Draft Posts
The articles, photos and stories posted below are drafts and are not fully published and are not available for public viewing until finalized and approved.
July 2026 draft posts
(desktop view formatted / mobile view maybe scrambled until published)
New photo of Sandringham
"Southern Cross" arriving in Ireland in 1976.
Paul Fagan in the bow.
Jim Flannagan (l) and Noel Holle (r) on center wing with a photographer behind capturing the moment.
Mallard N2442H / St. Thomas / November 1979
British Guiana Airways (BGA) was a historic airline founded in 1939 by Art J. Williams and Harry Wendt. Originally operating Ireland flying boats and later Grumman G21-A Goose aircraft. The colonial government bought the airline in 1955. In 1969 the name was shortened to Guyana Airways.
Antilles Air Boats' N1048V was originally VP-GAC one of 4 operating at BGA.
AAB maintenance supervisors Victor Pinhiero and Claude Austin both worked at BGA before AAB.
"The land of many waters"
Grumman JRF-5 / G21-A Goose c/n B-46 VP-GAD / Essequibo River
STT
STX
Marijane Howard Sipple just returned from Ireland with the sole purpose of visiting the Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum.
Her story about her trip coming soon.
Recently acquired a photo of a Martin P5M Merlin docked at the Keehi Lagoon Navy Station in Honolulu in December1957
It was just 17 years later when AAB's "Excalibur VIII"
landed in Keehi Lagoon in 1974, during the ferry flight from Sydney to the U.S. Virgin Islands.
photo credit Marijane Howard Sipple
photo credit from Tom Anusewicz Collection
N8777A arrives in Fajardo, Puerto Rico in 1977.
The newly completed Dos Marinas residential complex in the background.
See more about AAB's
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N8777A was F-OBYU operating in Tahiti for Air Polynesie from 1963 to 1967. Charlie Blair purchased
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photo credit Charlie Freehling
photo credit Tom Anusewicz
photo from Tom Anusewicz Collection
Holding posts for coming months
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Grumman Goose N88U (B-100) has been listed as one of the many Gooses that flew at Antilles Air Boats but it didn't. Even though it flew the skies of the U.S. and British Virgin Islands around the years of AAB's start-up, it didn't assist while Blair secured additional aircraft as previously stated. The photo with description in the V.I. Daily News on January 22, 1964 showed N88U with some details about Antilles Air Boats beginning service. Michael Burke purchased N88U on November 26, 1962 and sold it in Florida in October 1964.
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J-6
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Through the efforts of those aviation historians of the past, we know the various owners and the years they operated J-6.
This page will go a little further into the individuals that recognized the Grumman Mallard as their aircraft of choice.
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Stephen Berry joined Qantas Airlines in 1966 at age 21 and spent the next 26 years as a Flight Service Director. His passion for aviation began much earlier.
At age 5, Stephen was captivated by the Short Solent taking off and landing near his home in Wellington, New Zealand. His fascination with Shorts flying boats came in 1950, when TEAL began operating Short S-45 Solent 4s between Wellington and Sydney.
When Stephan began flying for Qantas, he was based in Sydney, bringing him closer once more to those magnificent flying boats. Ansett Flying Boat Service operated from Rose Bay, where he spent many hours photographing the Short Sandringhams.
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In 1974, Charlie Blair arrived in Australia to take possession of "Beachcomber" and "Islander" and move them to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Stephen spent time at the Rose Bay flying boat facility, where he got to know Ron Gillies and Noel Holle. Once they recognized him as a devoted flying boat enthusiast, they gave him free rein of the two aircraft and the maintenance hangar while the planes were prepared for the ferry flight.. Ron and Noel worked for Ansett but agreed to continue with Blair's Antilles Air Boats. When the two iconic aircraft left Australia, Stephen thought he would never see them again. Two years later, however, he became part of an adventure he would never forget.
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It was 1976, when Charlie and Maureen O'Hara Blair decided to utilize the Sandringham "Southern Cross" (formerly "Beachcomber") in Ireland for the summer months, so plans were made. Stephen heard of the planned trip to Ireland and very much wanted to be part of it. Read more...
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Stephen Berry had the opportunity during his career at Qantas to service its customers on some equally iconic aircraft. We will share more about Stephen, Qantas and other aircraft in the coming months. Stay tuned.
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I am very pleased that Stephen found the Antilles Air Boats website and is able share his wonderful photos and stories of his Southern Cross trip to Ireland. We will continue to post new additions as they arrive.
click on above photos for more info
Capt. Charles F. Blair Jr.
photos courtesy of Stephen Berry
Stephen and Maureen enjoying the flight
The Antilles Air Boats Goose operated with one pilot, Unlike most airlines, the pilot arrived with extensive experience, thousands of hours of flight time. This was to be their last flying job, a semi-retirement gig that would supplement in most cases their military retirement. With the addition of the Grumman Mallard which required 2 pilots, a captain and co-captain. The co-captain's flight experience was far less than the captain. While the person in the left seat was ending their career, the right seat occupant was just starting theirs.
photo credit Tom Anusewicz
photo credit Steve Kemper
A little bit about
A Seaplane and a pilot
The Antilles Air Boats Mallard N51151 (J-42) was originally delivered to C.F .Kettering as N2975 in early 1949.. The aircraft had numerous owners over the years and was owned by Chalk's International Airlines and loaned to AAB for a little less than 3 years. In 1982, Chalk's had the aircraft sent to Frakes Aviation in Cleburne, Texas for conversion to PT-6A-34 turbine engines.
"Pappy" Chalk started Chalk's Flying Service in 1919 and over the years there was variant names as well as various owners. In December of 1999, the airline was relaunched as Chalk's Ocean Airways.
Scott Adams was fortunate to arrive at Chalk's to have experienced flying the Mallard , now registered as N142PA. Scott began his flying career.....
Scott Adams was fortunate to arrive at Chalk's to have experienced flying the Mallard , now registered as N142PA. Scott began his flying career.....
Scott Adams was fortunate to arrive at Chalk's to have experienced flying the Mallard , now registered as N142PA. Scott began his flying career.....
Scott Adams was fortunate to arrive at Chalk's to have experienced flying the Mallard , now registered as N142PA. Scott began his flying career.....
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