Aviation Pioneers of the Outback of WA part 3 (Final) – by John Pritchard
Connellan Airways Pty Ltd
Mr Edward John Connellan became a businessman after being a teacher and then developed a passion for aviation around 1936 and his family had interests in the rural sectors Victoria and New South Wales. In 1937, he perceived opportunities for business in the Northern Territory and had prepared papers on air freight in Australia as it could assist in the development of remote regions in northern Australia.
Photo – Australian Aviation Hall of Fame – Mr Connellan
During 1938, Mr Connellan undertook two surveys in the Northern Territory, Queensland and the top end of the Kimberley’s in WA, primarily with a view to finding suitable farming land. During these surveys, he met the then Federal Member for some of these areas Mr John McEwan and discussed the role of air services for the residents of these remote regions. He agreed to conduct a three year trial of a return airmail run between Alice Springs and Wyndham in WA. For this it was agreed, he would receive a subsidy from the Commonwealth Government. He also agreed to provide a service for the Royal Flying Doctor Service based in Alice Springs. He was assisted in finance by his friend Mr Damien Miller and purchased 2 Percival Gull type aeroplanes.
Start of the scheduled mail and aero medical services
He then founded a company in 1939 named Survey and Inland Transport Pty Ltd and Mr Jack Kellow commenced the fortnightly mail run between Alice Springs and Wyndham in outback WA in August 1939. Mr Connellan also made a contract with the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
(Photo – Geoff Goodall)
The effects of WW2
The start of WW2 was a major setback to the company as his staff joined the military services and thus for a while from October 1940 to May 1945, he operated the company as a one-man/aircraft operation except for the occasional help from other pilots. Whilst Eddie was appointed to the RAAF Reserve, he was still required to maintain the company mail run. This was not helped by some atrocious weather conditions in that period which resulted in a forced landing with that particular mail run taking some three weeks to complete.
On 23/07/1943 Mr Connellan registered Connellan Airways, thus consolidating his various air services which had grown significantly since its commencement in 1939 with new routes and new aircraft types. In 1951, the name was changed to reflect that it had become a limited company with many of it’s shares being held by company staff and people living on the stations that the company serviced.
A Connellan Airways DH89 aircraft VH-BKR visiting the Roper River Mission in 1948. – Photo Wikipedia
A Royal Flying Doctor Service patient is transferred from a Connellan Airways Fox Moth to an ambulance at Alice Springs in 1954- Photo Wikipedia
Percival Proctor operated in early days by Connellan Photo – Wikipedia
DH89 Dragon Rapide VH-AHI at Inverway Station, NT (near WA border) in 1955 which was one of the service stops where it overnighted -Photo Geoff Goodall
Connellan Beech 50 at Wyndham 1958 Photo – WA State Library
Commencement of airline operations
The Post-War years up to about 1960 were the formative years of the airline when it went from a one-man show to acquiring surplus equipment to set up workshops, hangar development for aircraft maintenance facilities and a good aircraft maintenance system.
From 1947 to 1960, the numbers of passengers carried by the company and passenger miles flown increased by a factor of 13 and mail from 18.1 tons to 50.4 tons. In 1947, the company served some 75 pastoral stations, mines, and settlements. By 1960, this figure had increased to over 100 locations and subsequently rose to about 120 locations, on a network of over 12,000 route miles.
The company also continued to provide flying services for the Flying Doctor Service at Alice Springs and in 1955 flew its 1000th medical flight. Five years later, the 2000th medical flight was flown.
Photos – Bjorn Larsson
The Connair route structure shown above covering the Northern Territory plus parts of Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia as it was in 1957 and the 1962 timetable.
In 1953, Mr Connellan was awarded the Queen’s Coronation Medal for services to aviation and in 1957, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year’s Honours List for services to civil aviation in Northern and Central Australia.
