Page 129 - KBHA Bulletin 10

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(serial No. A 3109) to the newly formed SAAF as the first plane of the 100 promised.

Frank and Shirley Solomon and Aviation Ltd. at Muizenberg Aerodrome

(from de Vries, 1991; Cape Times.)

In 1919 two former “Miller’s Boys”, Frank and Shirley Solomon, established Aviation

Ltd. Their “fleet” comprised two ex-RFC De Havilland 6 aircraft bought for £500 from
the British Government. Another £400 was spent on spares and the lot were shipped to

South Africa. The machines carried certificates of air worthiness from the British Civil

Air Board.

The DH6 had been designed by Geoffrey de Havilland to meet the need for aircraft
quickly. Ease of manufacture, maintenance and repair were the primary considerations

in the design. The wings were interchangeable between top and bottom. Unfortunately,

production was blighted by difficulties. The first was that the supply of American
Spruce dried up as the USA entered the war. Swamp Cyprus was used for a time with

disastrous results. Then it was found that the aircraft tended to crash if put into a power
dive. Because of this they became something of a joke, being nicknamed “the clutching

hand”, “the sky hook”, “the crab”, “the clockwork mouse”, “the chummy hearse” and
“the dung hunter”. Farnborough came up with radical alterations to the design but the

different manufacturers introduced these into their production lines in an extremely

haphazard way.

The Solomon’s recruited two South African air mechanics who had served in the RFC,
as well as John Ross-Castle “Billy” Williamson, also ex-RFC from the East African

Campaign, as rigger, and Mr. Geater as mechanic. Labourers were also hired. They
rented land on the east bank of Zandvlei from Mr. I. F. Webner for one shilling, cleared

it and prepared it, and erected an ex-military canvas hanger upon it. They hoped to find

a ready market for air “flips” among the hundreds of summer holiday-makers who
flocked annually to “The Brighton of South Africa”.