D H Heron mk1

Thanks a lot for taking the time to post that consul,life has never been easy for a small independent has it!!

Cheers baz

Thanks guys but the links dont tell us any details about the company,what i was really after was some personal photos,postcards or stories about the airline not available on the net.
Hopefully a forum member might remember the company!!
Well you never know !!!!!

North-South Airlines Ltd based at Leeds. Fleet 3x Heron 1B, 2x Bristol B.170 Freighter Mk 21 and 2x Dakota. These apart from the Dakotas were all leased in.

The Herons were:
G-ANCI leased from Overseas Air Transport March 1959 – June 1961. Prior to March ’59 this aircraft had been leased from OAT to Cambrian Airways and the title Cambrian Airways was over-painted with NS’s titles.
G-AOZN leased from Overseas Air Transport June 1960 – June 1961 but used by OAT during its lease to North-South.
G-APKU leased from Gulf Aviation July 1961 – October 1961

The airline began in March 1959 when ‘NCI was delivered from Cardiff to Leeds. Started with ad hoc charters till registered as an airline in May. Airline was registered to William J Shackleton & Geoffrey G Rennard. The company inaugurated a once weekly Leeds – Bournmouth service on 6 June 1959 (though due to weather the initial flight diverted to Southampton). The company also operated a number of charter flights to the continent. North-South also operated some Silver City schedules when that operator was short of aircraft (e.g. Blackpool – Belfast).

North-South’s own services also included a Leeds – Exeter and Leeds –Bournmouth- Sandown service. In 1960 NS flew a number of services from Manchester for OAT. G-AOZN appeared occasionally on NS’s own services though most were flown by ‘NCI. NS also operated some IT flights to Basle, Ostend and Rotterdam using the B.170. In 1960 a weekly summer service using Herons was operated Birmingham to Sandown (for Air Safaris). The company announced intentions to operate a Herald but this didn’t materialise.

By June 1961 Mercury Airlines (which succeeded OAT) wanted its Heron back and the B.170 was on lease to BKS so NS had no machines! Many services were cancelled and others expensively sub-contracted out ny NS to keep them going. From July 1961 the leased Gulf Heron took on the Bournmouth service and in August Dakota G-ALYF took on the Sandown service. Poor weather at Sandown often interrupted landings and contributed to NS’s woes. The last schedule to Exeter was on 23 September 1961. Complaints to the ATLB arose about unreliability and route licences were revoked and the company wound up.

I take no credit for researching this – I have extracted and abridged it from the superb “British Independent Airlines 1946 – 1976” by Tony Merton-Jones a hard copy edition having been republished only a few years back.

There is a Heron 1B at Newark Air Museum. According to their virtual museum CD ROM it is ex: BEA; Peters Aviation and Pan European Aircraft Services.

Arrived from Biggin Hill in October 1981.

http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/aircraftlist.htm

In that case they should have changed their name to West-East Airlines. I am sure their pilots must have endured some ribbing about their employers choice of name.

In the book ‘A Likely Story’ by Guy Clapshaw he did mention an airline where the owner kept changing the name when it went bust,I cant check out the airline because my copy is on ‘long term’ loan to somebody… ie.. I cant remember who I loaned it to:rolleyes:
It is a great book..a very lighthearted look at aviation written by an ex national service pilot ,later airline pilot.

Cheers Baz

‘May 1958
FURTHER SCHEDULED SERVICES FROM SANDOWN
‘North-South Airlines flew a Leeds – Exeter – Bournemouth – Isle of Wight route in 1959.’
http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/depts/bssm/aviation/precourse2004/british_airline_history3_0.pdf

In that case they should have changed their name to West-East Airlines. I am sure their pilots must have endured some ribbing about their employers choice of name.

Thanks guys but the links dont tell us any details about the company,what i was really after was some personal photos,postcards or stories about the airline not available on the net.
Hopefully a forum member might remember the company!!
Well you never know !!!!!

‘May 1958
FURTHER SCHEDULED SERVICES FROM SANDOWN
North-South Airlines began a weekend service from Leeds to Sandown, using DH Herons, which was to last for another six years.’
http://www.isleofwightairport.co.uk

‘North-South Airlines flew a Leeds – Exeter – Bournemouth – Isle of Wight route in 1959.’
http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/depts/bssm/aviation/precourse2004/british_airline_history3_0.pdf

From the website of Exeter airport.

North-South Airlines of Leeds/Bradford Airport operated de Havilland Herons between the summer of 1959 until 1962 and Starways of Liverpool operated a service during 1960 between Manchester and Newquay calling at Exeter.

Thanks NF…depressing reading eh !!!:(
So do any forumites have any memorabilia/postcards/photos or stories about North – South Airlines who (I think) were based at Leeds/Bradford (Yeadon) circa 1958 – 61 ?

Regards Baz

Any of those 3 herons still around ??

Cheers Baz

No luck there Baz. ‘OZN crashed and was destoyed in New Zealand in 1977, ‘PKU was reported as destroyed in 1979 and ‘NCI was at the Staravia scrap yard in 1977.

That is a definite then:D
Thanks very much Martin

Cheers Baz

Hi Baz,
‘Any of those 3 herons still around ??’ NO

Have attached two tiny pics to compare the livery of JA and NS – it’s quite obvious

Martin

You’re right.
North-South Airlines operated three Heron 1B
c/n 14005 G-AOZN lsd 6.60 – 6.61
c/n 14025 G-APKU lsd 7.61 -10.61
c/n 14043 G-ANCI lsd 3.59 – 6.61

Martin

Thanks Martin
My knowledge of airlines etc is sketchy at best,and I could not find an exact start date for the severn bridge,it opened 1966 but I found conflicting info about how long it took to build!! some scources said 3 years,others said 5.
Dunno how you managed to identify the livery from that head on angle,there really wasnt much to go on,I was thinking maybe Jersey Airlines before you gave me a reg to go on.North – South seems to ring a vague bell in the brain cell.I seem to remember we laughed about the naff name of the airline:D ,is this the airline mentioned in Guy Clapshaw’s book ‘A Likely story’ where the owner changed the name every time it went bust??good book by the way a big laugh from cover to cover.
Any of those 3 herons still around ??

Cheers Baz

You’re right.
North-South Airlines operated three Heron 1B
c/n 14005 G-AOZN lsd 6.60 – 6.61
c/n 14025 G-APKU lsd 7.61 -10.61
c/n 14043 G-ANCI lsd 3.59 – 6.61

Martin

Hi wieesso
Looks like you are correct about the livery,but the dates looked wrong.Checked out the severn bridge construction dates and I dont think it was started until 1961ish.However a bit of googling brought up that same heron on airliners.net in North -South Airlines markings and it looks like they operated a Leeds – exeter – bournemouth – isle of widget service 1959 -62.
So that is a good possibility.
I did also wonder about Jersey Airways who may have operated a service to leeds in those days.
I know there is not much to go on but can anybody identify where the photo was taken ??
Also anybody got any North – south postcards or memorabilia ??

Cheers /thanks Baz

Hi Baz
This kind of livery was only with a Heron 1B operated by Cambrian Airways, G-ANCI, c/n 14043, between 2.58 and 3.59

Martin

edit: look at your PM