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(Redirected from Silver City (airline))
'Silver City Airways' was a British airline between 1946 and 1962.
The company was named after a nickname of the town of Broken Hill, Australia associated with the companies owners the Zinc Corporation. Silver City who were first based at Langley Aerodrom bought three Avro Lancastrians which they operated until 1949. For shorter range charter work 3 Douglas DC-3s were acquired in 1949. In 1947 the company moved to Blackbushe Airport when Langley was closed due to the expansion of Heathrow Airport.
A type to be significant in the development of the airline a Bristol Freighter was first leased in 1947 and was soon expanded to 4 aircraft. Three of the aircraft were used in the Berlin Air Lift. The First Managing Director was Wing Commander "Taffy" Grimth James Powell, a keen and impatient traveller, Powel realised that he could adapt the Bristol Freighter to fly passengers with their cars from Britain to Continental Europe and Jersey. This "air ferry" would allow British holiday-makers to avoid lengthy waits for the sea ferries.
On the 14 July 1948, the airline made the first flight with a car, from Lydd Airport in Kent to Le Touquet on the northern coast of France. The service was a resounding success although it soon became apparent that, due to the grass airfield, a more suitable airfield was required. It first moved to Southend Airport and in 1953 moved again to West Malling. The company decided to build its own airport near Lydd, in Kent which it called "Ferryfield". After six-months work, and at a cost of £400,000, it started operations in July 1954 in what was the first new post-war airport in the United Kingdom. The Duke of Edinburgh officially opened Lydd Airport (now London Ashford Airport) on April 5, 1956 and his flight to Le Touquet carried two cars. For the very reasonable fare of £25 for a car, and £4 per passenger, one could fly across the English Channel to France on any of the regular flights between 7.30am and 11pm. Between 1953 and 1957 137,000 cars and 500,000 passengers flew with Silver City from Lydd Airport.
In the late 1950s the Zinc Corporation sold the airline to the British Aviation Services Group, they were part of P&O Shipping and traded under the name Britavia. The group bought Air Kruise in 1958 and also acquired Lancashire Aircraft Corporation, Manx Airlines and Dragon Airways. In 1959 the airline used the larger Handley Page Hermes to operate passenger flights between Manston and Le Touquet which was marketed as the ''Silver Arrow''. In 1962 Silver City was taken over by Air Holdings the parent company of British United Airways who operated similar services to the continent from Rochford Airport near Southend in Essex. By the end of 1962 all the Silver City aircraft were either repainted in British United colors or retired and the name ceased to be used. The airlines operation became part of 'British United Air Ferries'.
Specialised trains, known as "Le Shuttle" perform a similar role for motorists wishing to cross the English Channel following the opening of the Channel Tunnel, meeting a demand that even Taffy Powell is unlikely to have foreseen. On their short journeys, these shuttle trains share tracks with the inter-city passenger Eurostars and dedicated, longer distance freight trains.
★ Airspeed Consul
★ Avro Lancastrian
★ Bristol Freighter
★ Bristol Superfreighter
★ de Havilland Express
★ de Havilland Dove
★ de Havilland Dragon Rapide
★ de Havilland Heron
★ Douglas DC-3
★ Handley Page Hermes
★ Lockheed Lodestar
★ ''The Devil Casts His Net'', Steve Morrin, ISBN 0-9534503-1-7, The Winter Hill Air Disaster.
★ British Independent Airlines since 1946, Volume One, Merton Jones, A., , , Merseyside Aviation Society & LAAS International ISBN 0-902420-07-0, 1976,
★ Company History
'Silver City Airways' was a British airline between 1946 and 1962.
| Contents |
| History |
| Aircraft operated |
| Further reading |
| References |
| External links |
History
The company was named after a nickname of the town of Broken Hill, Australia associated with the companies owners the Zinc Corporation. Silver City who were first based at Langley Aerodrom bought three Avro Lancastrians which they operated until 1949. For shorter range charter work 3 Douglas DC-3s were acquired in 1949. In 1947 the company moved to Blackbushe Airport when Langley was closed due to the expansion of Heathrow Airport.
A type to be significant in the development of the airline a Bristol Freighter was first leased in 1947 and was soon expanded to 4 aircraft. Three of the aircraft were used in the Berlin Air Lift. The First Managing Director was Wing Commander "Taffy" Grimth James Powell, a keen and impatient traveller, Powel realised that he could adapt the Bristol Freighter to fly passengers with their cars from Britain to Continental Europe and Jersey. This "air ferry" would allow British holiday-makers to avoid lengthy waits for the sea ferries.
On the 14 July 1948, the airline made the first flight with a car, from Lydd Airport in Kent to Le Touquet on the northern coast of France. The service was a resounding success although it soon became apparent that, due to the grass airfield, a more suitable airfield was required. It first moved to Southend Airport and in 1953 moved again to West Malling. The company decided to build its own airport near Lydd, in Kent which it called "Ferryfield". After six-months work, and at a cost of £400,000, it started operations in July 1954 in what was the first new post-war airport in the United Kingdom. The Duke of Edinburgh officially opened Lydd Airport (now London Ashford Airport) on April 5, 1956 and his flight to Le Touquet carried two cars. For the very reasonable fare of £25 for a car, and £4 per passenger, one could fly across the English Channel to France on any of the regular flights between 7.30am and 11pm. Between 1953 and 1957 137,000 cars and 500,000 passengers flew with Silver City from Lydd Airport.
In the late 1950s the Zinc Corporation sold the airline to the British Aviation Services Group, they were part of P&O Shipping and traded under the name Britavia. The group bought Air Kruise in 1958 and also acquired Lancashire Aircraft Corporation, Manx Airlines and Dragon Airways. In 1959 the airline used the larger Handley Page Hermes to operate passenger flights between Manston and Le Touquet which was marketed as the ''Silver Arrow''. In 1962 Silver City was taken over by Air Holdings the parent company of British United Airways who operated similar services to the continent from Rochford Airport near Southend in Essex. By the end of 1962 all the Silver City aircraft were either repainted in British United colors or retired and the name ceased to be used. The airlines operation became part of 'British United Air Ferries'.
Specialised trains, known as "Le Shuttle" perform a similar role for motorists wishing to cross the English Channel following the opening of the Channel Tunnel, meeting a demand that even Taffy Powell is unlikely to have foreseen. On their short journeys, these shuttle trains share tracks with the inter-city passenger Eurostars and dedicated, longer distance freight trains.
Aircraft operated
★ Airspeed Consul
★ Avro Lancastrian
★ Bristol Freighter
★ Bristol Superfreighter
★ de Havilland Express
★ de Havilland Dove
★ de Havilland Dragon Rapide
★ de Havilland Heron
★ Douglas DC-3
★ Handley Page Hermes
★ Lockheed Lodestar
Further reading
★ ''The Devil Casts His Net'', Steve Morrin, ISBN 0-9534503-1-7, The Winter Hill Air Disaster.
References
★ British Independent Airlines since 1946, Volume One, Merton Jones, A., , , Merseyside Aviation Society & LAAS International ISBN 0-902420-07-0, 1976,
External links
★ Company History
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