lands . ▁ ▁After ▁Ne ale ' s ▁departure ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁Ray n ham ▁joined ▁Al li ott ▁Ver don ▁Ro e , ▁also ▁at ▁Brook lands . ▁ ▁F lying ▁career ▁Ray n ham ▁began ▁flying ▁young ; ▁he ▁was ▁only ▁ 1 7 ▁when ▁he ▁gained ▁his ▁A vi ator ' s ▁Cert ificate ▁( no . 8 5 ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁on ▁a ▁Ro e ▁bi plane ▁at ▁Brook lands . ▁ ▁Even ▁before ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁experiment ed ▁with ▁the ▁Ne ale ▁VI ▁mon op lane . ▁ ▁As ▁well ▁as ▁pil oting ▁for ▁A . V . ▁Ro e ▁and ▁Mart ins y de ▁amongst ▁others , ▁he ▁fle w ▁alongside ▁early ▁British ▁fly ers ▁like ▁Tommy ▁S op with , ▁Harry ▁Haw ker , ▁Gordon ▁Bell ▁and ▁Ron ald ▁K emp . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁man ▁successfully ▁to ▁recover ▁from ▁a ▁spin , ▁entered ▁whilst ▁flying ▁in ▁cloud ▁in ▁an ▁Av ro ▁bi plane ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁though ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁know ▁how ▁he ▁had ▁done ▁it . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 4 ▁October ▁ 1 9 1 2 , ▁in ▁purs uit ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁Michel in ▁Tro phy ▁No . 1 ▁for ▁the ▁longest ▁flight ▁by ▁a ▁British ▁pilot ▁in ▁an ▁all - B rit ish ▁aircraft , ▁he ▁fle w ▁for ▁ 7 . 5 ▁hr ▁in ▁an ▁Av ro ▁G . ▁ ▁He ▁seemed ▁to ▁have