Meanwhile, C-54 G-ASEN was sold and delivered to
Johannesburg in February while the others continued to haul
their varied loads around Europe and beyond for another year,
including a freight service to Berlin on behalf of BEA.
Air Taxi
In a departure from normal operations, Kennard and another
company director Michael Harridine started an air taxi company
called Interland Air Services using a Piper Aztec (G-AYTD).
The aircraft carried the Invicta logo on the fin and was based at
Manston. It was available for charter work and also proved to be
useful as Invicta’s communications aircraft, positioning crews and
moving engineers and spares to repair unserviceable aircraft.
Expansion continued in 1972 with the leasing of two more
Vanguards to cover the additional IT and Ministry work.
However, as the summer season closed the company’s finances
were not good and in spite of low cost winter day charters from
Bristol to Basle and Munich, Air Holdings repossessed the five
Vanguards on January 15, 1973 due to outstanding debts. This
left the airline’s future into doubt and frantic negotiations resulted
in the European Ferries taking a 76% stake in the company,
enabling the Vanguards to return to operations in March.
The new board of directors allowed Kennard to
oversee the day-to-day operational
management of the new
company.
Jet Age
Tragically, on April 10, 1973 Vanguard G-AXOP crashed in a
snow storm following two unsuccessful ILS approaches at Basle
after a flight from Bristol. Of the 145 passengers and crews on
board 108 lost their lives.
Invicta joined the jet age in the spring of 1974 with the
arrival of two Boeing 720s (G-BCBA and G-BCBB) but their
operation was very limited. G-BCBB was leased to Somalia
Airlines while G-BCBA spent most of its time operating on
behalf of Britannia and Dan Air until it was withdrawn from
service in October 1974. Despite a full IT and cargo programmeKENNARD sold the business to Horatio
De Gama and left aviation to set up a
classic car restoration business
In icta's Boeing
720B-023 G-BCBA
on a pilgrim charter to
Tarbes in 1974.operating margins were very tight and rapidly rising fuel costs,
high inflationary pressures and rising debts resulted in the
company ceasing trading at the end of October.
The final flight by Invicta’s Boeing 720 took place on October
14, while an enthusiast’s charter from Luton on October 26 on76 AIRLINER Classics 2018