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Midet Aviation
FoundedMarch 4, 1938 (1938-03-04)
incorporated in New York State
Ceased operationsDecember 3, 1956 (1956-12-03)
merged into Mackey Airlines
Fleet sizeSee Fleet below
DestinationsSee Destinations below
HeadquartersPort Washington, New York
West Palm Beach, Florida[1]
United States
FounderJoseph Mundet
Nelson Miles
Employees10

Midet Aviation was a small US international airline certificated to fly between south Florida and West End on Grand Bahama Island by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), the now-defunct Federal agency that at the time tightly regulated almost all US commercial air transportation. Midet's fate was tied to the progress of tourist facilities on Grand Bahama Island, which prior to the 1950s were limited. An enormous resort (including the airport itself) was constructed at West End from nothing, but then abandoned, only partially complete, after one season, crimping Midet's prospects. Meanwhile, Mackey Airlines, which the CAB had also certificated to fly from South Florida to elsewhere in the Bahamas, did better. It made sense to fold subscale Midet into Mackey, which occurred in 1956.

History

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Midet Aviation Corporation was incorporated in New York State 4 March 1938, with 2/3 ownership by Joseph J. Mundet of the Mundet Cork Company,[2] that made, among other things, bottle caps. Mundet Cork became part of Crown Cork & Seal (still a prominent beverage container manufacturer as of 2024) in 1963, an acquisition Crown would regret, because Crown inherited liability for asbestos products that Mundet Cork had also made.[3] The balance of Midet was owned by Nelson A. Miles, who had extensive experience as a pilot, including as a barnstormer.[4] Originally based in Port Washington, Long Island,[5] Midet originally flew seaplanes from downtown Manhattan to Long Island, transferring the operation to West Palm Beach in the winter where it offered charters to, among other places, the Caribbean. Midet suspended operations in 1942 while Miles flew transport aircraft for the US Navy in World War II, but resumed thereafter.[6]

Butlin's Grand Bahama Island project

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Main article: Butlin's

Butlin's is a British holiday camp operator that played a major role in the UK holiday business prior to the advent of inexpensive flights to warm places.

In the late 1940s, Butlin's launched an ambitious project to create a resort at West End on Grand Bahama from scratch, including constructing West End Airport. Butlin's aimed to accommodate a thousand guests per night in 1950, rising to two thousand a couple years later. Almost all materials and equipment were shipped or flown in. Much of the West End site was rock.[7] Grand Bahama Island was then almost completely undeveloped: for instance, what became Freeport was only started in 1955 on what was then pine, swamp and scrub.[8] Butlin's contracted Midet to support construction from Florida with seaplanes 1948–1949.[6] In April 1950, the CAB gave Midet temporary authority to fly between West Palm Beach/Miami and West End, pending its decision on certification applications by Midet and others to fly from Florida to West End and other Bahamas points.[9] In September 1951, the CAB gave Midet a three-year certificate to fly the route for which it already had temporary authority: Miami/West Palm Beach to West End.[10]

Unfortunately, Butlin's couldn't finish what it started; it ran the partially completed resort for one season and left for good by September 1950.[7] Midet started scheduled service to West End on 2 April 1954.[11] With the resort shut, Midet was limited to day trippers and a sprinkling of locals and sold it as a fishing destination.[12] In 1955, Midet re-opened the resort itself, leasing it from the party that bought the resort in liquidation and opening one of the 10 former Butlin's accommodation blocks as the Grand Bahama Club.[13] 1955 demand for accommodation proved promising enough that the owner took over direct operation of the resort in 1956.[14]

Merger

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Midet however, was deeply unprofitable. Nelson Miles ran it, as the CAB viewed it, as a one-man operation.[15] The airline had a single DC-3. It had 10 employees (plus another 15 when it ran the hotel).[16] Its 1955 operating margin was -66%.[11] Meanwhile, Mackey Airlines was doing better. The CAB certificated Mackey to fly between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach and Nassau in 1952.[17] In 1955, Mackey had seven times Midet's revenue and was break even.[18] When approached in May 1956 with a merger agreement between Midet and Mackey, the CAB agreed Midet made more sense as part of Mackey and approved the deal in October.[19] Midet merged into Mackey on 3 December 1956.[11]

