Airlines - Great Britain: Illustrated History Books & Guides

Gone but Not Forgotten : Defunct British Airlines Since 1945

In post-war Britain, several small airlines were founded and equipped with surplus military aircraft, the most popular being the Douglas Dakota. The British airliners we see today in our airports are the result of numerous takeovers and mergers, involving large and small companies.
This book covers some of these airlines that have ceased operating since 1946: some collapsed because of financial difficulties, some were taken over by larger airlines, and some ceased operating altogether.

The book is a guide to each airline, accompanied by a brief historical account, and interesting images of the aircraft in their distinctive colour schemes.
The airlines covered are a selection of large and small aircraft, who flew international and regional routes, as well as airlines involved in inclusive tours business.

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Air Atlantique

In 1976 a Jersey-based air taxi operator purchased two elderly Dakota aircraft for cargo charters as Air Atlantique. Thus began the saga of an airline that would eventually operate one of the largest fleets of Dakotas in the world, acquire four-engined vintage propliners, diversify into passenger charters and pleasure flying and oil-spill response work, and take over the lease on its Coventry Airport base.

From here a fleet of historic aircraft sallied forth to participate in air shows around the UK. The impending retirement of the airline's founder Mike Collett brought about changes, but the freight charters and pleasure flying continued until new regulations brought passenger flying in the Dakotas to an end. Undaunted, Air Atlantique went on to open an aviation museum and visitor centre at Coventry.

This is the story of a unique and much-loved British airline, with an array of rare and previously unpublished photographs..

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Born of Adversity - Britains Airlines 1919-1963

An intriguing blend of heroic endeavour and epic mismanagement, the history of British civil aviation reflects our nation's strengths and weaknesses and, above all, the muddle in the politics and policies.

This book helps steer you through them, as it tells of Imperial Airways, the wartime experiences of BOAC and the small internal airlines, the creation of BEA after the war, and the short-lived British South American Airways, the importance of aircraft manufacturers like Avro and de Havilland, the Berlin Airlift, and the indomitable rise of the private airlines, and their champions like Freddie Laker and Harold Bamberg, as they forced their way centre stage to share the limelight with the government owned corporations.

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Britain's Imperial Air Routes 1918-1939

Pictures the growth of British civil air transport from its inception in 1910 through to the formation of Imperial Airways in 1934 and the beginnings of British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).

Robin Higham shows the impetus given to aircraft production by the First World War, and presents a careful account of the operational and financial fortunes of each of the four principal British airlines, which began operations shortly thereafter.
The fight against official apathy and lack of foresight on the part of the government, the campaign for subsidies and the struggle with foreign competition are interestingly presented.

The development of the chosen-instrument concept in Great Britain is interestingly covered and the use of subsidies in this connection justified in order to place civil aviation on a firm financial base for the establishment of a great British airline to serve the Empire.
The result was Imperial Airways, which soon found itself in the awkward position of being expected to be both a successful commercial company and the chosen instrument of imperial policy.

The final emergence of British Overseas Airways was the result, and its organisation marks the close of the period covered in this volume. Included in the book are comprehensive statistical appendices and a complete bibliography.

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British Airways - An Illustrated History

There can be few world-class companies that boast the heritage and traditions inherent in the British Airways brand. Indeed, the company that became British Airways operated the world's first commercial scheduled airline service in 1919.
From the early days of aviation through to more recent times, British Airways has stood for high standards of quality and professionalism.

Curator of the British Airways Heritage Collection Paul Jarvis guides the reader through the story of the company from its earliest origins to the present. In this full-colour illustrated history, we see how the whole experience of flying has changed over the years: the aeroplanes, the interiors, the uniforms, the advertising and much more.

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British Midland Airways

British Midland Airways existed under different identities for over 70 years, during which time it grew from a flying training school into a scheduled transatlantic airline operating wide-bodied Airbus aircraft.
With the prime routes dominated by British Airways and its predecessors, it had to diversify, and one product of this was its 'instant-airline' concept, which saw its Boeing 707 aircraft flying in the liveries of many African and Middle Eastern companies. Later in its life, British Midland Airways felt confident enough to go 'head to head' with British Airways on the UK domestic trunk routes.

