Download or read book Imperial Airways and the First British Airlines, 1919-40 written by A. S. Jackson and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Only the adventurous and the wealthy patronized the first companies to inaugurate air services to the continent in 1919. They flew in primitive converted military machines and could expect their flight or be interrupted by an unscheduled landing in a field when bad weather or an engine problem was encountered. The fledgeling airlines operated on the edge of bankruptcy because the government refused to offer finance. The French and German governments susidised their own airlines to provide themselves with a military reserve.