Cecil Grace

Cecil Stanley Grace (31 December 1883 – disappeared 22 December 1910, declared dead March 1911) was a Chilean-born pioneer aviator who went missing on a flight across the English Channel in 1910.

Family Grace was born on 31 December 1883 in Viña del Mar, Chile to John William Grace, a banker, and Mary Josephine Grace . Both of Grace's parents were born in Ireland and were naturalised American citizens. Grace was the paternal nephew of W. R. Grace, the former mayor of New York City and founder of W. R. Grace and Company. In October 1910, Grace became a naturalised as a British citizen.

Prior to his death, Grace had arranged to give free flying lessons to prospective pilots nominated by the Royal Navy. The lessons were subsequently given by another aviator, George Cockburn.

Final flight

In 1910, a number of early aviators were competing for the Baron de Forest Prize of £4,000 for the longest flight from England into continental Europe. Tom Sopwith was the first to try with a 170-mile flight into Belgium on 17 December 1910. Claude Grahame-White crashed his aircraft before he could make an attempt. Grace departed Swingate Downs on 22 December 1910 flying a Short S.27 in an attempt at the prize. a pilot's goggles and cap were washed ashore at Mariakerke (west of Ostend Belgium) were later identified as Grace's. A body resembling Grace's was found in Ostend harbour on 14 March 1911, but it was too badly disfigured to be identifiable.

In March 1911 he was formally declared to have died. Grace's name also appeared on a monument celebrating the earliest cross-channel flights, erected at Calais by the Aero Club de France around July 1911. He was posthumously awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Aero Club "for his achievements as a pilot and competitor".