First airmail service celebrated
The 75th anniversary of Britain’s first scheduled domestic airmail service is to be marked by a flight between Inverness and Kirkwall on Orkney.
The 75th anniversary of Britain’s first scheduled domestic airmail service is to be marked by a flight between Inverness and Kirkwall on Orkney.
Capt Ted Fresson’s Highland Airways launched the service on 29 May 1934.
A mail bag containing first day cover envelopes specially printed for the birthday is to be flown on a vintage de Havilland aircraft. The twin-engined Dragon biplane airliner is similar to that used later in Capt Fresson’s service. The RAF flier started out with a Gypsy Moth biplane.
Fresson’s original aircraft – now 80 years old – is expected to be put on display at Inverness Airport, along with the Dragon biplane. If weather conditions are fair, another five de Havillands may also make an appearance.
Fresson trustee David Morgan said: “The anniversary’s flying programme is very weather-dependent but we hope the public will turn out at Inverness and Kirkwall to see the aircraft arrive and depart.
“The award of the Royal Mail contract to Capt Fresson came in recognition of his Highland Airways’ outstanding reliability.
“He flew year-round in some atrocious weather carrying passengers, newspapers and on some occasions even livestock, but the airline still achieved a service reliability of well over 95% – something some modern airlines struggle to maintain.”
If weather conditions are too rough for the low-powered veterans to complete the route, the envelopes will be flown in a modern Loganair airliner.
Surrey-born Fresson worked as an engineer in China before his constant badgering finally saw him admitted to the RAF towards the end of World War I, after repeated refusals.
He returned to China after the war, where a local lord commissioned him to design and build the country’s first home-grown aeroplane. But as the aircraft taxied up the runway for a maiden flight, which had caused massive excitement across China, an embarrassed warlord mistakenly believed it was unable to get off the ground and ordered Fresson’s immediate execution. Luckily all was forgiven as the plane quickly turned, sped back down the runway and lifted off, but Fresson would later joke it was the closest he ever came to death in all his years of flying.
Fresson’s Chinese adventure ended when civil war broke out in 1927, and he returned to the UK to set up a flying circus, which toured every corner of the country doing displays and taking thrill-seeking passengers on short five-minute joyrides.
On a trip to Thurso, Fresson was asked by two local businessmen if he could carry them to Orkney and back. The journey opened his eyes to the possibility of flying newspapers, mail and passengers across the Highlands and Islands. He set up Highland Airways with a single de Havilland Moth after striking a deal with the publishers of the Scotsman newspaper, which saw their title being flown to the islands, allowing it to arrive at least a day ahead of its competitors.
The airline’s first scheduled flight between Inverness, Wick and Kirkwall took off on 8 May 1933.
