Aircraft Operating Company
| Industry | Aerial photography and surveying |
|---|---|
| Founder | Harold Hemming AFC |
|
Key people
|
Francis L. Wills |
The Aircraft Operating Company was a British aerial photography company, that took over Aerofilms in 1925. In 1940, its staff and equipment were requisitioned by the Air Ministry, and in 1944 the company itself was taken over by Hunting Aerosurveys.
The Aircraft Operating Company Ltd (AOC) was founded by Harold Hemming AFC (also known as Major 'Lemnos' Hemming), a former Royal Flying Corps pilot, aerial survey pilot and amateur air racing pilot. Hemming was managing director, and his business partner Alan S. Butler was chairman of the board. In 1925, AOC took over Aerofilms Ltd, and continued to employ Francis L. Wills as managing director of that company, that expanded its operations based at Hendon.
In 1925, Ordnance Survey awarded to AOC the first contracts for the development of aerial photography in the production of its surveying and map-making operations. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, AOC was employed by Ordnance Survey for surveying in many British overseas colonies in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, etc. Contracts were also obtained from foreign governments such as Brazil for similar work.
In the 1920s, AOC owned and operated various aircraft, such as Airco DH.9A and Vickers Vendace, but it identified a need for an aircraft designed specifically optimised for aerial surveying and photography. The result was the Gloster AS.31 Survey, a development of the De Havilland DH.67 design project. Starting in 1930, AOC used a Gloster Survey for aerial surveying in southern Africa, where a sister company was formed, Aircraft Operating Company of Africa (Pty.) Ltd.
In 1933, AOC and Aerofilms were incorporated in a new company, H. Hemming and Partners. AOC established its headquarters in Wembley, Middlesex.
In 1938, AOC purchased a Swiss-made Wild A5 Autograph photogrammetric plotting machine that could minimise the effects of optical distortion and perspective in magnified aerial photographs. In early 1939, Sidney Cotton employed the facilities of AOC for production and interpretation of both vertical and oblique aerial photographs taken of ground installations in Germany and elsewhere in clandestine flight operations.
...
Wikipedia