Connellan Beech 18 VH-CLF at Yuendumu, NT in 1962
In 1963, Connellan Airways became the operator of a regular public transport service and the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) also continued to occasionally charter Connellan Airways aircraft services up until 1973, although the RFDS had made some aircraft purchases from Conellan Airways between 1965 and 1973.
Connair Cessna 180 VH-UPF at Alice Springs in 1967
The move to larger aircraft
The company name was changed to Connair in 1970 and over the next decade it had to adapt to new financial situations.
Connair Heron at Ayres Rock
Connair DC3 at Alice Springs Photo – Central Australian Air Museum
In 1965 Mr Connellan was awarded the Oswald Watt Gold Medal for his outstanding contribution to general aviation. In 1978 he was promoted to a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) and in 1981 appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for services to aviation and the community.
Sadly, on 5 Jan 1976, a disgruntled former employee of Connellan Airways flew a Beechcraft Baron into the Connellan Airways hangar at Alice Springs. This event killed five people (inclusive of the pilot) and injured another four. A group of local people from Alice Springs later formed the Central Australian Aviation Museum in the old Connair hangar to recognise the sacrifices made by those who lost their lives in that terrible event.
Change in company direction
The nature of the company tended to change with the introduction of the larger aircraft types such as the Heron and DC3 aircraft types as it started to lose the pioneering aura of its operations. Then in 1980, the company was sold to East-West Airlines trading as Northern Airlines which was ultimately sold to Ansett Transport Industries Ltd. Since then, other aircraft operators have replaced some of these services and government subsidies are still provided to some of the new operators.
After the sale of Connellan Airways, a trust named The Connellan Airways Trust was commenced. At the time of the company sale in 1980, most of the 50 shareholders agreed to the formation of the trust and to contribute to it financially from their receipts of the sale. The Trust had the aim of encouranging knowledge and education in the outback of Australia. During the 2004/2005 financial year, an amount of $140,308 AU was granted by the Trust to some 140 applicants.
Mr Connellan
As a further tribute to the efforts of Mr Connellan over the many years, the new Ayers Rock Airport (Uluru) was named Connellan Airport in June 1982.
Photo – Find a Grave
Mr Connellan sadly passed away on 26 Dec 1983 aged 71 years and lays at rest with family members in the Alice Springs Memorial Cemetery. Adjacent to the cemetery is the museum dedicated to Connellan Airways.
Woods Airways, Woods Helicopters and Jimmy Woods
Capt James (Jimmy) Woods was born in Scotland and served as a pilot with the Royal Flying Corps in Egypt during WW1. After the war he was in New Zealand where he became a commercial pilot
Photo – Wikipedia James ‘Jimmy’ Woods
During 1924, he joined West Australian Airways to fly their north-west service to Derby and in 1929 he also flew their aircraft on the route between Perth (Maylands) and Adelaide (Parafield). By 1934, he had joined the staff of MacRobertson Miller Aviation Co and was flying the north west coastal route with which he was familiar from his work with his former employer.
WW2 Years
During March 1942, he narrowly escaped with his life as he had just taken off from Wyndham, only minutes before a flight of Zero fighters attacked the town. He was equally lucky to arrive over Broome only a short time after more fighters had caused havoc at that town. The attack destroyed some two dozen Allied aircraft and killed between 70 and 100 people. Jimmy then helped to evacuate the wounded from this event to the safety of the south in mercy flights, by loading some 22 wounded Dutch refugees into his tiny ten seat airliner and flew them to Port Hedland. He then spent the day operating shuttle services between Broome and Port Hedland, carrying more refugees to safety in his aircraft. Whilst he got a reprimand for his efforts by the Australian civil aviation authorities, the Dutch took a different view in the circumstances. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands decorated Jimmy as a Knight of the Order of Orange Nassau – the equivalent of a British Knighthood!
