VQ-PAB Short S.16 Scion
(c/n PA.1002)
Palestine Air
Transport (dba Palestine Airways Ltd) was an airline founded by the
Zionist Pinhas
Rutenburg in 1934 in the then
British Mandated Palestine. It did not commence revenue passenger
services until 1937 with twice
weekly flights from its base in Lydda to Haifa. Two
Short Scions
(VQ-PAA and -PAB) and a D.H. 89A Dragon Rapide (VQ-PAC)
constituted the modest fleet.
In 1938 a four motor version,
the Short S.22 Scion Senior, (VQ-PAD, ex G-AECU) was added
and the route extended to
Beirut. WW II came along shortly afterward and all
four machines
were impressed into the RAF's
Middle Eastern service. VQ-PAB became Z7190. It was severe-
ly damaged on December 24, 1942 when it lost its port prop and was
written off following a
crash landing.
Photographs of the VQ-P registered aircraft are rare, and I am indebted
to the Derek
Hughey collection for the above image. Note nose of
Misr/Airwork's D.H.89A Dragon
Rapide SU-ABS 'Helwan' in this
shot taken at Haifa in 1938.