Captain Ernest Edmund "Ted" Fresson had great experience of flying in Scotland, gained by doing several years of pleasure flights for the public, flying from any available fields near populated areas and drawing large crowds.[1] Fresson saw that air services would dramatically reduce the time it took to travel by ship from the mainland to the Northern Isles and to travel between them, and also avoid the often rough conditions at sea. They would appeal to a very wide range of customers, from businessmen and the military to tourists, crofters and ”fisher lassies”.[2]
The public demand encouraged him to form Highland Airways in April 1933, and he became managing director. The company had its offices at 36 Academy Street, Inverness. Its operating base was the city's new airport, Longman Airfield, which, thanks to great support from local businesses, had recently been built by the local council. The initial share capital was £2,675 invested by seventeen shareholders. The chairman was a doctor, Thomas Alexander, and also on the board was Robert Donald, a director of the local motor engineers Macrae and Dick.[3] Other investors included the North of Scotland, Orkney & Shetland Steam Navigation Company and George Law, owner of The Scotsman newspaper.[2] Fresson stated that his objectives for the company were "finance, passengers, mail and newspapers".[4]
Operations
The prototype Monospar ST.4, G-ABUZ in August 1932
Operations started on 8 May 1933 when the airline's first airliner, the three-passenger General Aircraft Monospar ST-4 Mk.II, registered G-ACEW, flew from Longman to Kirkwall, Orkney with a stop at Wick. There is film of the event.[5] The ST-4 was soon fitted with a pannier under the fuselage for the delivery of The Scotsman newspapers. On 3 July Fresson crashed the aircraft into a wall while landing in mist at Wideford, the airfield that the airline used near Kirkwall. A replacement, Monospar 1 G-ABVN, was hired for a few weeks while ‘CEW was repaired by General Aircraft at Croydon Airport.[6] John Sword, of Midland & Scottish Air Ferries, also lent Fresson De Havilland Fox Moth G-ACCT and Airspeed Ferry G-ACBT for around two weeks. The field at Kirkwall's Wideford Farm had been leased by Highland for five years, and they built a hangar and installed an engineer there.[7]
Monument to Ted Fresson at Wideford Farm
Despite the weather, the new airline built a reputation for reliability. In the first year of operations it had achieved a 97% reliability rate, and over the following three years, this rose to 98%. Fresson organised willing islanders into teams of up to twelve men who would grab the wings of a landing aeroplane (the ground speed would be low in the high winds) and hold it down while it was tied to a heavy vehicle.[8]
Fresson's Gipsy Moth G-AAWO active in 2013
Fresson made use of the De Havilland DH.60G Gipsy Moth G-AAWO which he had brought from his previous company, and used it for personal transport and for occasional charter flights (it could only carry one passenger). On 3 October 1933 Fresson flew a businessman from Thurso to Lerwick in 'AWO when weather forced them to land in a field next to the Kettletoft Hotel on Sanday. The field later became the landing ground for services to the island.[4] In the same month three salesmen chartered a flight from Aberdeen to Shetland.[9]
On 7 May 1934 the network expanded by serving Aberdeen’s short-lived Seaton Aerodrome,[10] linking it with Inverness and then on to Lerwick in Shetland. The first flight was conducted by Fresson in De Havilland DH.84 Dragon G-ACIT.[11] The use of Seaton was necessary because of intense rivalry with Eric Gandar Dower's Aberdeen Airways. Gandar Dower had recently established Aberdeen Dyce airport but had denied Fresson the use of it, forcing Highland Airways to make other arrangements to serve the city.[12] There had been a gentleman's agreement that Highland Airways would operate to the north of Aberdeen and Aberdeen Airways would operate to the south, but with the railways dominating routes to Glasgow, Edinburgh, and onwards to London, the southern routes were unprofitable, so Gandar Dower turned his attention to the Northern Isles and their competition continued until their later merger into British Airways. Fresson moved from Seaton to a new airfield at Kintore,[13] where he had built a new hangar, moving in on 22 May 1935.[14]
