Northern & Scottish Airways

Northern & Scottish Airways was a regional airline established in Glasgow in 1934. It was taken over in 1937, eventually becoming part of British European Airways.

Not to be confused with Scottish Airways.
Northern & Scottish Airways Ltd
Founded1 July 1934
Commenced operations1 August 1934
Ceased operations12 August 1937
Operating basesGlasgow Renfrew Airport
DestinationsHebrides islands of Scotland, Isle of Man
HeadquartersRenfrew Airport
Key peopleGeorge Nicholson

History

Formation

The potential of running scheduled air services to the Western Isles of Scotland was successfully demonstrated in 1933 by a bus operator from Ayr, John Sword, with his Midland & Scottish Air Ferries company. After that operation was suddenly stopped in the summer of 1934, another bus company manager, George Nicholson, took on the challenge.[1]

On 1 July 1934 he formed his company, Northern Airways, and on 1 August started testing the market by operating scheduled flights from Newcastle (Cramlington Airfield) to the Isle of Man (Hall Caine Airport) via Carlisle (Kingstown Municipal Airport) in his De Havilland DH.84 Dragon G-ACFG.[2] Despite stopping the experiment on 30 September, on 21 November he renamed his airline Northern & Scottish Airways Ltd (N&SA), and on 1 December 1934 with the same aircraft started a service from Glasgow Renfrew Airport to Campbeltown (Kintyre Airport) and Islay (Port Ellen, also known as Duich or Glenegedale),[3] a route that had been pioneered by John Sword.[4]

Operations

The new route made a slow start, but by the following summer, had grown to two daily flights, and on 17 May 1935 he started a service between Glasgow and the Isle of Man (Hall Caine Airport).[5] On 1 January 1935, Nicholson had agreed a contract with Argyll County Council to provide air ambulance services.[6] Nicholson appointed David Barclay as chief pilot that year.[4][upper-alpha 1]

Spartan Cruiser II G-ACDW of Spartan Air Lines

These activities were being watched by Clive Pearson, head of the powerful investment group Whitehall Securities Corporation, who had already started Spartan Air Lines and was looking to link it to the north of England and to Scotland. N&SA fitted the bill, so on 23 May 1935, Pearson took control of N&SA, leaving Nicholson as its head.[6] In June, Pearson took a majority holding in Highland Airways, which served the Scottish Northern Isles, thus almost completing his coverage of Scottish air routes.

Services continued as before, now also bolstered with Spartan Cruiser airliners brought in from Spartan Air Lines, and the two main routes. Isle of Man to Glasgow, and Glasgow to Campbeltown and Islay were operated as part of the United Airways schedule, United being Pearson's new airline operating in the north of England with a link to Spartan at London’s Heston Aerodrome.[7]

In September 1935 Pearson created British Airways Ltd by combining Spartan Air Lines, United Airways, and the previously independent Hillman’s Airways.[upper-alpha 2] N&SA was kept out of the new company, bur the two co-operated, and aircraft were transferred between them, N&SA taking several of their De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapides to provide extra capacity.

Dragon Rapide G-ADAH at the Manchester Science and Industry Museum

On 5 December 1935 David Barclay flew Dragon G-ACFG on another new route, to Glen Brittle,[upper-alpha 3] on the Isle of Skye,[9] extending the following month to Askernish on South Uist, and again in February 1936 to Sollas on North Uist. The service ran every day except Sundays, operating from Renfrew in a circular fashion, with Monday, Wednesday and Friday flights calling at Skye, North then South Uist, and Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday flights calling at South then North Uist, and Skye.[10]

During 1936 further additions were made to these routes with on-demand services from North and South Uist to Barra and Benbecula, and from North Uist to Harris on the Isle of Lewis and Harris. [upper-alpha 4]

On 1 July 1936, Pearson took full control of N&SA, but still kept it separate from British Airways. The company kept its identity and George Nicholson was retained as the managing director. N&SA took over all of British Airways’ internal routes from Liverpool northwards, and expanded its air ambulance work with a new contract with Inverness County Council.[6] In early 1937, N&SA established a radio station at North Uist, making navigation, weather reporting and general communication much easier.[12]

Demise

On 12 August 1937 Pearson formed one large airline called Scottish Airways. He brought in investment from LMS Railway, and from David MacBrayne, the Scottish ferry company which established Western Isles Airways as its investment tool. They brought N&SA and Highland Airways into the new airline.[13][14] To avoid confusion with Scottish Airways the company was renamed Northern Airways Limited on 6 September 1937 and it became a non-functional holding company.[15] The company was finally liquidated when British Airways merged with the Imperial Airways in November 1939.[15]

