Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

Daimler Airway

Daimler Air Hire was a private air hire company established June 7 1919 by Lieutenant Colonel Frank Searle CB, DSO, of the BSA Motorcycle Company. In 1921 Daimler Air Hire acquired Aircraft Transport and Travel (AT&T) to form the ''Daimler Airway.

History

From April 1922 the Daimler Airway, owned by Daimler Hire Ltd, was the first company to begin operating de Havilland DH.34 single-engined cabin biplanes. A total of six were operated, the first being (registration G-EBBQ), flying from Croydon Airport London to Paris.

From October 1922 until early 1924, the Daimler Airway operated daily scheduled flights from Alexandra Park Aerodrome Manchester to Croydon Airport London. The northbound flight left Croydon in the late afternoon and the southbound flight departed Alexandra Park during the next morning. This timing enabled passengers from the north of England to connect at Croydon with Daimlers continental schedules.

In 1923 Daimler added further routes from Croydon to Amsterdam, Hanover and Berlin using their DH.34 fleet.

The Daimler Airway was merged into Imperial Airways (IAL) effective 1 April 1924, bringing along its three remaining de Havilland DH.34 aircraft. IAL immediately discontinued Daimler's route to the north of England, the monopoly airline not being interested in serving any UK points outside of London.

Accidents and incidents

One de Havilland DH.18A aircraft, (registration G-EAWO) was transferred from Instone Air Line to Daimler Hire Ltd for operation on the Croyden-Paris route until the De Havilland DH.34s which Daimler had on order could be delivered. However, on 7 April 1922, two days after Daimler commenced operations with the aircraft, it collided with a Compagnie des Grands Express Aériens Farman Goliath (registration F-GEAD) over Picardie, France, north of Paris. Seven people died in the first mid-air collision between airliners.

On 14 September 1923, DH.34 G-EBBS operating the evening service from Croydon to Manchester crashed near Ivinghoe Beacon, Bucks, during an attempted forced landing due to bad weather. Pilots Pratt and Robinson and their three passengers were killed. This was the first fatal accident on a UK internal scheduled air service.