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Airflight

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Former British charter and cargo airline

Airflight
Commenced operations1948
Ceased operationsApril 1950
Fleet size2 Avro Tudor
DestinationsBerlin, Germany
Key peopleDon Bennett

Airflight Limited was a British charter, and cargo airline from 1948 to 1950.

History

Airflight Avro Tudor G-AKBY at Wunsdorf during the Berlin Airlift

The airline was formed by former Air Vice-Marshal Don Bennett at Langley Airfield, Berkshire, to operate in the Berlin Airlift with two long-fuselage Avro Tudor aircraft. These were flown by Bennett and a single other pilot, WWII RAF veteran Stanley Sickelmore, Bennett having the only night flight licence made all the nighttime trips himself with Sickelmore as co-pilot.

One of the Tudor aircraft had operated 85 sorties carrying over 9 tons of supplies per flight between Wunsdorf and Gatow.

At the end of the Berlin Airlift the aircraft were used for trooping charters to the Canal Zone for the British government and ad hoc charters. One of the charters was to end in disaster when G-AKBY was used for a rugby charter and crashed on approach to RAF Llandow in Wales on 12 March 1950. The month after the disaster the company merged into one of Bennett's other companies Fairflight Limited on 28 April 1950.

In 1951, Bennett sold Airflight on to Air Charter, a small company operating out of Luton under Freddie Laker.

Airflight Ltd was dissolved in 1965 and Fairflight was formally wound up in 1966.

Aircraft operated

Accidents and incidents

  • 12 March 1950 - Avro Tudor G-AKBY while operating a rugby charter, crashed on approach to RAF Llandow in Wales with 80 fatalities.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "The Tudor's Reign". Aeroplane Monthly. 50 (593): 68–71. September 2022.
  2. ^ Merton Jones 1972, page 13
  3. ^ Eastwood/Roach 1991, page 16
  4. Maynard p192
  5. "No. 43848". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 December 1965. p. 12101.
  6. "No. 44206". The London Gazette. 29 December 1966. p. 13991.

References

  • Eastwood, Tony; John Roach (1991). Piston Engine Airliner Production List. The Aviation Hobby Shop. ISBN 0-907178-37-5.
  • Merton Jones, T. (1972). British Independent Airline & Operators Since 1947. UK: LAAS International. NONE.
  • Maynard, John Bennett and the Pathfinders Arms and Armour London 1996 ISBN 1-85409-258-8

External links

Media related to Airflight at Wikimedia Commons

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