On 2 August 1938 Northern Airways completely lost its identity, becoming the Southern Division of Scottish Airways, still based in Glasgow and with Nicholson still in charge.[16]

On 1 February 1947, in the process of nationalising all British scheduled airlines, the new British European Airways (BEA) took over Scottish Airways, and on 30 September 1948 Nicholson was made redundant. He died in South Africa in 1950.[4]

Routes

From timetable dated 1 July 1936[17]

  • Renfrew — Skye — North Uist (on-demand to Harris) — Benbecula — South Uist (on demand to Barra) — Renfrew
  • Renfrew — Campbeltown — Islay (on demand to Tiree)
  • Renfrew — Isle of Man
  • Renfrew — Belfast (Newtownards)
  • Isle of Man — Belfast
  • Isle of Man — Liverpool (Speke)
  • Isle of Man — Blackpool (Stanley Park)
  • Isle of Man — Carlisle (Kingstown)

Fleet list
Northern & Scottish Airways Ltd fleet[18]
Type Registration From To Fate Notes References
de Havilland Fox Moth G-ACED 1 June 1935 March 1937 Sold abroad Ex Scottish Motor Traction. To Australia as VH-UZL, destroyed at Lae, Papua New Guinea by enemy action 21 January 1942 [19]
de Havilland Dragon 1 G-ACFG 1934 February 1937 Sold abroad George Nicholson's first aircraft, registered to N&SA later the same year. To Australia as VH-UZG, crashed Cairns, Queensland 7 May 1937 [2][20]
Dragon 1 G-ACJS 8 January 1935 November 1936 Withdrawn Ex Midland & Scottish Air Ferries [20]
Dragon II G-ACMO 4 July 1935 March 1938 Sold abroad Ex Jersey Airways. To Australia as VH-ABK, A34-4 [21]
Dragon II G-ACNG 19 January 1937 29 October 1937 Transferred Ex British Airways Ltd (BAL). Returned to BAL then Scottish Airways. Crashed RNAS Hatston, Kirkwall 14 April 1940 [21][22]
Dragon II G-ACNH 4 July 1935 January 1937 Cancelled Ex Jersey Airways [23]
Dragon II G-ACOR 8 March 1937 23 February 1938 Sold abroad Ex BAL. To Australia VH-AEA damaged Papua New Guinea 11 March 1942 [21][20]
de Havilland Rapide G-ADAG 30 July 1936 2 September 1937 Sold Ex BAL. To Airwork Ltd[upper-alpha 5] and impressed 15 July 1940 as Z7264. Reduced to spares 13 September 1943 [24]
Rapide G-ADAH 10 August 1936 31 August 1937 Sold Ex BAL and wore a mixed BAL/N&SA livery. To Airwork Ltd. Withdrawn from use 18 February 1959. Displayed at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester in Allied Airways (Gandar Dower) Ltd markings, current as of 2020 [24]
Rapide G-ADBU 11 June 1936 2 November 1936 Crashed Ex BAL. Crashed on take-off from Renfrew. There were no injuries among the one crew and seven passengers [24][25]
Rapide G-ADDF 29 June 1936 31 August 1937 Sold Ex BAL. To Airwork and sold abroad September 1937 [24]
Spartan Cruiser II G-ACSM 30 June 1936 12 August 1937 Transferred Ex BAL. To Scottish Airways. Impressed 2 April 1940 as X9433. Airframe decayed, scrapped 4 July 1940[upper-alpha 6] [27][28]
Cruiser II G-ACVT 17 May 1936 25 July 1936 Crashed Ex BAL. Overran on landing at Skye. The pilot and the two passengers were unhurt but the aircraft was wrecked [27][29]
Cruiser II G-ACYL 19 February 1936 12 August 1937 Transferred Ex BAL. To Scottish Airways. Badly damaged landing at Hall Caine Airport 16 May 1936 and repaired. Impressed 2 April 1940 as X9431. Struck off charge November 1941, decayed [27]
Cruiser II G-ACZM 24 October 1936 12 August 1937 Transferred Ex BAL. To Scottish Airways. Withdrawn from use 9 September 1940 and scrapped in April 1942 [27]
Cruiser III G-ACYK 1 June 1937 12 August 1937 Transferred Ex BAL. To Scottish Airways, crashed at Largs 14 January 1938, crew unhurt. Fuselage retrieved by RAF helicopter 25 July 1973, displayed at the National Museum of Flight in Scotland; the only remains of a Cruiser existing in 2020 [27][30]
Cruiser III G-ADEL 16 June 1937 12 August 1937 Transferred Ex BAL. To Scottish Airways, impressed 2 April 1940 as X9432. Struck off charge 26 July 1940, decayed [27]
Cruiser III G-ADEM 6 June 1936 20 November 1936 Crashed Ex BAL. Struck a hangar and caught fire on take-off for the Isle of Man in thick fog at Blackpool. Both occupants, Captain Charles O’Connell, and the passenger, Mrs Eileen Miller, were killed, 5 aircraft in the hangar were destroyed [27][31][32][33]
Another Rapide, G-ADAE, was initially registered to N&SA but was delivered to United Airways.
The fuselage of Spartan Cruiser G-ACYK at the National Museum of Flight

