Newpaper Flights from Singapore.
9vspotter;
Malayan Airways did indeed fly daily early morning newspaper freighter flights from Singapore into Malaya. They used their regular DC-3 passenger aircraft with the newspapers packed in bundles and tied down on the passengers seats. A hostess was always part of the crew on these freighters as passengers were carried on the return flights to Singapore. ML122 newspaper flight departed Singapore for Kuala Lumpur at 0425. ML106 newspaper flight departed Singapore at 0455 for Ipoh and Penang.
In addition to this around 1961 an ex Malayan Airways captain named Jan Bussel arranged a contract with the Singapore Straits Times to fly their printers " flongs " from Singaore to Kuala Lumpur each night which would allow the printing of their paper in Kuala Lumpur. Captain Bussel formed a company called " Malaysia Air Charter " using a twin engined Cessna 310 and later a single engine Cessna 185. The flight carrying the " flongs " departed Singapore around midnight which allowed them to be in Kuala Lumpur for the printing of that days local edition of the Straits Times. The pilot of the Cessna 185 always wore a parachute. It was a most enterprising arrangement that accepted the possibility of an engine failure over the jungle at night and the hazard of thunderstorms , no radar and a comparatively frail aircraft. Hence the parachute. Two of Malayan Airways locally employed First Officers left Malayan Airways to do this work with Jan Bussel. They were Amisn Gill and John Pereira both good pilots and good guys.
828a.