Page 150 - KBHA Bulletin 10

147

which came into effect in June 1937, from Southampton using the East Africa route to
Durban and on to Cape Town.

With the opening of the airport, Union Airways, founded by Major Allister Miller on 24

July 1929 to carry mails and passengers to Port Elizabeth and other centres, moved its

headquarters from Brooklyn (Ysterplaat) to Wingfield. (Fig. 3.44). In February 1934 the
Government bought out Union Airways and formed South African Airways in its place.

For the first time Cape Town possessed a properly equipped, municipally developed and
owned airport that hosted the national airline and an international one. Improvements

and additions took place over the years and by the end of 1936 Wingfield was rated as
the second best airport in South Africa, after Rand Airport. (Figs. 3.45 & 3.46).

Apart from Union and Imperial Airways other organizations now based themselves at
Wingfield. The Council also took steps to encourage greater use of the airport by light

aircraft by linking landing and storage charges to the weight of craft. One of the more

important groups based at Wingfield was the Air Taxi Company, which had been
formed in 1931. Its functions were charter flying, running a flying school, and providing

full aviation workshop services. Mr. John Williamson owned a 25% share in this
company and was one of the main pilots. His brother-in-law, Mr. Eddie Ladan of Kalk

Bay, was second engineer. The company prospered until it was dissolved in December
1939 when all its aircraft were taken into the SAAF.

John Williamson had married “Dinks” Ladan, member of the old Kalk Bay family.
After the dissolution of Aviation Ltd. he moved inland and in 1923, while living in

Kimberley, made his own aircraft, the Williamson Motor Glider, which he tested
successfully there. He brought the plane to Kalk Bay, but it never achieved a certificate

of airworthiness and was eventually fitted with floats and used experimentally on
Zandvlei. He later owned a Boulton & Paul craft in which he gave passenger flights and

was regularly seen at air shows where he would “bomb” a car, driven by his wife, with

flour bags. He claimed hits, but she denied this! (Figs. 3.47 & 3.48).