Royal Aero Club Silver Medal Citation Global Stars Press Release.
The Global Stars are pleased to announce that two members of our team, Manager Mark Jefferies and Formation Leader Tom Cassells, have each been awarded a RAeC Silver medal in recognition of their efforts and achievements in aviation.
Founded primarily for balloonists in 1901, and making awards for achievement in aviation since 1908, the RAeC is the co-ordinating body for air sports in the UK, also representing the nation at the Federation Aeronautique Internationale. HRH the Duke of York has the honour of long-standing Presidency; and he is joined in patronage by Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
RAeC Medals were first awarded in 1910 to pilots and those in significant background roles that had made major contributions to aviation in the previous year, or over several years. Nominees for the RAeC Silver medal will have made meritorious achievements or served the Club or a field of aviation for long periods or have made a major record setting flight.
Mark Jefferies and Tom Cassells have achieved recognition while maintaining a livelihood outside the field of aviation. Mark has a farming background and a business that thrives in Bedfordshire. Tom has transferred MT skills learned in the army to the role of logistics, in particular, temperature-controlled distribution. As pilot and Team Manager of The Global Stars, Mark has worked with unparalleled commitment to forging working relationships with air display organisers around Europe, The Middle and Far East. This is a task that requires ingenuity, attention to detail and a considerable amount of patience; in the task of shipping for instance, whether this is by rail to China or sea to India.
As Formation Leader of The Global Stars, Tom says that he treats the formation “like a big Slingsby”. The Global Stars’ display is in front of the crowd all the time. With an eye on energy management, Tom has achieved this consistently and sympathetically very often in extremes of temperature and weather. Long distance ferry flying: In 2015, Tom flew his Cap 232 from North Yorkshire to Ahmedabad, India to join the team for displays. In 2018, after the Bahrain show, he flew an Extra 330SC on to Vijayawada in Eastern India to join Mark and team re-rigging a second set of aeroplanes there for shows at the city.
Mark and Tom join a list of Silver Medal holders including SF Cody, De-havilland, Bristow, Hawker, Lord Brabazon and Slingsby: We are understandably proud of our two colleagues.
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