On 29 May 1934 Highland started the UK's first internal airmail service, with a contract for the Inverness to Orkney route, the first flight being flown by Fresson in Dragon G-ACCE. With this, Fresson had achieved all of his objectives for the company and he celebrated by offering pleasure flights at Wideford, and a luncheon at the Kirkwall Hotel. [4] The mail route was soon extended to Wick and Lerwick. The airline started on-demand charter flights to the Northern Isles on 6 August. In October the same year, Orkney County Council awarded the airline a contract to carry patients between the Northern Isles and the hospital in Kirkwall, and later, to Aberdeen.[4]
In late 1934 Fresson tested a DH.89 Dragon Rapide, G-ACPO, for a short time. He was very impressed, but worried about its performance while using the short fields that were common on the islands. He asked De Havilland to add flaps to the wings, which they did, creating the DH.89A version which was ready by April the following year.[4] The flaps could be added to existing aircraft, and many were converted.[15]
Despite all this activity, Highland Airways was not profitable, so Fresson and his board had to make the decision to seek help. A powerful investment company. Whitehall Securities Corporation had recently bought Northern & Scottish Airways, who were based in Glasgow and specialised in flights to the Western Isles. Whitehall had also just established United Airways Limited and were keen to invest in Highland to extend their reach in Scotland, so in June 1935 Highland became part of United, but were allowed to keep their identity and Fresson remained the managing director, albeit with some reduction in authority.[16]
By 1936, more services had been added, including inter-island flights in Orkney, and the route network had been extended to Glasgow, Perth, Sumburgh in Shetland and Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis in the Western Isles.[17] On 13 May 1937 the Monospar ST-4 became the first aircraft ever to land on Fair Isle.[6]
In May 1936 the Air Ministry opened a new radio station in Kirkwall, making navigation, weather reporting and general communication much easier, and encouraging both Fresson and Gandar Dower to expand their operations to the Shetland Isles.[18] A new route linking Aberdeen with Sumburgh in Shetland started in June 1936. Fresson had planned it to start on the 3rd from Kintore with their first DH.89 Dragon Rapide G-ACPN. However his competitor, Aberdeen Airways, beat him with a flight from Aberdeen's Dyce Airport the day before in the same type of aircraft. Fresson was not pleased with what he saw as merely a stunt to steal his thunder.[19]
On 12 August 1937 Whitehall formed one large airline called Scottish Airways. They linked with LMS Railway, and with David MacBrayne, the Scottish ferry company which established Western Isles Airways as its investment tool. They brought Highland Airways and Northern & Scottish Airways into the new airline, sill keeping their identities, enabling Fresson to stay in charge of Highland Airways.[9] On 2 May 1938 a new route was started linking Inverness to Glasgow via Perth.[21] In August 1938 Highland Airways did lose its identity, becoming the Northern Division of Scottish Airways, still based in Inverness and with Fresson still in charge. Highland Airways ran down its affairs, and in the summer of 1940 it was liquidated.[22]
On 1 February 1947 the new British European Airways (BEA) took full control of Scottish Airways, and in March 1948, Fresson left the organisation. He was resentful at the way BEA had treated him,[23] and he had received no recompense for the takeover of his airline,[9] except that they gave him his old Gipsy Moth G-AAWO.[24][25]
Fleet List
Highland Airways Ltd fleet, 1933-1939
Type
Registration
Name
From
To
Fate
Notes
Reference
DH.60G Gipsy Moth
G-AAWO
Ah-Wo
June 1933
1 July 1947
Gifted to Fresson by BEA
The name was marked in Chinese characters on the nose. Brought by Fresson from his previous company North British Aviation Co Ltd. Still active in 2017.
Delivered new. On 6 September 1935 crashed into trees at Westness, Rousay, no injuries, soon repaired. With Scottish Airways, crashed on final approach to Longman Airfield. No injuries among the pilot and seven passengers.
The aircraft livery was overall silver or white with green struts and markings.[33]
Accidents and Incidents
The following aircraft were involved in accidents and incidents while they were with Highland Airways: G-ACCE, G-ACGK, G-ADCT, G-AEWL and G-ACEW. See the Fleet List above for details.
Aberdeen International Airport is an international airport, located in the Dyce suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, approximately 5 nautical miles northwest of Aberdeen city centre. As of 2023, 1.9 million people used the airport.