The acquisition of a major financial stake by Lufthansa in 2009 led to membership of the prestigious Star Alliance partnership, but even the German national airline could not find a way to stem accumulating losses, and, in 2011, the carrier was absorbed into British Airways. With over 140 images, this book charts the rise and fall of British Midland Airways.

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Commercial Aviation in Britain in the 1970s

In the decades leading up to 1970s, passenger air transport was the preserve of the well-to-do who flew on airliners driven by propellers. Over the next few years all this was about to change. The passenger air transport industry underwent a great transformation with the introduction of many innovations that established the foundations for today.
The state airlines, BEA and BOAC, were merged to form British Airways in 1972. Throughout the decade they were far and away the most important operator of scheduled services in the country. To provide competition, however, the independent carrier British Caledonian was created.

The first Boeing 747 jumbo jet was delivered to BOAC in 1970. This widebody airliner enabled fares to be reduced and opened up air travel to many people who could not previously afford it.
Laker Airways pioneered the concept of the low cost airline. It was the only British independent airline to operate a wide-bodied jet in the form of the DC-10 until British Caledonian received two examples in 1977.
Most of the other British independent airlines had to make do with a motley collection of old airliners, many of them turboprops.
The charter and holiday market was the main market for a large number of these carriers. They were regular visitors to the main airports throughout Britain, particularly at weekends.

In this book, Malcolm Fife uses his excellent collection of colour photographs to illustrate the airliners in commercial use that could be seen at airports during the 1970s.

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History of British European Airways : 1946 - 1972

BEA was formed in 1946 and took over most UK domestic and European routes under the British government's nationalisation policy. It began operations with a fleet of outdated and hopelessly uneconomic passenger aircraft that were derivatives of wartime types such as the DC-3, Avro Viking and Rapide.

By the end of 1955 the airline had re-equipped with more modern types such as the jet-prop Viscount and moved into a profit for the first time. From 1960 onwards the airline introduced larger jets such as the Comet, Trident and BAC 1-11.
BEA merged with the British Overseas Airways Corporation in 1974 to form British Airways.

This book looks at BEA's predecessors, its formation and early operation from Croydon and Northolt and the move to the newly-opened London Heathrow. The evolving structure is explained with chapters covering engineering bases, terminals, European and domestic services, cargo services and helicopter operations.
The aircraft flown are all described in detail and the book includes anecdotes from former crew and ground-staff, a full fleet list and is highly illustrated throughout.

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Speedbird - The Complete History of BOAC

Between 1939 and 1946 BOAC (the British Overseas Airways Corporation) was the nationalised airline of Great Britain - and between 1946 and 1974 as such it exclusively operated all long-haul British flights. With its iconic 'Speedbird' logo and its central role in the glamorous 'jet age' of the 1950s and 1960s, BOAC achieved a near cult-status with admirers around the globe.
Yet, to date there has been no comprehensive history of the organisation, covering its structure, fleet and the role it played in the critical events of the age - from World War II to the end of empire, a period when BOAC played a pivotal part in projecting British political power, even as that power was waning. During World War II, BOAC operated a limited wartime service and prepared for the return of commercial flight in the postwar era. But it was in the service of Britain's colonies - and latterly the process of decolonisation - that BOAC achieved its most pivotal role.

The development of flight technology enabled much faster connections between Britain and her imperial possessions - as the colonies prepared for independence BOAC ferried diplomats, politicians and colonial administrators between London and the far-flung corners of Africa and Asia in much faster times than had previously been possible.

In this book, acclaimed historian Robin Higham presents a unique comprehensive study of BOAC from the early jet travel of the de Havilland Comet and the Vickers VC10 to the dawn of supersonic passenger aviation. Highly illustrated and meticulously researched using previously unseen sources, this book will be essential reading for all aviation enthusiasts and anyone interested in the history of modern Britain.

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