Instone Air Line
Encyclopedia
Instone Air Line was an early British
airline from 1919
to 1924
. Along with other private airlines of the time, it was absorbed into Imperial Airways
.
, had operated a private service from Cardiff
via London (Hounslow Heath Aerodrome
) to Paris - Le Bourget Airport since 1919. In April 1920 it ran the service between London and Paris as a public service using the name Instone Air Line. In 1920 it was the first airline to transport a racehorse and on 1 January 1922 the company introduced uniforms to its pilots and staff; Instone are believed to be the first airline to do so. It started a London to Cologne - Butzweilerhof Airport
service in May 1922. It stopped operating the London-Paris route in October 1922 due to competition. In 1923, a Government committee recommended that the main British airlines should merge, to establish one, financially strong, airline, and to enable it to undertake the necessary expansions. Following this recommendation, Imperial Airways
was created on 1 April 1924
, absorbing the assets and routes of Handley Page Transport
, Instone Air Line, Daimler Airway
and British Marine Air Navigation Co Ltd
.
There is a history of the air line: Early Birds - Air Transport Memories 1919-1924 by Alfred Instone (published by Western Mail & Echo, Cardiff, 1938) containing a number of photographs.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
airline from 1919
1919 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1919:- Events :* Raymond Orteig offers the Orteig Prize for the first non-stop transatlantic flight between New York and Paris....
to 1924
1924 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1924:- Events :* Violating the Treaty of Versailles, Germany establishes a secret training base for German pilots at Lipetsk in the Soviet Union...
. Along with other private airlines of the time, it was absorbed into Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East...
.
History
S. Instone & Company Limited, a shipping company set up by Sir Samuel InstoneSamuel Instone
Sir Samuel Instone was a shipping and aviation entrepreneur and the founder of the Instone Air Line.-Personal history:Born in Gravesend, Kent, he came to Cardiff in Wales in 1908 to work for a shipping company as a manager. With his brother, Theodore Instone, he went into business as a coal factor...
, had operated a private service from Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
via London (Hounslow Heath Aerodrome
Hounslow Heath Aerodrome
Hounslow Heath Aerodrome was a grass airfield, operational 1914-1920. It was situated in the London borough of Hounslow, and in 1919 was the location from which the first scheduled daily international commercial air services took place.-1909-1914:...
) to Paris - Le Bourget Airport since 1919. In April 1920 it ran the service between London and Paris as a public service using the name Instone Air Line. In 1920 it was the first airline to transport a racehorse and on 1 January 1922 the company introduced uniforms to its pilots and staff; Instone are believed to be the first airline to do so. It started a London to Cologne - Butzweilerhof Airport
Cologne Butzweilerhof Airport
The Butzweilerhof is the former civil airport of Cologne. It was established as a training airfield in 1912 and saw airline service from 1922 until the 1950s. It was replaced by the Cologne Bonn Airport...
service in May 1922. It stopped operating the London-Paris route in October 1922 due to competition. In 1923, a Government committee recommended that the main British airlines should merge, to establish one, financially strong, airline, and to enable it to undertake the necessary expansions. Following this recommendation, Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East...
was created on 1 April 1924
1924 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1924:- Events :* Violating the Treaty of Versailles, Germany establishes a secret training base for German pilots at Lipetsk in the Soviet Union...
, absorbing the assets and routes of Handley Page Transport
Handley Page Transport
Handley Page Transport Ltd was an airline company founded in 1919 by Frederick Handley Page in the new era of civil flying after the First World War....
, Instone Air Line, Daimler Airway
Daimler Airway
Daimler Airway was an airline subsidiary of BSA group's Daimler Motor Company created to use some of the assets of the failed ventures Airco and its subsidiary Aircraft Transport and Travel acquired by BSA in February 1920.-History:...
and British Marine Air Navigation Co Ltd
British Marine Air Navigation Co Ltd
British Marine Air Navigation Co Ltd was a short-lived British airline operating flying boats across the English Channel in 1923 and 1924. It merged with three other airlines in 1924 to form Imperial Airways.-Formation:...
.
There is a history of the air line: Early Birds - Air Transport Memories 1919-1924 by Alfred Instone (published by Western Mail & Echo, Cardiff, 1938) containing a number of photographs.
Accidents and incidents
- In February 1923, an aircraft belonging to Instone was damaged in an accident at Saint-InglevertSaint-Inglevert AirfieldSaint-Inglevert Airfield is a general aviation airfield at Saint-Inglevert, Pas-de-Calais, France. In the First World War an airfield was established near Saint-Inglevert by the Royal Flying Corps, later passing to the Royal Air Force on formation and thus becoming RAF Saint Inglevert...
, Pas-de-Calais, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. - On 13 August 1923, de Havilland DH.34 G-EBBW landed at Marden AirfieldMarden AirfieldMarden Airfield was an airfield in Marden, Kent, United Kingdom. It was operation from 1917 to 1935. Initially a Royal Flying Corps airfield during World War I it was used post-war as an Emergency Landing Strip, RAF Marden by the Royal Air Force. It was also known as Pagehurst Emergency Landing...
, KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
due to a broken oil pipe. The aircraft was repaired and returned to Croydon.
Fleet
- Airco DH.4
- BAT F.K.26BAT F.K.26-External links:** Contemporary technical description with drawings.-See also:...
- Bristol Type 47 Tourer
- Bristol Type 62Bristol Ten-seater|-See also:-External links:*...
- de Havilland DH.18
- de Havilland DH.34
- Vickers Vimy CommercialVickers VimyThe Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft of the First World War and post-First World War era. It achieved success as both a military and civil aircraft, setting several notable records in long-distance flights in the interwar period, the most celebrated of which was the first non-stop...
- Vickers VulcanVickers Vulcan-See also:-References:* Andrews, C.F and Morgan, E.B. Vickers Aircraft since 1908. London:Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-815-1.* Flight May 4, 1922 p253-258...
- Westland LimousineWestland Limousine- External links : Contemporary initial report on the Limousine I with photographs. Contemporary technical description of the Limousine I with photographs and drawings....