Loganair is a Scottish airline based in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is the largest regional airline in the United Kingdom by passenger numbers and fleet size.
The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide is a 1930s short-haul biplane airliner developed and produced by British aircraft company de Havilland. Capable of accommodating 6–8 passengers, it proved an economical and durable craft, despite its outdated plywood construction.
British Airways Ltd was a British airline company operating in Europe in the period 1935–1939. It was formed in 1935 by the merger of Spartan Air Lines Ltd, United Airways Ltd, and Hillman's Airways. Its corporate emblem was a winged lion.
Highland Airways was an airline based in Inverness, Scotland. It ceased trading on 24 March 2010 after failing to secure new investment. The airline operated passenger and freight charters as well as scheduled services from its main base at Inverness Airport. Other services included newspaper distribution to the northern and Western Isles and, until recently, charter services for corporate clients. Highland Airways was under talks for a buyout by Perth-based, Air Charter Scotland. Aircraft were also based at Cardiff Airport.
Sumburgh Airport is the main airport serving Shetland in Scotland. It is located on the southern tip of the mainland, in the parish of Dunrossness, 17 NM south of Lerwick. The airport is owned by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) and served by Loganair.
The de Havilland DH.84 Dragon is a successful small commercial aircraft that was designed and built by the de Havilland company.
Royal Air Force Sumburgh or more simply RAF Sumburgh is a former Royal Air Force satellite station that was located on the southern tip of the mainland island of the Shetland Islands, and was home to half of No. 404 Squadron RCAF. At the outbreak of the Second World War the airstrip at the Sumburgh Links was taken over by the Air Ministry. By 1941 there were three operational runways at RAF Sumburgh from which a variety of RAF aircraft operated.
Royal Naval Air Station Hatston, was a Royal Naval Air Station, one mile to the north west of Kirkwall on the island of Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. It was located near the strategically vital naval base of Scapa Flow, which for most of the twentieth century formed the main base of the ships of the Home Fleet. The airbase was designed to provide accommodation for disembarked Front-Line squadrons and accommodation for disembarked Ship's Flight Aircraft and was home to the Home Fleet Fleet Requirements Unit, 771 Naval Air Squadron.
Royal Air Force Inverness or more simply RAF Inverness is a former Royal Air Force station located by the Moray Firth in Highland, Scotland. It was also known as RAF Longman and previously Longman Airfield.
United Airways Ltd was a British airline operating in 1935, ending as part of British Airways Ltd.
Allied Airways was a UK airline based at Aberdeen, Scotland. Formed in 1934 as Aberdeen Airways it was taken over by British European Airways in 1947.
Captain Ernest Edmund "Ted" Fresson, was a British engineer and aviation pioneer.
Western Airways was an airline based in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England between 1932 and 1978. Before World War II, for a short period, it was the world's busiest airline. It survived WWII by using its aircraft engineering expertise.
Northern & Scottish Airways was a regional airline established in Glasgow in 1934. It was taken over in 1937, eventually becoming part of British European Airways.
Scottish Airways was an airline serving most of Scotland, especially the Highlands and Islands. It was active from 1937 until 1947, when it was merged into British European Airways.
Midland & Scottish Air Ferries was Scotland's first airline, operating from 1933 to 1934. It is particularly noted for pioneering flights to the Inner Hebrides
North Eastern Airways (NEA) was a British airline which operated from 1935 until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. Based initially in Newcastle upon Tyne, it operated routes from Scotland to London in competition with the railways, retaining its independence to the end.
Cramlington Aerodrome was a military airfield established in Northumberland during the First World War. It became a civil airfield serving the Tyneside area of north-east England and operated until 1935, when it was replaced by Woolsington Airport, now known as Newcastle International Airport.
References
↑ Webster, Jack (1994). The Flying Scots. Glasgow: Tha Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. p.24. ISBN0-9522174-2-2.
↑ "Kintore". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
↑ Smith, David J. (1989). Action Stations: Military Airfields of Scotland, the North-East and Northern Ireland (2nded.). Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p.89. ISBN1-85260-309-7.
↑ Jackson, A. J. (1962). De Havilland Aircraft since 1915. London, UK: Putnam. p.336.
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