Sqd Leader Jack Jones.
 

The death at the age of 94 has been announced of Sqd Leader
Jack Jones.

Jack Jones founded East Anglian Flying Services at Southend Airport
and Ipswich in the 1940s/50s. As the company developed the name
was changed to Channel Airways and with the demise of Tradair
Channel Airways acquired Viscounts to add to it's fleet of DC3s, Bristol
Freighters, Doves, Vikings, and a DC4. Through the 1960s Viscount 800s
were introduced together with BAC111s, Comets and Tridents.

Two great pathfinders of post war civil aviation have now died in
the past few weeks. Freddie Laker and Jack Jones, both began their
illustrious careers at Southend Airport, and their legacy in low cost
and charter operations live on.

Ah yes. I was a schoolboy then. I flew in a Viking and a Viscount on base training circuits (my mate's dad was Viccy Stimpson, a Captain with Tradair). I threw up every time.
Imagine Captain Stimson's surprise when I met him a few years later - I was a very junior fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force.

I knew him in the early 1970's when Channel was aspiring both to be a much bigger scheduled airline and to operate long haul charter flights as well.

Alas none of his plans then came to anything.

His most bizarre invention was the 7 abreast seating in the Trident. The four seat shelf on the left side of the aisle was called a family seat.

Does anyone know what happened to his Operations Director Capt A E Hugo Parsons?

And in the late 50's he was brave and generous enough to employ Jackie Moggridge (who delivered more aircraft with the ATA than any other pilot, male or female) as a DC3 Capt.

At the time she had 3,500 hrs and > 75 types in her log book but as a women seemed to be unemployable.

I wish we had more people with Jack Jones's entrepreneurial abilities, and Freddie Laker's too, around today. Too many companies, not just aviation companies, are run by accountants, who are not allowed to have an entrepreneurial bone in their bodies.

Jack Jones was a great supporter of British aircraft manufacturing, and bought many British-built aircraft.

I hope he enjoyed his later life. RIP.

Jack Jones considered the Comet 4b well overpowered by the standards of the day (which it was) and drew up plans to remove two engines and carry extra baggage in the engine bays instead.

Sheeit!!!! The Comet was well over powered, but this one takes the cake. 4 into two healthy Avons maybe - but engine failure says 25% and I just don't know anyone on enough drugs to do that....

Conan

I just don't know anyone on enough drugs to do that....

I do, a distinguished military aviator and experienced Nimrod Captain who stated that a Nimrod at flying speed could depart the runway on 1 engine. Whether or not one still could with the extra weight of all the toys required for modern warfare may be another matter. Known as Paddy to his mates circa late 70s should any Nimrod mates be hereabouts, and not from Kinloss.

Hi, Be gentle, I have wandered over here from another forum, and this is my first post!:D

My Grandfather worked at Channel Airways from the '50s up until it's demise in the '70s. I just about remember playing on a 111 at age 4 when they were disposing of the assets....

I don't think so somehow................

Tiger_mate, the 'Paddy' you refer to [and I know who you mean - saw him earlier today] was probably quite correct, but it would have to be with minimum crew and very light weight at the end of a sortie.

The kipper fleet training has an exerise on the OCU which shows that the aircraft, operating on task on 2 engines, will climb on one following the failure of the other. It would give you sufficient time to restart the other 2.