G-AEOY

In Cap.8 of Doreen Ingrams 'A Time in Arabia (Life in Hadhramaut)' recounts her experience of flying from Aden to Hadhramaut in the autumn of 1937 on G-AEOY with her adopted baby daughter Zahra. This new service however ran into difficulties with its starboard engine running out of fuel over the Jol which obliged the pilot to make a forced landing on the beach some way short of Mukalla. Local fishermen went to the plane's aid and all the crew and passengers were evacuated unharmed, by boat the next day.

There is, in a 1970 edition by ELAND ISBN 978 1 006011 80 2, a photo of G-AEOY at rest on the beach with the crew and passengers safely disembarked standing beside the 'in tact' airplane. In the foreground is baby Zahra squatting by the seaside, and happily 'showing her adaptability in any circumstances' as the caption says :!:

For those who may be interested, this Short Scion was originally allocated registration G-ADDS but it was not taken up as the aeroplane was sold to Adelaide Airways in South Australia. It was registered VH-UUT.

The accident referred to by Stan was not the first to happen to this airframe. In January 1936 whilst on a scheduled flight from Melbourne to Adelaide the starboard Pobjoy Niagara engine seized and the captain had to make a forced landing which was problematic as there was a ditch on the landing roll. The aircraft turned over but fortunately all the injuries received were minor.

The wreckage was shipped back to England and was subsequently purchased by Pobjoy Airmotors and Aircraft Ltd. They rebuilt the aircraft at Short's old plant at Rochester. It was re-registered as G-AEOY and went to Arabian Airways Ltd., Khormaksar, Aden, where the events related by Stan occurred.

Only two Short Scions are believed to still exist. G-ACUX which is stored by he Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and G-AEZF which is currently under restoration at the Medway Aircraft Preservation Society at Rochester Airport, Rochester, Kent, England. They would be delighted to hear from anyone who has or knows of any Scion spares that may be still extant.