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Our History
Over the years, we have played a crucial role in many landmark events in the aviation industry. These include Shell’s pioneering research into aviation fuels, from helping Sir Frank Whittle develop the jet engine, the record breaking non stop flight of a Boeing 747 from London to Australia in the 1980s to the development of alternative jet fuels of tomorrow.
Our Milestones
1909
In 1909 Louis Blériot was the first person to complete the first flight across a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft when he crossed the English Channel using Shell Fuel.
1919
The first England to Australia flight was undertaken in 1919 and took 27 days. Pilots were brothers Ross and Keith Smith, flying a Vickers Vimy bomber made by Vickers at Brooklands in 1918. The plane had Rolls Royce Eagle engines and was fuelled with Shell 'aviation spirit'.
1930s
In the 1930s Shell produced Avgas 100/130. The product which was higher in iso-octane content than previously available, enabled the Merlin engines of the RAF's Spitfires and Hurricanes to produce more power and speed - and a much needed advantage during the Battle of Britain.
1940s
In the 1940s Shell scientists assisted Frank Whittle to develop one of the most important aviation inventions of the century - the jet engine.
1950s
In the 1950s the first ashless dispersant piston engine oils were introduced by Shell. The Shell Water
Detector was also developed for testing jet fuel.
1960s
In the 1960s Shell designed and implemented the first aviation fuelling hydrant system that is now considered standard at almost all world-class airports.
In the 1960s AeroShell Turbine Oil 555 was developed especially for Concorde. The result was an advanced synthetic aviation turbine lubricant capable of withstanding the high bearing temperatures and gear loadings encountered in the super sonic transport (S.S.T.) engines.
1976
In January 1976 Shell fuelled the world's fastest passenger plane on its inaugural flight. British Airway's Concorde, fuelled with Shell Jet A-I fuel took off from Heathrow Airport, London, for Bahrain on its first commercial flight.
1989
In August 1989 Shell supplied fuel for the record breaking non-stop Qantas flight of a Boeing 747
from London to Australia.
1994
In September 1994 a replica plane "Shell Spirit of Brooklands" piloted by American Peter McMillan and Australian Lang Kidby flew from Farnborough International Airshow to Darwin Australia to re-create the first flight in 1919. As with the first flight, Shell provided fuel and lubrication for the journey.
2007
In 2007 Shell Aviation launched AeroShell Ascender, a High Performance Capability (HPC) turbine engine oil. AeroShell Ascender takes turbine engine oils to a new level of performance by addressing the three main demands: low coking propensity, high resistance to oxidation and thermal
degradation, and excellent elastomer compatibility.
2008
As part of Airbus' alternative fuels research programme, in February 2008, the Airbus A380 became the first commercial aircraft to fly with a synthetic liquid jet fuel processed from gas (Gas to Liquids -
GTL) in a three-hour flight between Filton, UK and Toulouse, France. Shell was the GTL jet fuel supplier for this historic occasion.