THE TOP AWARD available to any Royal Air Force base has been won by RAF Lossiemouth.
The Stainforth Trophy is given annually to the station whose overall performance throughout the previous year has been most effective over a raft of services.
A base’s delivery of support to operations, the development of its people, its preparedness to respond and adapt to meet the dynamic needs of the Command, its ability to sustain and enhance its reputation both within the Service and the Community and the maintenance of the RAF’s Core Standards’ are all taken into account.
The trophy was first introduced in 1973 – and this is the first time that it has been awarded to RAF Lossiemouth.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, the recently appointed Chief of the Air Staff and Station Commander of RAF Lossiemouth between January 2002 and December 2003, presented the award to the current Station Commander during a visit to the Moray base.
On receiving the Stainforth Trophy Group Captain Paul Godfrey said: “It is an honour to be part of such a high performing team here at RAF Lossiemouth, and I continue to be amazed and humbled by the efforts of everyone in delivering what is asked of us time and time again.
“I’m incredibly proud of our achievements in all that we do; the Stainforth Trophy is not an easy award to win and demonstrates that the Whole Force at RAF Lossiemouth is not only making a significant contribution to Defence output, but is doing so whilst achieving the very highest of standards.”
The Trophy has become one of the most prestigious awards that can be granted to a Royal Air Force Station, recognition that the recipient unit has embodied the RAF’s motto ‘Per Ardua Ad Astra’.
Wing Commander George Stainforth AFC RAF joined the RAF in 1923 and had an outstanding military career, with many notable achievements to his credit. In September 1929 he broke the air speed record with an average speed of 336.3 mph, and in 1931 was the first man ever to exceed 400 mph in an aircraft.
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