1966) . RAS is established at Salisbury in late 1961 to operate passenger charters to Central African destinations. Revenue flights commence in early 1962 with a pair of Douglas DC-3s. One of the Douglas transports crashes at Salisbury and the second is lost over Katanga. Late in the year, a DC-4 is acquired.
During the spring of 1963 the company receives authority to operate every-two-weeks charters to Mauritius. The DC-4 begins these, but soon breaks down in need of expensive engine repairs.
During the fall, RAS is authorized to provide scheduled services from Salisbury to Mauritius via Santa Carolina, Hippo Valley, and Fort Victoria. The DC-3 lost in Katanga the previous year is returned in December.
?100,000 pounds in debt, the company declares bankruptcy in January 1964. Just when it appears that RAS will be liquidated, Autair International Airways, Ltd. from the U. K. and Salisbury-based Skyways, Ltd. come forward to offer a rescue plan and subsequently, working capital.
The Salisbury to Mauritius license is passed to Central African Airways Corporation in 1965. Unwilling to sustain the money-losing carrier further, its British investors pull the fiscal plug in 1966 and shut it down. Its routes and two DC-3s are sold, for the most part, to CAAC.
RHODESIA UNITED AIR CARRIERS, LTD.: Southern Rhodesia (1960-1968). A number of small Southern Rhodesia air operators are merged at Salisbury in December 1960 to form this larger enterprise. Concerns taken over include Air Carriers, Ltd., Commercial Air Services (Rhodesia), Ltd., Victoria Falls Airways, Ltd., Fishair, Ltd., Flights, Ltd., and the assets of Hunting-Clan African Airways, Ltd.
Capitalization of ?100,000 is provided by Central African Airways Corporation, British United Airways, Ltd., and United Transport Overseas, Ltd. Sir Thomas Chegwidden is named chairman and bases are established at Salisbury, Bulawayo, and Victoria Falls.
Charter and flight-seeing services are provided by the combined fleet of the merger partners, the largest units of which are a pair of Piper PA-23 Apaches and a Cessna 310.
While on a positioning flight, a chartered Douglas DC-3 with three crew crashes while on final approach to Salisbury Airport on November 22, 1961 (two dead).
Slightly two years after start-up, United Transport Overseas, Ltd. takes over all shareholding in February 1963. C. Boyd-White becomes chairman and the fleet is improved by the addition of three Beech 55 Barons, a PA-23 Aztec, and a de Havilland DH 104 Dove.
Airline employment stands at 30 in 1964 as a second C-310 is acquired. En route from Luabo to Salisbury on April 1, 1965, a Baron carrying six passengers crashes near Vila de Sena, 200 mi. N of Beira; there are no survivors.
Flights, largely providing tourists with sight-seeing junkets to see big game, continue in 1966. The two C-310s are sold early in 1967 and the company shuts its doors at the beginning of the following year.
World History
