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Air
Taxis Ltd |
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On the 29th of August 1939,
prior to the outbreak of war on the 1st of September 1939, the
British government started to implement the Air Navigation (Restriction
in Time of War) Order 1939. That ordered military takeover of
most civilian airfields in the UK, cessation of all private flying
without individual flight permits, and other emergency measures.
It was administered by a statutory department of the Air Ministry
titled National Air Communications (NAC). On the 31st of August
1939, all flights to mainland Europe were briefly suspended,
later reinstated under the organisation of NAC. By the 1st of
September 1939, most of the aircraft and facilities of British
Airways Ltd (BAL) were transferred from Heston Airport to Bristol
(Whitchurch) Airport, and to Exeter Airport. Similarly, landplanes
of Imperial Airways were transferred from Croydon Airport to
Whitchurch, while others were temporarily dispersed to Coventry
(Baginton) Airport and Exeter Airport. Imperial Airways' flying
boats were transferred from Southampton marine aerodrome to Poole
Harbour, Dorset. All the usable fleets of private air transport
companies were dispersed. |
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(above) a Fokker F11 of Air Taxis. |
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(above) 'DH80 Puss Moth' of 'Air Taxis'.
1930 |
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(below) Ann Welch with Air Taxis DH Puss Moth. 1932. |
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(below) a Percival P28 Proctor I of Air Taxis in June 1946. |
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(above) This 1934 advertisement above shows
that they also operated an 'Airspeed Courier'. |
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Bought G-AESW (DH.90a Dragonfly)
from 'Nash Aircraft Sales & Hire', late 1930's |
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(below) advert of 1930 |
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Air Taxis Ltd was dispersed
to Barton Aerodrome Manchester by the Government in September
1939 |
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