The Start of Woods Airways
In 1947, Jimmy resigned from MacRobertson Miller Aviation Co and proceeded to set up his own company which was known as Woods Airways. He operated bulk newspaper delivery flights to locations in the southern part of the State and later, a scheduled service to Rottnest Island, some 16 km off the coast from Fremantle. He then bought two ex RAAF Avro Anson aircraft and had them converted to civil standards.
Jimmy got his Rottnest service underway with one of the Ansons, appropriately named “Islander”, flying the the first service on 6 Mar 1948. This was a “one-man airline” in the true sense of the word as he did everything, drove the airport bus, sold the tickets, handled the luggage, and flew the aircraft. The service was advertised as “The shortest scheduled air route in the world” and this was the case until many years later when a service even shorter than the Rottnest route was established in Scotland, UK.
Photo – Geoff Goodall
While the service was popular and operated without injury to passengers, the Anson was not the most reliable aircraft with a poor single-engine performance. This factor would later cause the Department of Civil Aviation to ban over water flights by Ansons. More importantly, his Ansons had many undercarriage problems which attracted newspaper publicity when he had problems lowering the undercarriage. This of course led to the airport emergency services being put on full alert but fortunately, the problems were rectified in flight and he always landed safely.
In 1953 he purchased another ex R.A.A.F. aircraft, a Mosquito fighter bomber but after a series of misfortunes, the Mosquito was sold to an American in the 1970s but later repossessed and purchased by the Australian War Memorial.
During 1961, the Department of Civil Aviation announced that passenger operations in Anson aircraft were to cease due to concerns about the safety of these aircraft. But Jimmy’s supporters would not take this decision laying down so they lobbied the WA State Government for finance to purchase more modern aircraft for the service. However, these approaches fell on deaf ears and were to no avail.
Last Rottnest Flight
His last flight to Rottnest Island was made on New Year’s Eve in 1961. The esteem in which Jimmy Woods was held was evidenced by his farewell ceremony at Rottnest. Before a crowd of over 1,000 people, a garland of flowers was placed around his neck and the then State Premier, Sir David Brand, gave a stirring farewell speech. Jimmy then climbed aboard his Anson and thundered down the Rottnest runway for the last time. In 14 years of operations, his Ansons made more than 13,000 crossings between Perth and the island and during the last 5 years of the operation alone, carried nearly 22,000 passengers.
The service started by Mr Woods between Perth Airport and Rottnest was later replaced by others such as MacRobertson Miller Airlines Pty Ltd (MMA) using DC3 and later F27 type aircraft but the service was withdrawn as from 1 Apr 1968. On this date, Civil Flying Services and Southern Airlines had replaced the earlier service using Beechcraft Queenair, DHC3 Drover and various other aircraft types respectively. Civil Flying Services then withdrew the service on 31 Aug 1979 due to the rising costs of fuel. Skywest Airlines then followed the next day using a variety of aircraft such as GAF Nomad 22 & 24 types. This was followed in the 1980’s by Rottnest Airlines (later known as Rottnest Airbus) which used three Britten Norman Islander BN2A aircraft on the route working on a high frequency basis.
During the America’s Cup preparations/races from about November 1986 to March 1988, Barrack Helicopters also operated a regular helicopter service using a S61 helicopter between a landing field in the Fremantle Port mole area and Rottnest Island. However, they did not last after the cup race period as more modern large sea-born vessels operating from Perth and Fremantle began offering cheaper fares, competitive overall transit times and thus had become competitors for travel to the island. Currently no scheduled services operate to the island although unscheduled services are available on arrangement.
4 above photos – Geoff Goodall
Not Done Yet
However, Jimmy was not done yet and at the age of 70 years, he set up a new operation known as “Woods Helicopters”. In a short time, he had three helicopters operating throughout WA, mainly on oil exploration work and aerial spraying work. He sold this company to another helicopter organisation some eight years later and then at the age of 78 years, he finally decided to take his well earned retirement.
