Reg Ansett's first flight took off in 1936, marking the start of Ansett Airways. The flight was in a Fokker Universal monoplane, a single-engine aircraft with a 6-8 passenger capacity, and it flew from Hamilton to Melbourne, carrying mail and a few passengers.
The Fokker Universal was a reliable plane for its time, with a range of about 1,100 km. Ansett's inaugural flight was a significant milestone, connecting regional Victoria to the city. This pioneering spirit laid the groundwork for what would become a major Australian airline.
The Fokker Universal operated by Ansett Airlines. First scheduled service on 17 February 1936. The high-wing monoplane departed Hamilton. Victoria, at 12.30 pm and landed at Melbourne's Essendon Aerodrome at 2.15 pm. The pilot sat in an open cockpit at the leading edge of the wing, but this was later enclosed to afford protection against the weather VH-UTO was destroyed in a hangar fire at Essendon in February 1939
The Sir Reginald Ansett Transport Museum
THE STORY
On the morning of 7th December, 1931, a young Reginald Ansett drove a Studebaker car from Hamilton to Ballarat - The Ansett empire was born
Just eleven years later, this one-man passenger service, started with a secondhand car, had become the biggest road passenger service in the Commonwealth.
The "road" was not always a smooth one. Around the mid-1930s, the Victorian Government took steps to curb the growth of the young Ansett company, as it was proving more popular than the State-owned railways.
Undaunted, Reginald Ansett flew his moth aircraft to Sydney, navigating with a road map, and bought a Fokker Universal passenger plane.
On 17th February, 1936, the Fokker Universal left Hamilton for Melbourne... the rest is history. Ansett became an international airline operating one of the world's most modern fleets.
The Sir Reginald Ansett Transport Museum is located on the shores of Lake Hamilton and within easy walking distance of the city centre, a caravan park and motels.
WHAT YOU SEE
The Centrepiece of the display is a 1928 Fokker Universal Aircraft (VH UTO), similar to the aircraft used for the first Ansett passenger flight from Hamilton, 17th Feb 1936, (original Aircraft burnt in Hangar fire 1939) supported by displays of early radial engines, 82 models of aircraft as operated by Ansett Transport Industries Ltd (ATI) (formerly displayed in the foyer of the Ansett Head Office on Swanston St). Also on display is a Jet Engine from a BAE 146 aircraft, demonstrating technological progress.
The museum has a complete set of Ansett and Ansett-ANA Flight Attendant uniforms; Ansett staff signature boards with staff photos from the final staff party 13/09/2001 to keep the nostalgia buff interested for some time.
See a restored 1928 Studebaker car, complete with a box of fruit - here's a tale of determination!
Other memorabilia displays from the early days of Ansett Transport Industries (ATI) includes Clipper Bus photos, Coach Captain uniforms, staff photos and a DVD presentation (25 minutes) of Reg and his airline's rapid expansion.
The first Prospectus to raise capital and then the sad final demise of ATI Ltd.
The museum is staffed by volunteers, and the museum committee ensures the Ansett memorabilia on display conveys the entrepreneurialism of Reg Ansett and ATI staff; the rapid growth from a single vehicle to a major bus line and international airline.
No comments:
Post a Comment