Ind Coope's D.H. Dove G-APCZ
Five-hour day for airborne brewer's dray.
Excellent serviceability during Dove's first nine months of operation.

IND COOPE AND ALLSOPP, LTD., the largest brewery group in the United Kingdom, are the proud owners of a Series 6 Dove which they bought in September, 1957. During the previous 18 months the company had operated a de Havilland Dragon Rapide, in which time it flew more than 100,000 miles. But the need was for a faster and more comfortable executive aircraft and a Dove was the natural choice.

One of the world-famous Ind Coope and Allsopp trade marks.

At present the aircraft is based at Burnaston Airport, Derby, about seven miles away from the Ind Coope brewery headquarters at Burton-on-Trent. Most airframe maintenance work is carried out at Croydon Airport while the Gipsy engines are maintained at the de Havilland Leavesden factory. The Dove often visits Leavesden because of its proximity to Watford, whose famous Benskin brewery is a most important unit of the Ind Coope and Allsopp Group. Plans are now complete for a new home for Dove G-APCZ.

Dove G-APCZ arriving at Burnaston in conditions of rain and low cloud, typical of British weather,
but adequately catered for by comprehensive radio equipment,
 

The company have leased from the Duchy of Lancaster two runways of the former wartime airfield at Tatenhill some four miles from Burton. They propose to erect a hangar complete with workshop, approved stores and all equipment necessary to do their own routine maintenance.

The company's previous aircraft was a Dragon Rapide, shown here with Captain David Lancaster up.
Captain Lancaster, an ex-charter pilot, now flies the Ind Coope Dove
 

They already employ a licensed engineer and by carrying out maintenance work at the week-end the result will be higher week-day utilisation. Petrol storage tanks and a new radio station will be installed and 800 yards of the 1000-yard runway (the Dove is airborne and 50 feet above ground in 800 yards) will be illuminated for night flying. The Dove is regularly flying all over the United Kingdom as the company has breweries, agencies and hotels in England, Scotland (the world-famous Double Diamond is brewed in Alloa), Wales and Ireland. Frequent flights are made to the Continent of Europe to liaise with brewers and manufacturers of brewery equipment. The longest non-stop Dove flight to date has been from Croydon to Cannes, some 600 nautical miles covered in under four hours.

Utilisation and economy are the principal operating considerations and for this reason the Dove's main schedules are planned well in advance. Regularly each week a flight timetable is issued showing Dove itineraries for the next 14 days, with details of seats available, so that any of the company's staff having business en route can join a flight. Serviceability makes long-term programmes dependable. During the period September 1957 - to June 1958 there were no flight cancellations due to technical faults. The Dove flew on 82 out of 86 consecutive working days. Daily flight times are now approaching five hours, and 800 hours are expected during the first year.

Mr. Gerald Thorley, an Executive Director of Ind Coope and Allsopp, at work while flying to
Benskin for a meeting at the nearby Benskin brewery

A typical day's operation was May 28 this year (1957) when the Dove flew:
Burnaston to Croydon 45 mins.
Croydon to Burnaston 45 mins.
Burnaston to Nutts Corner (Belfast) I hour
Nutts Corner to Burnaston 50 mins.
Burnaston to Croydon 45 mins.
Croydon to Burnaston 45 mins.

Such schedules demand "weather-proof" radio aids. The Dove is fitted with 140 channel V.H.F. radio with a 40-channel standby unit, radio compass, automatic direction finding, instrument landing system and a Decca navigator unit complete with flight log.

The passenger cabin has six comfortable adjustable armchairs with folding tables between two of the facing pairs of seats. Passengers deal with much paper work and hold many business conferences in flight.

Ind Coope and Allsopp find the Dove to be quiet and comfortable, ideal for the job to be done. The Dove has already proved its worth to the company which has so many important interests throughout the United Kingdom. It enables directors and executives to cover more ground and do more work in less time with the minimum of personal fatigue. The Dove is in fact an airliner in miniature in which directors and staff alike have the fullest confidence.

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