Mr Woods
Jimmy sadly passed away in 1975 at the age of 82 years and in final recognition for his years of service on the route, his ashes were scattered from the air into the Indian Ocean, near Rottnest. In a further tribute to his service to aviation, in 1987 the then new $300,000 Rottnest air terminal was renamed “The Jimmy Woods Air Terminal”.
End of the Depression and WW2 years
The great depression years from 1929 to 1933 and WW2 had a serious adverse effect on the economy and aviation. Few new scheduled services emerged in outback WA during this period. The end of WW2 and gradually improving economic conditions saw an increase in interest in aviation and new companies began to emerge in 1950’s but they were largely in the charter and aerial work sphere.
Many ex RAAF aircraft were placed on the market after WW2 and sold to companies which had a need for them after having a civil conversion. Not all of them were suitable for a civil conversion so these were broken up and sold for parts or scrap. They were located in a number of rural locations in the main and one such location was Kalgoorlie where many of them were ex RAAF Vultee Vengeances dive bombers. Some of them were salvaged for parts and structures owing to the shortage of metal items at that time. Others were also moved to locations well removed from the areas of Boulder and Kalgoorlie where they were stored. One was sent to Mt Monger, some 50 km from Kalgoorlie but was later sold as scrap in the 1950’s. Another three were sold to a property in Boundary St, Kalgoorlie but were mostly later given away. The scrap metal from these broken up aircraft was generally then sent to Perth to be processed by the recyclers such as Krasnostein & Co. Even today, the backyards of some properties where these were held show some evidence of aircraft metal parts or scrap metal laying in/on the ground.
Archibald John Collins trading as Chart-air
Mr Collins commenced his aviation business from June 1948 with a Tiger Moth aircraft, after being discharged from the RAAF at the end of WW2. He then transferred the business to Meekatharra in July 1948 where he concentrated on general charter and aerial work activities. This particularly included providing an aircraft service for the aerial ambulance base at that location. He purchased another Tiger Moth aircraft in the following year.
In January 1950, he received a WA State Government approval to conduct a weekly two day scheduled (897 miles) service from Meekatharra and Wiluna to various station properties in the Eastern Murchison Region of WA. At the time of the announcement, Mr Collins hoped to get a State Government subsidy to help run the service. It was planned that during the morning of the first day of the service, the aircraft would leave Meekatharra for Wiluna via Murchison Downs, Hillview Station, Yarrabubba, Youno Downs, Yeelirrie Sation and Albion Downs.
During the afternoon of that day, the flight would continue to Paroo Station, New Springs, Cunyu Sation and then return to Wiluna for an overnight stop. On the morning of the second day, the plane would fly to Lake Way, Barwidgee Station, Wanganoo, Yelma, Wangawall, Carnegie, Glen Ayle, Earaheedy and Granite Peak. During the afternoon of that second day the aircraft would fly to Millrose Station, Lake Violet, Wiluna and Meekatharra.
However, this approval was subject to him having a suitable twin engine aeroplane in which to conduct the service, necessary Commonwealth regulatory approvals and suitable aerodromes being provided at the destinations involved. The service at that time was not expected to commence before July 1950. He had the necessary twin engine aircraft, a Shorts Scion aircraft VH-UTV for the service.
Photo – Geoff Goodall
However, the aircraft was later flipped over onto its back in some trees and severely damaged during a storm at Meekatharra in November 1951. His other aircraft also suffered damage in other incidents during 1952 and then the flying doctor contract was awarded to another organisation. Mr Collins ceased his operations in 1953 and moved from Meekatharra. The aircraft was later repaired by its new owner at Maylands Airport by 1957.
Mr Collins did return to commercial flying some 15 years later with Air-Rep Services Pty Ltd providing a purchase and delivery service to remote properties for household goods, food and provisions ranging as far north as Port Hedland from Perth.