Legacy

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Grand Bahama Island tourism through West End Airport ultimately became successful. By 1960, the hotel was redeveloped under new ownership into the Grand Bahama Hotel & Country Club, with air conditioning, TV and telephones. It would be further developed to include a marina and an 18-hole golf course.[20] But over time, air service switched to the airport at Freeport (26 road miles from West End Airport).[21] For instance, in January 1963, Mackey Airlines flew only to West End on Grand Bahama[22] whereas by November 1966 most of Mackey's service to Grand Bahama was to Freeport.[23] As of 2024, West End Airport is for use only with prior arrangement and has no aircraft service facilities whatsoever.[24]

Fleet

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Destinations

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As a certificated carrier:[19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Quarterly Report of Air Carrier Financial Statistics (Report). Civil Aeronautics Board. March 1956. p. inside front cover. hdl:2027/mdp.39015026081276.
  2. ^ FL-Bahamas 1951, p. 698.
  3. ^ "Crown Cork & Seal Comments On New Pennsylvania Asbestos Law". crowncork.com. Crown Cork & Seal. 17 December 2001. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  4. ^ FL-Bahamas 1951, p. 698–699.
  5. ^ Two Jamaican Cities Linked Miami News, 15 January 1939
  6. ^ a b FL-Bahamas 1951, p. 699.
  7. ^ a b "Butlin's West End Debacle". Grand Bahama Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  8. ^ "Grand Bahama Transformation". Grand Bahama Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  9. ^ FL-Bahamas 1951, p. 695.
  10. ^ "The Florida-Bahamas Service Case". Civil Aeronautics Board Reports. 14. Washington, DC: U.S. General Printing Office: 687–719. May–December 1951. hdl:2027/osu.32435022360606.
  11. ^ a b c Handbook 1960, p. 188.
  12. ^ Renewal 1955, p. 956.
  13. ^ Renewal 1955, p. 955–956.
  14. ^ "Butlin's West End Debacle: direct link to Midet's opening of resort". Grand Bahama Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  15. ^ Acquisition 1956, p. 59.
  16. ^ "Midet Aviation Corporation, Certificate Renewal". Civil Aeronautics Board Reports. 21. Washington, DC: U.S. General Printing Office: 950–960. June–October 1955. hdl:2027/osu.32435022360531.
  17. ^ "Florida-Bahamas Service Case". Civil Aeronautics Board Reports. 15. Washington, DC: U.S. General Printing Office: 884–889. January–June 1952. hdl:2027/osu.32435022360598.
  18. ^ Handbook of Airline Statistics, United States Certificated Air Carriers, Calendar Years 1949–1956 (Report). Civil Aeronautics Board. June 1960. p. 187. hdl:2027/mdp.39015024399167.
  19. ^ a b "Mackey-Midet Acquisition Case". Civil Aeronautics Board Reports. 24. Washington, DC: U.S. General Printing Office: 51–62. September 1956 – March 1957. hdl:2027/osu.32437011658073.
  20. ^ "Butlin's West End Debacle: Jack Tar Hotels". Grand Bahama Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  21. ^ "Google Maps directions from Freeport airport to West End airport". maps.google.com. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  22. ^ "Mackey Airlines Flight Schedule". timetableimages.com. Mackey Airlines. 14 January 1963. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Mackey Airlines Flight Schedule". timetableimages.com. Mackey Airlines. 6 November 1966. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  24. ^ "West End Airport Mandatory Operating Procedures" (PDF). oldbahamabayresorts.com. Old Bahama Bay Resorts. 1 June 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  25. ^ Renewal 1955, p. 954.
[edit]
  • Detailed history of the Butlin's Grand Bahama episode at the Grand Bahama Museum website: "Butlin's West End Debacle". grandbahamamuseum.org. Grand Bahama Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  • Life Magazine 1950 article and photos of "Mystery Flight" passengers flying to unfinished Butlin's Bahamas Vacation Village from Philadelphia: "Life Goes on a Mystery Flight". Life Magazine. 28 (13): 136. 27 March 1950.
  • Picture Post article with photos of the Butlin's Bahamas resort during its one season of operation:"Butlin's in the Bahamas" (PDF). Picture Post. 17 June 1950. p. 31. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
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