 000 miles . In May 1935 , Barnard sold the Fokker in India . On 17 July 1936 , Barnard relinquished his commission on completion of service . Personal life . In 1928 , Barnard , together with other eminent aviators of the day , formed the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators , to create rules and regulations of the profession , and to set up and maintain standards surrounding the control of flight . He received the 6th Private Flying Licence to be awarded . On 9 December 1929 , he married Mrs . Melita Erna May . In 1930 , he authored and published a book on flying - ' Barnard on Learning to Fly . ' In October 1930 , Barnard planned to join Charles Kingsford Smith on a record breaking flight to Australia , but Kingsford Smith made it a solo flight . In May 1932 , in Popular Flying magazine , a story was written about CD Barnard titled ' My Most Thrilling Flight ' . In 1935 , C . D . Barnard was recorded on Lambert and Butler ' s ' Famous British Airmen and Airwomen ' cigarette cards for his record flights . On 7 August 1971 , Barnard died at Brighton .