If not now, when? BBMF pilot on making aviation history and words of advice
A Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) pilot who was one of four aviators to take part in one of the longest bombing raids since the Second World War, launching Storm Shadow missiles during Operation Ellamy, has made aviation history.
Squadron Leader Ben Polwin joined the BBMF this year and is due to fly a Hawker Hurricane during the 2026 season – one of only 12 airworthy in the world.
This year, however, he joined forces with his wife Sophie, a Royal Canadian Air Force veteran turned British Airways pilot and won the 2025 King's Cup Air Race by one second, clinching the 2025 British Air Racing Championship and making him the first known service member to win the trophy since 1988.
He said: "Sir Geoffrey de Havilland won it in 1933, I believe, so you know, it's a big race.
"I can't claim for one second to be on a par with someone such as Geoffrey de Havilland but, on a personal level, it does feel pretty good to have your name on the same trophy."
Sqn Ldr Polwin was determined to "get a rank listed on the winners list again" in order to reconnect the King's Cup with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, as all the aircraft in the BBMF hangar have, at some point, had a history in air racing.
For example, the Hurricane PZ came in second place in 1950 with Group Captain Peter Townsend at the controls, which is the closest a BBMF aircraft came to winning.
Additionally, Spitfire Mk Vb AB910 was damaged during a heavy landing at Southend Airport during the 1953 King's Cup.
What is the King's Cup?
The King's Cup Air Race was established in 1922 by King George V as an incentive to the development of light aircraft and engine design.
The race, a competition of accuracy and consistency, has been held every year since its creation, with interruptions only during the Second World War, the Covid pandemic and inclement weather.
Along with the revived Schneider Trophy, the King's Cup is one of the most sought-after prizes in the air racing season hosted by the Royal Aero Club Records Racing and Rally Association.
Sqn Ldr Polwin won the Schneider Trophy in August 2024, ending a 30-year drought for the RAF, with a plane he built himself.
The pilot dedicated the trophy to his late sister, Hannah and his friend, Typhoon and BBMF pilot Squadron Leader Mark Long, who died in a crash involving a Second World War Spitfire near RAF Coningsby in May 2024.
Winning the King's Cup Air Race has been an exciting challenge for the RAF pilot, who acknowledges that two decades of flying fast jets provided essential transferable skills.
However, while air combat and formation flying are valuable, the race demands a unique discipline that required him to relearn certain techniques.
He said: "It is a very different discipline and unlike anything I've done before."
A joint adventure
Sqn Ldr Polwin's RAF career has lasted more than two decades, during which time he flew the Tornado GR4, F/A-18 Hornet and Typhoon and was an instructor on the Hawk T2 and Typhoon.
Taking on this civilian air race alongside his wife Sophie has been quite a unique experience.
He says together they make a good crew, adding: "What was really nice about the air racing we've been doing is that we started it together.
"So all our friends there are mutual friends from the beginning.
"It wasn't something I had to drag her into that I was already part of."
Taking part in the King's Cup has been immensely developmental for Sqn Ldr Polwin, a fact that surprises many professional pilots he meets.
Unlike the military environment, where decisions are supported at every turn, the race required Sqn Ldr Polwin and his wife to take full responsibility for safety and logistical challenges.
Each decision, such as those related to weather and aircraft maintenance, made the experience even more challenging.
He said: "But some of these [decisions] could come with quite significant logistical, eye-watering costs if you're deciding that you're not going to fly home and the aeroplane needs hangarage and you're going to have to leave it there for two weeks and come back and get it when it's fixed."
How do you build a racing aircraft?
As Sqn Ldr Polwin explained about his Van's Aircraft RV-7, that unlike a Meccano kit, you can't just "bolt an aircraft together and go flying", adding: "There's quite a lot of fabrication and an awful lot of research.
"And you're on your own in several areas, like propulsion and propeller and interior, avionics, all that kind of thing is all on you."
The BBMF pilot started building his aircraft in his garage in 2018, and after five years of working on it with his wife, they started racing it under race number 777.
Inspiring future generations
Without intending to do so, Sqn Ldr Polwin has inspired a few aviation fans to forge a career with the RAF and take on the historic challenge thanks to videos he uploads to YouTube.
When asked what advice he'd give to those wishing to take part in the King's Cup Air Race his response is simple – "If not now, when?"
If you have access to an aircraft, what else do you need to make your dream a reality?
Do you need to save money? Do you need more experience in the air? Do you need a bit more time?
If you can't answer those questions, then Sqn Ldr Polwin says you've got two options.
Get on with overcoming each hurdle now, as no time is better than the present, or abandon it altogether before it becomes an unachievable and therefore frustrating dream.
He added: "If it's something you feel you're able to get into and you've got access to an aeroplane, what's stopping you?"
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