H+S Aviation History
Celebrating our 65th Anniversary
H+S Aviation Limited was founded by the Hawes family in 1946 as Hants and Sussex Aviation and celebrates its 65th Anniversary in 2011.
In those 65 years H+S Aviation Limited has seen many changes but as a testament to the quality of our service and company culture we are still going strong.
The first Hants and Sussex office was located above the archway of what was then the Bailey family business of builders and estate agents in Bognor Regis. The company’s first workshop was in Fratton, Portsmouth and comprised of an estimated 1,500 square feet. We relocated to the edge of what was then Portsmouth Municipal Airport in 1947 and have been here ever since.
Enjoy the varied photo’s from our long history, below is a list of company milestones as we have moved through the years. Here’s to the next 65!!
Milestones
| 1946 | Company founded by A.H.Hawes, W.E.Hawes, A.E.Hawes & F.G.Lewis with a workshop in Portsmouth and a workshop in Bognor Regis – Hants & Sussex Aviation Ltd. Main activities are government contracts for demolition of surplus WW II aircraft and engines |
|---|---|
| 1947 | Both workshops relocated to Portsmouth Airport |
| 1949 | Aircraft scrap work reduced Aircraft maintenance and piston engine R&O activities started |
| 1953 | Designed and constructed the prototype Hants & Sussex Herald single seat ultra-light aircraft |
| 1956 | Became first independent aircraft piston engine overhaul facility to have a correlated Dynamometer Test Cell |
| 1965 | Constructed two replica Levavesseur Antoinette IV aircraft for the film “Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines” |
| 1968 | Purchased by RTZ Pillar Engineering Group |
| 1971 | Air Engine Services ltd at Blindley Heath absorbed into Hants & Sussex Aviation to become Division 2 First gas turbine R&O activities started Rolls Royce Dart Technical Assistance Agreement Allison Model 250 Distributorship |
| 1973 | Portsmouth Airport closes Aircraft maintenance activities stop |
| 1975 | Hants & Sussex Division 3 opened at Portsmouth Airport Hants & Sussex Division 4 opened in Bournemouth |
| 1978 | Purchased the design rights for the STAD Low Pressure Air Starter |
| 1980 | GE CT58 Technical Assistance Agreement |
| 1981 | Purchased the design rights for the De Havilland Gypsy Major & Queen series of engines |
| 1983 | New Division 3 facility built at Portsmouth Airport |
| 1984 | GE CT7 Technical Assistance Agreement R-R Nimbus approval |
| 1986 | Division 1 site redeveloped The company renamed H+S Aviation Ltd |
| 1987 | Queens award for industry |
| 1992 | All activities moved to Portsmouth |
| 1993 | Purchased by MB Caradon plc |
| 1996 | 50th Anniversary Purchased by Vector Industries ltd |
| 1997 | Piston engine R&O activities stop |
| 1998 | Honeywell 36-100 & 36-150 approval Purchased by BBA |
| 1999 | Hamilton Sundstrand APS500 & APS1000 approval |
| 2000 | Honeywell 331-200 & 331-250 approval |
| 2004 | P&WC JT15D Distributor and Designated Overhaul Facility |
| 2006 | DAI Regional Turbine Centre relocates to Portsmouth |
| 2007 | Propeller R&O activities stop |
| 2009 | Hamilton Standard T-62T-40-1 approval P&WC PT6T Distributor and Designated Overhaul Facility |
| 2011 | H+S celebrates 65 years in business |