Monique Rendall's DH89 Airline in 1950s Britain

It was nice to see those photos too, Laurence, thanks.

Thanks chaps. It’s great that others are interested in this story. She seems to have been a real pioneer.

When I read London Airport in the article I assumed Croydon, so thanks for clarifying that it was actually Heathrow.

I’ve got so used to thinking of it as Heathrow over many years I’d completely forgotten it used to be officially London Airport.

Thanks for the additional details Monsieur Avion. Dave asked for any photos of these aeroplanes. I dutifully checked mine and found one which might be G-AGUF, but I negligently didn’t label it, but you can see others on the abpic site: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/registration/G-AGUF

and probably of the others too.

Laurence

Island Air Services’ pleasure flight operation commenced at LAP (following on from Laurence’s accurate point, as to the name by which Heathrow Airport was then known, the few of my notebooks which remain extant have entries for that place headed simply with LAP and the date) on Sunday 25 April 1948. According to Merton-Jones, the demand for flights was so great that two more Dragon Rapides and a Consul had to be added to the airline’s fleet to enable that demand to be satisfied. The operation was seasonal, but at peak season the demand was so great as to demand four Dragon Rapides on station and the airline also operated from Northolt and Croydon. At the outset, the fare was £1 for a fifteen minute flight (a tidy sum at that time). The ban, in 1956, on pleasure flying from LAP hit the airline hard and, as mentioned already, it ceased operating the following year.

This thread prompted me to scour my logbooks and I see that I noted the following Dragon Rapides at London Airport (as was): G-AGUF and LBB on 2.6.1952, GJG on 4.4.1953 and FEB on 17.4.1954.

Indeed I clearly remember them doing their thing amid all their lovely big brothers and sisters. Not a jet in sight except the odd Comet.

Laurence

There is quite a lengthy entry for Island Air Services in ‘British Independent Airlines since 1946’ (A.C.Merton-Jones, LAAS/MAS). The company operated between 1945 and 1957. Its demise was precipitated by the loss, in 1956, of its pleasure flight franchise at Heathrow Airport, after which it moved its operating base to Ramsgate Airfield.

During its existence the airline operated six Dragon Rapides – G-AESR, G-AFFB, G-AGJG, G-AGSJ, G-AIYP & G-ALBB – as well as two Proctors – G-AHGR & G-AHTF – and a Consul – G-AIOY. It sold its fleet of aircraft at the end of the 1957 season and went out of business.