Spartan Air Lines
Spartan Air Lines Ltd was a British private airline company, in the period 1933–1935. In 1933, it started operating passenger services from the London area to the
History
Spartan Air Lines Ltd was formed on 2 February 1933, as a subsidiary of
On 12 April 1933, the first service was started from Heston Aerodrome to Somerton (Cowes West) Aerodrome, Cowes, Isle of Wight, using three Spartan Cruisers.[1][2]
After a winter break in scheduled operations, the airline moved to
In April 1935, Spartan Air Lines returned to Heston, operating services to both Cowes and
On 30 September 1935, Spartan Air Lines and United Airways Limited merged to form Allied British Airways Ltd, which on 29 October 1935 was renamed British Airways Ltd. The new airline started operations on 1 January 1936, initially based at Heston.[1]
Fleet
From Jackson (1974),[3] Doyle (2002)[2]
| Type | Registration | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spartan Three Seater | G-ABTR | 1933–1935 | |
| Spartan Cruiser I | G-ABTY | 1933–1934 | |
| Spartan Cruiser II | G-ACBM | 1934–1935 | |
| Spartan Cruiser II | G-ACDW | Faithful City | 1934 |
| Spartan Cruiser II | G-ACDX | Hampshire | 1933–1935 |
| Spartan Cruiser II | G-ACSM | Sussex | 1934–1935 |
| Spartan Cruiser II | G-ACVT | Middlesex | 1934–1935 |
| Spartan Cruiser II | G-ACZM | 1934–1935 | |
| Spartan Cruiser III | G-ACYK | 1935 | |
| Spartan Cruiser III | G-ACYL | 1934–1935 | |
| Spartan Cruiser III | G-ADEL | 1935 | |
| Spartan Cruiser III | G-ADEM | 1935 | |
| Saro A.19 Cloud | G-ABXW | Cloud of Iona | 1935 |
| DH.84 Dragon | G-ACNG | 1935 | |
| DH.84 Dragon | G-ACNI | 1935 |
Notes
References
- Doyle, Neville. 2002. The Triple Alliance: The Predecessors of the first British Airways. ISBN 0-85130-286-6
- Halpenny, Bruce B. (1992). Action Station Vol.8: Military Airfields of Greater London. ISBN 1-85260-431-X
- Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 3. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-10014-X.
- Jackson, A.J. (1988). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 3. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-818-6.
- Sherwood, Tim. Coming in to Land: A Short History of Hounslow, Hanworth and Heston Aerodromes 1911–1946. Heritage Publications (1999) ISBN 1-899144-30-7