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Air
Union |
Air Union was a French
airline established on the 1st of January 1923 as the result
of a merger between the airlines Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes
and Compagnie des Grands Express Aériens. Air Union was
merged with four other French airlines to become Air France on
the 7th of October 1933. Air Union had it's own hangar and operations
at Croydon as well as in France. Compagnie Messageries Aeriennes
was already operating from the old Waddon Aerodrome.
Fleet
Blériot-SPAD S.27 (2
passengers)
Farman F.50P (5 passengers)
Farman F.60 Goliath (12 passengers)
Farman F.190 (4 passengers)
Blériot 135 (8 passengers)
Blériot 155 (17 passengers, 2 aircraft)
Blériot 165 (16 passengers, 2 aircraft)
Breguet 280T (6 passengers, 16 aircraft)
FBA 19 (1 aircraft)
Wibault 282 (12 passengers)
Lioré et Olivier LéO
21 (Golden Ray) |
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(above) an Air Union 'Farman F60 Goliath'
in 1922. (below) a ' Bleriot 155'. |
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(above) 'Farman F60 Goliath'. |
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(below) Air Union Farman F60 Goliath |
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(above and below) an Air Union postcard advertising
their Golden Ray Service. |
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(above) first passenger to Paris on the
'Golden Ray' service |
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(below) the 'Golden Ray' Croydon-Paris
service. |
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(above) 'Cigarette Card' of an Air Union 'Wibault 282'.
(below) the 'Golden Ray' Croydon-Paris
service. |
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An early
Pratts advertisement mentioning Air Union |
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(above & below) 'Farman Goliath' 1922. |
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(above) 'Air Union' weigh-in, in the new
Croydon Terminal Building. (below) the restaurant in an Air Union
airliner. |
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(above) 'Farman F60 Goliath'. 1932. (below) 'Bleriot 165'. |
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(below) Bleriot. 'Octave Chanute'. |
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(below) Air Union 'Golden Clipper'. |
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(above) 'Cigarette Card' of an Air Union 'Wibault 282'. |
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(above) Air Union Clipper |
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(below) awaiting departure. 29th December 1931 |
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(above) Air Union label of 1932. |
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1932 (above and below).the 'Lioré et Olivier LéO 21' used
by 'Air Union', for their Paris-Croydon 'Golden Ray' service. |
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(above) picture about 1932. Six 'Air Union'
aircraft by their hangar. Four 'KLM' in a line, and two 'Imperial'
in front of the Terminal. |
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Air Union
'Breguet' |
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(above and below) Air Union 'Golden Clipper'. |
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(below) Air Union at night. |
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