MY first trip by air was with Butler Airways on a Douglas DC3 from Mascot to Burren Junction.

A tail dragger aircraft of WW2 vintage to a bush, gravel surfaced airstrip.

I loved it.

Many years later I obtained a private pilot’s license at Tamworth after doing the bookwork part with an instructor at Taree.

The freedom obtained when piloting a plane from a regional airport is still something I cherish at this late time of life.

As I fly overseas for another fishing trip this week, I’m reminded how lucky we are to be living in the regions and how important it is for our lifestyle to be connected by air.

I’m continually reminded that owning and operating an airline is indeed a “tricky business”.

I fondly remember East West Airlines flights from Tamworth.

In my time it was the only airline in Australia to own its own planes – the others only leased their aircraft.

Tamair owned and operated cigar shaped prop planes known as the Cessna 404s and had a training wing (please excuse the pun) which is where I learnt to fly.

British Aerospace had a commercial pilots’ school there, and at any one time could have up to 40 planes in the air, many piloted by students from overseas.

So, what happened to these businesses which are no longer visible today? Tricky indeed.

Who still remembers these airlines that were well regarded in their day but didn’t survive the business rigours confronting regional airlines?

Impulse airlines from Newcastle flew Beech 1900s.

The company ended up as part of Jetstar.

TAA became Australian Airlines in the 80s and was eventually merged with Qantas.

Tamair later became Eastern Airlines and went on to become part of Qantas Link, now a regional carrier and our most recognised and successful airline in regional Australia.

Then there was Bonza which was short lived due to their aircraft being repossessed and moved overseas.

Australia’s regional airline industry has proven to be a highly risky business and is littered with financial failures – the same outcome now being faced by REX.

This is really disappointing due to the fact that Australia has huge distances to be covered and air transport is the logical way.

Just look at Ansett’s failures even though they were bigger and stronger than many of those mentioned.

The problem could be that passenger numbers were not enough to provide financial certainty.

It could also be that airlines are just tricky and risky businesses.

By John BLACKBOURN