Ansett.

The Story of the Rise and Fall of Ansett 1936-2002
By Stewart Wilson
Aerospace Publications, 2002
ISBN 1-875671-57-9
Softbound, 194 Pages
Available from Sandle Hobbies for $22AUD

Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl

Ansett. The period in the title is no mistake. This is one of the greatest airlines of Australia, but in 2002 the period was put at the end of the name and Ansett ceased to be. But this book is not just about the demise of Ansett. Rather, it is a glorification of the airline itself, in photos and in text. The history of Ansett is an interesting one, and one well worth telling. In this respect, Stewart Wilson does an excellent job, taking the reader from the early beginnings with a Fokker Universal and an Airspeed Envoy, on through the classic propliner years with such interesting types as the Sandringham, Convair 440s, and even a DHC Caribou. The journey finishes with the final fleet of Boeing 747s, 767s, 727s, and 737s; Airbus A320s; Fokker F28s and F50s; and BAe 146s.

In addition to the fascinating history presented in text, the book is profusely illustrated with some stunning photos, most of which are in color. The number of interesting DC-3 liveries in this book could keep a modeler busy for several years easily. As I thumbed through this book I found myself wanting new-tool kits of quite a few airliners, such as the Convair 440, the Airspeed Ambassador, and the Fokker F28. The various subsidiary airlines that became part of Ansett provide a wide variety of liveries that many outside of Australia might not be familiar with, and this book has photos of many of them.

The amount of research put into this book would not be complete without some extensive appendixes, and the author does not fail here either. There is a section simply titled “Ansett Aircraft 1936-2002.” This is exactly what it says it is, a comprehensive listing of every aircraft flown by Ansett and its subsidiaries from day one. Each entry includes the aircraft type, the registration, the dates of service, and any special notes. For example, there was a single Bristol Sycamore 3A, registered VH-INO, that was used between October 1957 and January 1960. Formerly of BEA/ANA and named Yarrana, this helicopter served with Ansett-ANA Helicopter Division until written on in January 1960. In addition to this extensive listing, there are several flow charts included to show just how Ansett and its wide variety of subsidiaries and partnerships blended together. With the long list of airline names tossed around, these charts are invaluable at keeping things straight.

This is a very well written history of an important airline, and I hope that other authors out there will look at this as inspiration to write histories on many of the other airlines out there, before the information disappears forever. If you are interested in airliners, this is one title that you just cannot pass up. The amount of information, both written and in photos, is well worth the low price.

My thanks to Sandle Hobbies for the review sample.