Bromet Trophy Winners

1998 - Flight Lieutenant S J Main

On 8th April 1998, Flight Lieutenant Steve Main, an instructor with 208(R) Squadron, was flying with a student on a practice diversion to BAe’s airfield at Warton, when his student reported he was encountering a control restriction in pitch. Steve took control and verified the situation for himself: the aircraft was now seemingly in an unrecoverable descent and heading for a large built up area, so ejection was out of the question. He put the aircraft into a gentle turn out to sea so that he could safely ascertain the prospect of recovery. He decided that, with landing gear and flaps lowered, he could control the aircraft’s attitude by varying engine thrust, so flew a shallow straight-in approach to Warton, flying with both hands on the stick and guiding the student to vary power settings. Later ground checks established that the tailplane control rods had become disconnected. For his outstanding airmanship, Steve Main was awarded the Bromet Memorial Trophy at the 1998 Reunion, then soon afterwards, it was announced that he was to receive the Air Force Cross for his courage in that incident. It was presented at an investiture at Cardiff Castle by HRH Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales on 22 April 1999.