Straight Corporation purchases control of Norman Edgar (Western Airways), Ltd. on October 18, 1938 and renames it Western Airways, Ltd. In accordance with the Air Navigation Order of September 16, the new ATLB on October 21 grants the company route certification from Weston-super-Mare to Cardiff and Swansea.
In February 1939, a de Havilland DH 90 Dragonfly is acquired, followed by a DH 86B in April, a DH 89A Dragon Rapide in May, two Per-cival Q.6s in April and June, and a DH 84 Dragon 1 in September. Meanwhile, a daily Swansea-Penzance via Barnstaple and Newquay service is initiated on May 8. Thrice-daily Weston-super-Mare to Manchester via Birmingham operations commence on June 17.
War is declared on Germany on September 3 and all civil flying ceases. Joining neither National Air Communications nor the Associated Airways Joint Committee, the state groups coordinating wartime internal routing, the company assumes the role of aircraft repair facility at its Weston-super-Mare base, selling most of its prewar aircraft.
In January 1946, an ex-RAF Percival Proctor 1 and three Piper J-4A Cubs are purchased and used to relaunch revenue flying operations in March. Other Percivals are purchased in the spring and in August, eight ex-RAF Avro Anson 1s are acquired, the first entering service in September.
During 1947, 10 Fairchild 24W Argus 2s are purchased and these join other single-engine aircraft in providing both charter work and flight training. In May 1948, Western Airways, Ltd. is named a British European Airways Corporation (BEA) associate and is thus granted a scheduled route from Weston-super-Mare to Cardiff. Flown in association with Cambrian Airways, Ltd., company Ansons start the route on May 25. On October 11, the service is extended for another year.
On April 20, 1949, Airways Union, Ltd. is formed as a holding company for several companies, including Western Airways, Ltd. and several flying clubs, with the Straight Corporation itself changing its name to that of the holding company. The Cardiff route is assumed by Cambrian Air Services, Ltd. during the summer. On October 14, Airways Union, Ltd. eliminates support of its flying club subsidiaries and many single-engine aircraft are sold, including all of the Fairchilds.
Ad hoc passenger and freight charters continue on a fairly regular basis until the fall of 1952 when the last Avro Anson 1 is sold. In 1953, only the Proctors are available to fly on an air taxi basis and these transport a total of 3,858 passengers. In the fall, Western Airways stops flying and Airways Union, Ltd. now concentrates on FBO and flight training activities at Weston-super-Mare, Exeter, and Plymouth.
WESTERN ALASKA AIRLINES: United States (1959-1973). Western Alaska is formed at Dillingham in early 1959 and inaugurates local lightplane services on March 13. These continue apace largely without incident during the remainder of the decade and into the early 1960s. An L-12 is destroyed by fire at Dillingham on July 21, 1961.
Operations are conducted without incident in 1962, but on September 12, 1963 a Cessna 180 fails its takeoff from Egegik and crashes; both people aboard receive minor injuries.
In 1964, the company employs 24 workers and owns a fleet of 8 aircraft. A Cessna 180C, with eight aboard, hits an obstruction while landing at Toglak on June 23 and crashes; only minor injuries are reported.
Enplanements for the year total 8,952 and revenues are $334,000.
The workforce in 1965 grows to 25. The 10 planes flown include 4 Cessnas, 2 Grumman G-21A Geese, 1 G-44A Widgeon, and 1 old Lockheed Model 12A; orders are placed for 1 Cessna 185.
Passenger boardings jump 10% to 10,585 and freight traffic is also up. Revenues also grow by 10%.
Operations continue apace in 1966 and in 1967 the workforce stands at 32; the fleet includes 12 aircraft. Enplanements are 9,411 and 13.85 million freight ton-miles are flown. Customer bookings climb to 13,000 in 1968. Four new employees are hired and revenues are $413,000. Enplanements in 1969 are 13,055.
The employee population is reduced by one in 1970 as the fleet is reduced to nine aircraft. The passenger count drops by 879 to 12,176 and freight ton-miles are off a substantial 31% to 15,505. Costs, led by increased fuel prices, are up significantly.
