British Civil Aviation in 1919 - Part 2

Part 1

1 July
London's first airport, Hounslow Heath is completed and opens for business. The airport includes a Customs hall and a de Havilland DH9 of Aircraft Transport & Travel makes the first flight.

2-6 July
Airship R34 makes the first airship crossing of the Atlantic, flying from East Fortune in Scotland to New York.

9-13 July
Airship R34 leaves Mineola in New York for Norfolk in England and arrives 5 days later, having made the first two-way crossing of the Atlantic.

15 July
Airport Transport and Travel undertakes an experimental airline flight to Le Bourget in France.

25 August
A de Havilland DH16 belonging to Aircraft Transport and Travel begins the world's first scheduled daily international airline service, flying from Hounslow to Le Bourget in France.

25 August
Handley Page Transport makes a Press flight from Hounslow to Le Bourget in France, using an 0/7 ten passenger airliner, with regular services beginning later, on 2 September.

26 August
Handley Page Transport carries the first two women to fly on an airline service, between England and France.

September
London to Paris services by No.2 (Communications) Squadron are discontinued after a total of 749 flights.

2 September
Handley Page Transport begins a regular London to Paris airline service.

13 September
Airship R33 returns from a 20 hour trip over Belgium and the Netherlands, during which the luxurious facilities of the airship are demonstrated. During the flight, a five-course lunch is served and a ship's newspaper is published.

28 September
Supermarine Aviation Company inaugurates a flying boat service to Le Havre.

30 September
British Aerial Transport inaugurates a short-lived domestic airline service between London and Birmingham, and a London to Amsterdam service is also flown for a short time.

7 October
The first purpose built civil airliner, BAT FK26, enters service and flies from Hendon to Amsterdam.

11 October
The first airline meals are served by Handley Page Transport, when passengers are offered a pre-packed lunch-box, costing 3 shillings, on their London to Paris service.

13 October
The first company executive aircraft enters service. S. Instone & Company (shipping line) operate the de Havilland DH4A from Hounslow to Cardiff and Hounslow to Paris.

10 November
Air Transport & Travel begin regular airmail services by between Hounslow and Paris. The service is available at a rate of 2s 6d an ounce, but the cost deters many users and only 45 letters per day are delivered during the first few weeks.

December
The Handley Page W8 is introduced on the London to Paris route and becomes the first civil airliner with a lavatory to be used on a regular passenger service.

18 December
Sir John Alcock, who made the first non-stop transatlantic airplane flight on 14-15 June, is killed in a flying accident at Rouen in France, while flying the Vickers Viking amphibian aircraft to the Paris Air Show.

Part 1