The 1960’s
The 1960’s saw a phenomenal new interest in modern light aircraft in Australia and in particular, initially that of flying training. Most of those taking up this new opportunity had an ultimate focus of private leisure flying or employment in that industry generally but for a select few, a job in the airlines industry was their longer term goal. With the earlier withdrawal of airline services from some destinations in outback Western Australia, this led to the creation of proposals for new scheduled services to those locations, using the new types of light aircraft.
The types of new aircraft being entered on the Australian Register of Civil Aircraft contained a lot of the new generation metal framed aircraft and the numbers of aircraft on the Register rose rapidly from 1600 aircraft in 1962 to some 18,700 aircraft at the end of 2019.
New Scheduled Commuter Airline Services
The Air Navigation Regulations were later changed to permit what was a Supplementary or Commuter Airline Service where charter operators of the day could be approved to conducted RPT (regular public transport) services in smaller multi-engine aircraft flying under instruments. This happened in the shadow of the withdrawal of the larger airlines from their traditional flying work to remote outback locations following their introduction of pure jet services. The following companies took advantage of this opportunity up to the end of 1980 in outback WA.
- Avior Pty Ltd
- Civil Alying Services (WA) Pty Ltd
- Murchison Air Services Pty Ltd
- Ord Air Charter Pty Ltd
- Skywest Airlines Pty Ltd
- Transwest Air Charter Pty Ltd
Avior Pty Ltd
This company provided a general charter and aerial work services plus a number of scheduled RPT services based out of Perth Airport commencing in the early 1980’s. These return scheduled services were originally from Perth to Geraldton, Kalbarri, Shark Bay, Useless Loop and Carnarvon, Perth to Bunbury plus from Perth to Southern Cross and Kalgoorlie using Piper PA31-350 type aircraft. The company ceased operations when it was taken over by Laurie Potter Airlines in July 1987 which itself ceased operations when the associated company owner’s health club finished.
Photo – Geoff Goodall – Piper PA31-350
Civil Flying Services (WA) Pty Ltd
At the time of starting in WA, the parent company was a well established provider of charter and flying training activities at Moorabbin Airport, Victoria and was also an agent for the Beechcraft type aircraft. It learned early that the mining industry would not buy its aircraft, so it sought to get involved in providing charter operations for that industry in the early 1960’s.
They developed a view that it would be better to open an office in WA rather than try to manage mining contracts From Moorabbin. They were successful in gaining a contract with Hammersley Iron in the Pilbara and consequently in 1964, purchased the new premises and business of Millard O’Sullivan Aviation to provide charter and aerial work operations plus flying training. They moved into the new premises at Jandakot Airport on 16/10/1965 under the names of Civil Flying Services (WA) Pty Ltd and Civil Flying School. The charter side of the company was based at Perth Airport.
During 1967, the company was successful in obtaining approval to also operate a number of the services abandoned by MMA and these included services between Perth and Albany, Esperance, Norseman and Rottnest Island using Beechcraft Queenair aircraft. The first service to Rottnest Island started on 25 Mar 1968 and was in competition with Southern Airlines.
Photos – Geoff Goodall
The Rottnest service was swiftly followed by services to the other locations mentioned above and continued for the next decade. During 1972, the company added routes to service the towns of Mount Magnet, Meekatharra, Wiluna, Cue, Yalgoo, Sandstone and Yeelirie in the Murchison district plus the adding of Southern Cross to the route to Norseman.
By December 1973, the company had carried it’s 100,000th passenger. This was followed in 1974 by the take over of the route between Onslow and Learmonth using Beechcraft Baron type aircraft which were also being used on mining company contracts in the area. It also commenced a twice daily service between Perth and Bunbury on 16 Aug 1976.
Their turbo prop era
In 1975, the company obtained a contract from WA Petroleum Pty Ltd (WAPET) which was developing oil and natural gas fields at Barrow Island, near Onslow, WA. The contract required them to supply WAPET with a daily air service. CFS promised to use Swearingen Metro pressurised type turbo-prop aircraft which were capable of carrying larger groups of workers in improved conditions compared to other operators in the area at that time. The first such aircraft was delivered to the company in Perth on 17 May 1975.
