Reg 203 (exemption) ops of old.

[jokova]

Gaunty, on 15th May, posted that he was involved with setting up the first such operation. An historian correct me if wrong, but it was Port Augusta Air Services (PAGAS) with a C402 (VH-BUD?) that was the inaugural Reg 203 commuter airline in 1967 or '68, followed by Maslings with the same equipment. (Broughton and Parnell's mammoth history of Australian aviation, 'Flightpast', covers these matters succinctly, but I don't have a copy handy. By the way, if anyone wants to purchase a mint copy of the same, I have a couple in storage which I'll sell for $90 +p&p each.)

[bushy]

No, it was Opal Air. They ran from Coober Pedy, to Andamooka, and Adelaide starting with a C205, then a 310, then a 402, followed by a 421. I think they were all registered VH-BUD (in turn). Then they expanded, with more 421's. It was a copy book operation, with a small group of pilot/lames.
Then they got a Merlin, and then the company folded. Maybe there is a lesson in that.
I believe the second one was Port Augusta Air Srevices, running from Port Augusta to Port Pirie, and Adelaide, starting with a cherokee six.

[gaunty]

jokova

I don't want to get into p!ssing competiton here, but it was Murchison Air Services and Southern Airlines from at least 1966 on.

I cant remember the serial nos but we started with a the usual Aztec, C206 then C411 and new 1967 model C402/Navajo. You could only buy new then, except for one VH-PDN we bought slightly used from Julia Downs? and the Drover we finally used on the Rottnest run. The boss was Robert Oliver now deceased.
Civils the only real competition were using mosty Beech Baron and Queen Air. Alex McDonlald and Max Foulkes Taylor were the drivers then.

And yes PAGAS and Maslings started about the same time, who was first ?? it would have been a close run thing given the times.

When we sold the company we were operating 25 aircraft and had the first purpose built FBO in Australia at Perth Airport. The subsequent owners drove it off the edge of a cliff, but thats an whole other story.
As a matter of interest the company stared in Mullewa and Carnarvon before being brought to Perth it transmogrified through a painful series of joinings including Transwest and East West into Skywest.

You might drag that book out and have a look, they might have somehow missed us, which is not surprising given that the end of the world starts about Eucla.:{

PM me if it has the whole story in it I would be interested in buying one.

[Milt]

gaunty

While we are at it - who was the one man band in Perth WA who ran a service Perth - Rottnest using an Avro Anson post WW2.
He had 3/4 different hats to go with his uniform.

Ist hat he wore in his Perth office.
2nd hat he wore as driver of a min-bus to take pax to the Aggie.
3rd hat as pilot.
Maybe he wore the other hat when refuelling/maintaining Aggie.

Must be some sort of legend now.

[gaunty]

MIlt

Capt Jimmy Woods (http://www.airwaysmuseum.com/Lockheed%20DL-1A%20Vega%20VH-UVK%20&%20Jimmy%20Woods.htm)

A delightful fellow, I even got to wind the gear up one day.

He used to clatter directly over our house on the beach in the mornings and evenings literally rain hail or shine, even sometimes when the ferries were cancelled. Didn't have Mode S in those day so the altitude you reported was what whatever you said it was. :cool:

There was a short N/S strip then that could get you in if the Xwind was too much on the main strip. :uhoh:

I was training at the RACWA at Perth then and he used the same hangar.

He used to leave the Hangar doors open and roll right in there after shutting down. Then the collection of tins with wire hooks would come out to be hung under all those round engine oil leaks. :) Into the comapny car/bus and off home for brekky.

I had the pleasure of knowing his wife much later on.

Aaaaaah;
The Mosquito refered to in the article sat quietly in the corner reflecting on deeds past. I never saw it fly and can't recall what became of it. In those days it wasn't all that much of a collectors item as they would be now.

[bushy]

When I went to Port Augusta in 1966, Opal Air were running a scheduled service to Adelaide. PAGAS started some time later.

For the real future of avaition, get on to Google and look up SATS2005.

[chimbu warrior]

I think that you will find that the first actual Reg 203 licence was indeed issued to Opal Air in about 1967. The story was summarised as the "cover story" in Aviation Safety Digest number 89, published in 1974 (ahh....remember them).

I have my copy to hand and it clearly states that the first such licence was issued to Opal Air for their Cessna 402 operation, although the date is not mentioned. The earlier Cessna 206 and 310 operation was conducted under a charter licence.

Now I know that gaunty is not often wrong, but appears in this instance to be forgetting that there is more to Oz than just the Sandgroper state!

[gaunty]

chimbu warrior

Coming from someone who still has the Aviation Safety Digest from that far back :ok: I must defer. :p ;)

I know that gaunty is not often wrong, if I give you my wifes email addy would you mind passing that observation along.:cool: :uhoh:

there is more to Oz than just the Sandgroper state! true but not much.:} :ouch:

[tinpis]

Um...dont want to start a peeing contest but there was little Lancie and Emu air that was going way back when in ADL.
Also the mob there that were operating the Doves they was as old as buggery as well?
In 1975 under 2 foot of bird**** in a hangar in Port Augusta I found a 260 HP Cherokee six that PAGAS had been operating.

[prospector]

Now who is going to tell us they took Chips Rafferty for his first ride in an aeroplane???

Prospector

[TAC On]

Tinpis

Lance and Co were Island Air before Emu, operating Drovers.

Opal Air Reg 203 operation with C 402 BUD long preceeded the others.

TO