The livery was overall silver with blue lettering and trim.[30]

Accidents & incidents

The following aircraft were involved in accidents or incidents while with N&SA: G-ACVT, G-ACYL, G-ADBU and G-ADEM. See Fleet list above for details.

Footnotes
  1. David Barclay stayed with the organisation, becoming the manager of BEA's Air Ambulance unit. He retired in 1965 having been awarded an MBE in 1944 and having flown 1,271 air ambulance flights as well as scheduled services. Several aircraft serving the region have been named in his honour.[4]
  2. The link with Hillman’s started in the summer of 1935 with a game of tennis between Pearson and Major McCrindle, who had taken control of Hillman’s after the death of its founder, Ted Hillman.[8]
  3. Glenbrittle is the hamlet where the airfield was situated, in the valley of Glen Brittle.
  4. Ted Fresson of Highland Airways had tried to establish an airfield at Stornoway, to the north of Harris and the Outer Hebrides’ largest town, but had met resistance from the council. Work to complete the airfield, at Melbost just outside the town, eventually started in 1938 and was completed in 1939 just as all civil aviation was banned due to the outbreak of World War Two. In May 1940, N&SA, which had become the Southern Division of Scottish Airways, was permitted by National Air Communications to use the airfield, which they did as an extension of the Harris service.[11]
  5. Airwork was another company in which Whitehall Securities had an investment.
  6. After impressment, the RAF discovered that the Cruisers had suffered severely from corrosion from operations at Barra.[26]

References
  1. Davies 2005, pp. 62-63.
  2. "ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 27120". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  3. "Northern & Scottish Airways timetable March 1, (1936)". Airline Timetable Images. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  4. Calderwood 1999, p. 33.
  5. Davies 2005, p. 66.
  6. Calderwood 1999, p. 83.
  7. "United Airways timetable June 18, 1935". Airline Timetable Images. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  8. Davies 2005, p. 72.
  9. Hutchison, Iain (1987). The Story of Loganair. Western Isles Publishing Co. p. 73. ISBN 0-906437-14-8. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  10. "Northern & Scottish Airways timetable October 4, (1936)". Airline Timetable Images. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  11. Lo Bao, Phil; Hutchison, Iain (2002). BEAline to the Islands. Erskine, Scotland: Kea Publishing. pp. 97–99. ISBN 0951895842. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  12. Gillies, J. D. (May 1968). "Origins of Scottish Island Air Ferries". Air Britain Digest. 20 (5): 121.
  13. Grey, C. G.; Bridgman, Leonard (1938). Jane's All the World's Aircraft. Newton Abbot, UK: David & Charles Reprints (1972). p. 16a. ISBN 0-7153-5734-4.
  14. Lyth, Peter J. (1996). Air Transport. Taylor and Francis. ISBN 9781351959926.
  15. Doyle 2001, p. 93.
  16. Davies 2005, p. 83.
  17. "Northern & Scottish Airways timetable July 1, 1936". Airline Timetable Images. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  18. "The Aeroplanes". A Fleeting Peace. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  19. Fillmore, Malcolm. "De Havilland DH83 File" (PDF). at Air-Britain Researchers Corner. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  20. "G-INFO". UK Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  21. Davies 2005, p. 84.
  22. "ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 25049". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  23. "St Aubins Bay". UK Airfields Guide. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  24. Fillmore, Malcolm. "De Havilland DH89 File" (PDF). at Air-Britain Researchers Corner. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  25. "ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 18724". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  26. Calderwood 1999, p. 31.
  27. Fagan, Dave H.; Fillmore, Malcolm (1 May 1913). Simmonds Spartan Aircraft (PDF). Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  28. Moss, Peter W. (1962). Impressments Log Volume III. Air-Britain. p. 141.
  29. "ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 24924". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Network. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  30. "Spartan Cruiser". National Museum of Flight. National Museums of Scotland. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  31. "ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 25043". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Fondation. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  32. "A list of fatal air accidents in Britain and Ireland 1935 - 1937". Richard Cawsey. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  33. Riding, Richard (December 2016). "Stanley Park Blackpool's Other Airport" (PDF). Airfield Review Web Edition. Airfield Research Group (153): 44. Retrieved 22 June 2020.

Bibliography
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