Photo – Geoff Goodall
This move to their first turbine aircraft led the company to also plan for the replacement of the Beechcraft Queenairs being used on their scheduled airline services and three Rockwell 690A Turbo Commanders, capable of carrying 9 passengers each were ordered for this. These new aircraft were introduced on the company’s airline services on 05/12/1977 and further orders for two new Metro Swearingen II aircraft were placed. The use of turbine aircraft allowed the company to extend their operations into places further away like Telfer and Alice Springs.
The price of avgas by 1978 caused the company to cease charter and aerial work operations in Beechcraft Baron and Piper Navajo aircraft types and they closed the office at Jandakot Airport. They shifted all remaining operations in the Perth area to their facility at Perth Airport where they concentrated on contract and scheduled airline services, using the more economic turbine aircraft. Two Metro Swearingen II aircraft suitable for 15 passengers and cargo duly arrived at Perth Airport in late 1978, early 1979 and were placed in service the day after arrival on the on the Albany and Esperance airline services.
On 8 Dec 1978 it was announced by Mr Stillwell at Perth Airport that the company Civil Flying Services (WA) Pty Ltd would change its name to Stillwell Airlines.
Photo – Geoff Goodall
However, the earlier expressed optimism at the time of the name change was not realised as the new company lost the WAPET contract in June 1979. It consequently decided to retrench over half the employees at Perth Airport and also discontinue their airline scheduled services to Rottnest Island and Bunbury. Their other airline scheduled services were continued using the three Swearingen aircraft whilst most of the Rockwell 690 and piston engine aircraft were sold.
The end of this came on 20 Feb 1980 when it was announced that Skywest-Jet Charter Air Services Pty Ltd operating as Skywest Airlines had taken over Stillwell Airlines.
Skywest Airlines went on to continue the services and expand into other RPT services in various parts of Western Australia, ultimately itself being taken over itself by Virgin Australia Regional Airlines.
Murchison Air Services Pty Ltd
This organisation was formed in 1966 and operated general charter and aerial work functions over a large part of Western Australia for a number of years up to the early 1970’s. They used a variety of aircraft types including the DHC-3 Drover, Piper PA31, BN2A Britten Norman Islander, Cessna 400 series and single engine aeroplanes. These operations were largely in support of the mining industry and particularly the development of the North West Shelf gas operations.
Operation of scheduled services
In the late 1960’s, the company commenced four return services per day from Perth to Rottnest Island using a DHC3 Drover aircraft in competition with other operators.
Photo – Queensland Air Museum
Photo Bjorn Larsson
1971 Timetable
During the early 1970’s, the company also operated a six days per week return scheduled air service using a BN2A Britten Norman Islander aircraft from Pt Hedland to Marble Bar and Newman, with three stops a week at Nullagine and one stop per week at Roy Hill and Hillside. It also operated a fortnightly scheduled return service from Pt Hedland to Pardoo, Wallal, Mandora, Talgarno, Warrawagine, Callawa, Yarrie and Muccan stations using a Cessna 206 aircraft.
In the same years, the company also operated a six days a week return scheduled air service using a BN2A Britten Norman Islander aircraft from Goldsworthy to Port Hedland. The service was later expanded to include a stop at Shay Gap.
The company also operated a two days a week return scheduled air service using Piper aircraft from Carnarvon to Shark Bay. Some of the above services were taken over by other companies when Murchison Air Services ceased operations.
Ord Air Charter Pty Ltd
This company operated by the Reid family (Peter and Maxine) has provided general charter and aerial work operations in the Kimberley Region of WA plus weekly/fortnightly mail and passenger services from Wyndham/Kununurra to various locations and station properties in the eastern and northern parts of the Kimberley Region since the 1970’s.
