This expedition was an ambitious 40,000‑mile overland and maritime journey conducted by three aeronautical engineering postgraduates to study civil light‑aircraft operations across Africa and the Americas. Supported by the John de Havilland Award, the Imperial College Exploration Board, and several aviation organisations, the team travelled in a modified 1952 Land Rover, departing London on 16 March 1960.
The expedition’s principal aim was to survey light‑aircraft activity, especially charter operations, air‑taxi services, agricultural flying, and aviation infrastructure in remote regions. Extensive interviews were conducted with civil aviation authorities, private operators, flying clubs, airlines, and agricultural aviation companies across more than 30 countries.
Travelling south through North and Central Africa, the team navigated politically unstable areas, desert crossings such as the Tanezrouft, and severe road conditions. Their findings highlighted widespread reliance on American‑built aircraft—Pipers, Cessnas, Beavers—due to superior performance in “hot and high” conditions, as well as rapid growth in agricultural aviation and charter services in regions lacking road and rail infrastructure.
In East and Southern Africa, they examined police air wings, mining‑company fleets, aerial survey units, and crop‑spraying operations. South African aviation was noted for its large private fleet and advanced maintenance capabilities. Crossing to South America by ship, the team continued their survey through Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, observing strong aero‑club cultures, extensive agricultural flying, and domestic airlines heavily reliant on ageing DC‑3s and C‑46s due to restrictive fare structures and import policies.
The journey concluded with a lecture tour across Canada before returning to the UK. The report emphasises the vast commercial potential for robust, economical light aircraft—provided manufacturers improve after‑sales support and local demonstration—while documenting the expedition’s logistical challenges, vehicle performance, and financial accounting.