Shell has been powering aviation from its earliest beginnings…here are just a few of the milestones the company has been a part of along the way.
Pioneering flight (Credit: Screenocean/Owner)
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Vision
Black and white shot of patterned backdrop with caption ‘Novel Christening. First ‘’Moth’’ aeroplane for a commercial traveller’s use, is christened with petrol, at Stag Lane Aerodrome. 1673, Gaumont Graphic.’’
Black and white footage of an aeroplane with men in uniform around it.
Mrs. George Wilson, the wife of Assistant General Manager of Shell-Mex, and a man are at the top of a ladder, Mrs Wilson pours Golden Shell Oil into the plane.
Mrs Wilson is then presented with a bunch of flowers from a little girl.
The pilot climbs inside the aeroplane and someone is in the back, people gather around.
Mrs Wilson pours in more fuel.
We focus on the passengers.
Mrs Wilson pours more fuel and accepts the flowers again before walking off with the child.
Back to the pilot and passenger as two men turn the front propellers of the plane.
Plane is in the air over a field and passes over a house before landing on the grass.
Men run towards the plane as it lands and run alongside as it comes towards the camera.
The plane turns and the men pull it to a stop.
The men then walk alongside the plane and it takes off again into the sky.
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Shell is one of the few companies that has been part of the aviation story for over 100 years, innovating the fuels and lubricants that power flight. The timeline below traces this story.
When Louis Bleriot became the first aviator to cross the English Channel, he was powered by Shell fuel.
The first trans-Atlantic flight – by Alcock and Brown – was fuelled by Shell.
First KLM airline Amstedam – Batavia was fuelled with Aeroshell.
AeroShell was launched to market our growing range of aviation products.
Shell helped Sir Frank Whittle to develop the first jet engines.
Shell launched the fuelling hydrant system that’s now the industry standard.
The first non-stop flight from London to Australia was fuelled by Shell.
The Airbus A380 became the first commercial aircraft to fly with synthetic liquid jet fuel processed from Gas to Liquid – processed by Shell.
A lead-free replacement for AvGas was announced by Shell.
Over a century ago, Shell’s iconic logo started life as a mussel shell – discover how the brand has changed over the years.
Go back to 1833 to see where it all started and how Shell has evolved to become one of the world’s leading energy companies.
Shell was there alongside the earliest motorsport pioneers, helping to fuel their dreams of turning a new mode of transport into an exciting way to compete. And Shell is still involved today, partnering with race teams at tracks around the world – from Formula 1 to MotoGP to Nascar.
With so much inspiration to draw from the past, we are committed to preserving and celebrating Shell’s heritage and sharing it with as many people as possible.
Shell’s history is full of examples of how we’ve powered progress through new ideas and pioneering technology. On this page, we’ve looked at some of the key areas where we’ve made breakthroughs over the years, and where we’re still pushing boundaries today.