Ord Air Charter Pty Ltd Britten Norman BN2A at Perth Airport 1981
Ord Air Charter Pty Ltd Cessna 402C
Ord Air Charter Pty Ltd Cessna 206 Photo Daniel Pickering
Mr Peter Reid
He sadly passed away in 1985 and the local Wyndham Town Hall was renamed the Peter Reid Memorial Hall in recognition of Peter’s service to the community.
Skywest Airlines Pty Ltd
This commuter airline commenced operations at the time of the acquistion of Stillwell Aviation on 20 Feb 1980 by Skywest-Jet Charter Air Services Pty Ltd operating as Skywest Airlines. It effectively took over the scheduled and unscheduled services left from the former Civil Flying Services (WA) Pty Ltd and Stillwell Aviation operations. Those services were between Perth and Albany, Esperance and a group of locations in the northern goldfields near Mt Magnet, Wiluna and Meekatharra. The company went on to acquire Bae 31 type aircraft to operate its scheduled services
Photo – Wikipedia
As time went on, the company obtained even more sophisticated aircraft such as the FK27 and Airbus 320 types and extend its services to some of the more major routes of outback WA.
Photos Wikipedia
The company was taken over by Virgin Australia Regional Airlines Pty Ltd in 2013
Transwest Air Charter Pty Ltd
This company first operated from Jandakot Airport during 1967 providing non scheduled charter and aerial work services including newspaper delivery runs. They initially used single engine aircraft, Beechcraft 55 Baron, Cessna 310R and Britten Norman Islander BN2A types of aircraft.
Beechcraft Baron 55 Photo – Geoff Goodall
Britten Norman Islander Bn2A VH-EQE (in front of MMA jet) Photo – Geoff Goodall
In the early 1970’s, the company also commenced providing daily weekday scheduled commuter passenger services from Perth to locations at Leonora, Windara and Laverton plus from Kalgoorlie to Leonora, Laverton and Windara. Additionally, they added a scheduled service from Port Hedland to Marble Bar, Nullagine and Hillside and from Mt Goldsworthy to Port Hedland and Shay Gap. Some of these locations were previously serviced by Macrobertson Miller Airlines Pty Ltd.
The scheduled services provided by Trans-west were as shown on the map below in August 1977. Photo – Bjorn Larsson
The company was successful in competing for mining service contracts and this meant it added new more sophisticated aircraft types to its fleet such as the Beechcraft Kingair 200, Cessna 402 and 550 and DHC-6 Twin Otter as time went on.
4 Photos above – Geoff Goodall
The company also later expanded the above timetable to include services from Derby to Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing plus a fortnightly station service to Beverley Springs, Mt House, Gibb River and Margaret River in October 1978 after the MMA service ceased. The aircraft used were DHC6 Twin Otter, Britten Norman Islander BN2A and Cessna twin engine types.
In the 1980’s, the company was taken over by Skywest Airlines Pty Ltd and the service ceased in late 1981 in line with Skywest Airlines management policy re low profitability routes. Skywest Airlines itself was taken over by Virgin Australia Regional Airlines in 2013. The Kimberley services were taken over by other operators.
Other operations
Whilst this paper is focused primarily on scheduled passenger services mainly in the outback of Australia over the years up to 1980, we also need to make mention of non scheduled charter and aerial work operators in this area. These operators have assisted in the development of that region and some of the standards used in the following operations today across Australia.
- Aerial Surveys,
- Aerial Spotting,
- Agricultural Operations
- Aerial Photography,
- Flying Training (in particular aerial stock mustering),
- Ambulance Functions,
- Police or Customs functions or service of a Government Department,
- Non scheduled charter operations
In conclusion, special mention should also be made of the actions by the many operators and crews of aircraft involved in the evacuation of Darwin to other outback locations following the devastation by Cyclone Tracy in December 1974 plus similarly caused evacuations from towns in the Western Australian outback over the years.
Moya Sharp
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