Miss Flinders - Tasmanian Aviation Historical Society

"Miss Flinders" - A significant part of Aviation Heritage of Tasmania

Miss Flinders is a Desoutter Mk. II Monoplane, with the Australian Registration VH-UEE.

It arrived in Tasmania in March 1932, and began flying passengers from Western Junction to Flinders Island. Its story is available in this special newsletter.

The timeline below summarises the history of Miss Flinders. (Special thanks to both Geoff Goodall and Fred Niven for their detailed histories of the plane).

The TAHS became the custodians of Miss Flinders in March 2020, when it was removed from display at the QVMAG.

Historical Aircraft curators carefully dismantled the plane and prepared it for storage.

In February 2021 it was reassembled and displayed in the Launceston Airport Terminal, as part of the 90th Anniversary of the official opening of Western Junction Aerodrome on 28 Feb 1931.

In late November 2021, Miss Flinders was raised and placed on an column in the departure terminal at Launceston Airport.

This project was was funded by the Launceston Airport, the Tasmanian Government and TAHS.

Miss Flinders Timeline

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Date	Owner (Location)	Details	Flying Hours
1930, Jul 18	De Havilland Aircraft Co (Stag Lane Aerodrome, England)	Gipsy Three Motor, serial number 3046 produced
1930, Aug 30	Desoutter Aircraft Co (Croydon Aerodrome, England)	Aircraft built at Croydon Aerodrome London by the Desoutter Aircraft Co Ltd and powered by a de Havilland Gipsy Mk III engine, (serial number 3046) and first flight undertaken.
1930, Sep 01	Iona National Air Taxis and Flying School (Ireland)	Airworthiness certificate issued
1930, Sep 05	Iona National Air Taxis and Flying School (Ireland)	Flown to Ireland.

1930,Oct 20	Iona National Air Taxis and Flying School (Ireland)	Registered as El-AAD, the fourth plane (and first commercial plane) to be registered in Ireland
1931, Apr 21	Iona National Air Taxis and Flying School (Ireland)	Departs Ireland for England and subsequently sold
1931, Jul 29	Robert Barker (United Kingdom)	Registered as G-ABOM
1931, Nov 11	Hart Air Services (Melbourne)	Purchased the plane, to be flown back to Australia by Harold Jeffrey and Harry Jenkins	68 Hours
1931, Dec 27 to 1932, Feb 10	Hart Air Services (Melbourne)	Fly the plane to Australia in stages by Jeffrey and Jenkins via India, arrived in Darwin after 44 days, 147 hours flying time	225 Hours
1932, Mar 11	Laurie Johnson (Tasmania)	Registered as VH-UEE, “Miss Flinders” to carry three people
1932, Mar 18	Laurie Johnson (Tasmania)	First regular passenger service to Flinders Island
1932, Mar 21	Laurie Johnson (Tasmania)	First aero medical evacuation from Flinders Island to Western Junction, piloted by Laurie Johnson
1932, Oct 01	Tasmanian Aerial Services (Tasmania)	Laurie Johnson and the Holyman Brothers amalgamate
1933,Feb 27	Tasmanian Aerial Services (Tasmania)	The first aero medical evacuation from King Island to Essendon, piloted by Laurie Johnson
1934, Jul 18	Holyman’s Airways (Tasmania)	Tasmanian Aerial Services renamed as Holyman’s Airways and registration transferred to new company
1935, Jun 11	Holyman’s Airways (Tasmania)	Flown from Tasmania to Mascot , Engine No 3046	1,030 Hours
1935, Jul 23	de Havilland Aircraft Co. Mascot (NSW)	Sold in part payment for a new aircraft (DH 86) purchased by Holyman Airways
1935, Oct 18	John Larkin (Sydney)	Private and charter activities	1,054 Hours
1936, Aug 17	George P. Hoskins (Sydney)	Private and charter activities	1,098 Hours

Showing 1 to 20 of 54 entries

Articles

Links

Desoutter Monoplanes in Australia Compiled by Geoff Goodall

Notes on Desoutteer Aircraft ‘Miss Flinders’ by Rex Woodford

A brief history of Miss Flinders: Launceston’s pioneering plane by Julian Burgess (Feb 2020)

Videos of the Mark I Desoutter which is still flying in England: Flight and Pilot Discussion