Brian Milton - Journalist/Pilot

Brian Milton is a journalist, with 10 years experience in BBC Radio, and 15 years in television. He was a reporter, and later a programme editor for BBC Radio in the 1970's. At TV-Am, he was Industrial Reporter, covering the miner's strike in 1984/5. In 1986, as Financial Correspondent, he founded the first daily City slot on British television, appearing live four times a morning on Money Matters.

In 1990, starting with a phone and a desk, he created the half-hour daily financial programme European Business Today in seven weeks. The programme was broadcast by NHK in Japan, BSB in Europe and FNN in the United States. Brian was editor of the programme, and lead presenter. BSB then asked Brian to create an eight-hour daily business channel, running from 0600-1400 every day, just before the forced merger with Rupert Murdoch's Sky-TV. Later, Brian was Managing Director and Editor of Euromoney Television, and also Editor of BSky-B's Business Sunday.

Between jobs he became the first man to fly a microlight from London to Sydney (a woman, Eve Jackson, was the first person to make such a flight). Brian completed the journey in 59 days (Eve took 15 months). His flight was in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest, fastest microlight flight in history. The aircraft is now in the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.

In 1998, Brian became the first man to fly a microlight aircraft around the world. He flew east from London, starting with a co-pilot, Keith Reynolds. Brian crossed Siberia, plagued by storms and cold, with a Russian navigator in the back. His flight won the 1999 Britannia Trophy from the Royal Aero Club, the highest award in the Club's gift, and once won by Atlantic pioneer Sir John Alcock (but not, surprisingly, by Amy Johnson). Brian also won the prestigious Seagrave Trophy, which Amy did win; other previous winners include Sir Malcolm Campbell, and the latest recipient, Jackie Stewart. The Guinness Book of Records has the flight filed under "Extraordinary Journeys". Flyer Magazine dubbed it "The Flight of the Year", and Sir Chris Bonington, in his latest book, "Quest for Adventure", included a whole chapter on Brian's flight, ranking it with the first ascent of Everest, and Sir Francis Chichester's solo sail around the world.