Enplanements in 1971 grow to 13,910. Although the number of freight ton-miles flown climbs a spectacular 121% in 1972 to 31,000, the number of passenger boardings falls 7% to 13,000. Merger discussions begin with Kodiak Airways in hopes that a union of two fiscally troubled carriers will result in salvation for both.
Western Alaska and Kodiak Airways amalgamate on April 1, 1973 to become Kodiak-Western Alaska Airlines.
WESTERN CANADA AIRWAYS, LTD.: Canada (1926-1930). In November 1926, with backing from Winnipeg grain merchant James A., Capt. Harold A. “Doc” Oaks, RFC veteran and former Patricia Airways and Explorations, Ltd. official and pilot, founds Western Canada Airways, Ltd. at Winnipeg, with himself as managing director. Richardson had earlier briefly backed Central Canada Airways, Ltd. The new company has one pilot, Oaks, one mechanic, Al Cheesman, one clerk,
J. A. MacDougall, and one float-equipped Curtiss Lark.
The first aircraft purchased is a Fokker Model 4 Universal which, beginning on December 25, is flown to Sioux Lookout, Ontario, from Teterboro, New Jersey. Sioux Lookout-Rolling Portage and Red Lake flights commence on December 26 and by the end of the year, Oaks has flown the 5-place monoplane 31 hours and carried 18 passengers and 850 pounds of mail.
In early March 1927, a Canadian government contract is obtained to haul drilling equipment to Hudson Bay, where tests will be made to determine if a railway terminus is possible. The noted Norwegian flyer Bernt Balchen and two former Ontario Provincial Air Service, Ltd. pilots, Frederick “Steve” Stevenson and Red Ross (also RFC veterans), join the company. Three Fokker Model 4 Universals, purchased by Richardson, arrive from the U. S. at Hudson, Ontario, where Oaks has established a corporate administration facility that Balchen describes as a “lean-to.”
On March 27, two Universals, piloted by Stevenson and Balchen, with Cheesman and Ross as engineers (mechanics), begin the airlift, flying 1,200 lbs. of drilling equipment from the end of the rail line at Cache Lake over 125 miles to Fort Churchill. After several flights, it is determined that Ross will remain behind to supervise the growing Fort Churchill base.
Balchen and Cheesman return safely to base after this mission, but the Universal flown by Stevenson suffers engine failure 75 miles north of Cache Lake. Stevenson puts the Fokker down on a frozen lake and begins a three-day trek back to Cache Lake. The day after Stevenson fails to return, Balchen and Cheesman take off to search for him. They find his Universal, which Cheesman is able to repair and fly back to Cache Lake to await its pilot’s return.
By April 27, the carrier’s three Universals have flown 8 tons of gear and 14 workers to Fort Churchill, completing the contract and the first large airlift in the far north. In August, a contract-marking the start of significant air freighting in Canada—is undertaken on behalf of the owners of the Sherritt-Gordon mine in Manitoba. A mail service is opened from Lac du Bonnet to Wadhope via Bissett on October 4.
During a test flight over The Pas on January 5, 1928, a company Fokker Universal crashes, killing its pilot Steve Stevenson. In midmonth Yukon Airways and Exploration Company, Ltd. General Manager David “Andy” Cruickshank joins the company and employing one of Oak’s Fokkers, commences a 320-mile circular Post Office contract mail route from Rolling Portage to Red Lake on January 25. On the first flight, he carries 588 pounds of airmail in and 90 pounds out. On May 14, the carrier inaugurates a circular route to the Red Lake area, flying Sioux Lookout-Gold Pines and Red Lake-Narrow Lake and Jackson Manion.
During the summer, a Fokker Model 8 Super Universal and a Boeing Model 204 are acquired (the latter is christened Pintail) and are placed in service. Routes are opened from Victoria and Vancouver to Seattle and Hudson to Pine Ridge. A government mail contract is executed during the summer from Lac du Bonnet to Wadhope, Manitoba, via Bissett. The float-equipped Fokker Model 8, piloted by A. H. Farrington, undertakes a 1,000-mile, multistop flight, beginning on August 12, from Winnipeg to Eskimo Point on Hudson Bay to return miners. Weekly mail flights to the Cold Lake Area (Kississing-The Pas) begin on August 31.
World History
