danednie
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06:42:35 am on September 21, 2009 |
In 1952, WT Dwyer Airlines became ‘Flinders Island Airlines’ with Bill and Alan now co-founders and co-owners of FIA. And for the first time in his ten years of flying Alan could own his own planes. Alan purchased his first aeroplane, an Avro Anson, on the 16th of July, 1953. Bought from the Department of Supply for ₤ 31, this was the real starting point for Alan working for himself.
After the war you could buy a lot of stuff from disposals. I bought a bomber from the Air Force – one I paid £31 for. All Air Force aeroplanes, whenever they land, they’re immediately filled up with petrol, because if an emergency comes and the aeroplane has to go look for a tanker, they’ll all have very red faces. They fill them up – and the one I bought was full. The old Anson had 140 gallons of aviation spirit and I paid £31 for the lot. The petrol was worth more than that! I asked them about petrol and they said, “Sure. Petrol’s cheap!” – and they gave me another container of it.
