Ansett legacy lives on in flight school

The grandson of famous aviation pioneer Sir Reginald Ansett has spread his wings and launched a new helicopter flight school in Kimberley cattle country.

Under the Ansett Aviation banner, Will Richards, 38, has embarked on a business just out of Broome in WA’s remote north west.

Born in Young NSW and raised in Mt Eliza on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, he spent his twenties heli mustering in the Northern Territory and in the Kimberley.

Mr Richards started Ansett Aviation in 2003 focusing mainly on commercial charters, joy flights, banner towing and geological surveying.

Between 2008 and 2010, he also started Birdsville Air Charters.

The new wing of his business has come with the launch of Ansett Aviation's flight school and complements his other Broome-based company Outback Air Maintenance.

The training will focus initially on private licences, and eventually into commercial licences.

Sir Reginald died in 1981 but his legacy continues to live on with the emerging businesses under the Ansett Aviation umbrella being propelled by Mr Richards.

The only difference is the planes have been replaced by helicopters and the operations are currently in WA.

Sir Reginald believed his five children needed to be financially and commercially independent and left his family nothing.

He instead ordered in his will that all his assets be sold after the death of his wife Joan and that the money be donated to charity.

Even though the only thing he inherited from his grandfather’s once powerful aviation empire was the name and Ansett’s original arrow-head logo, Mr Richards believes that has made him even more determined to succeed.

“My granddad would be very proud of me because I have had no backing or financial assistance – everything has been done under my own steam,” he said.

“The process has been very gradual but we have got very little exposure to financial risk. We are just getting all the roots cemented in the ground and hopefully the only way forward is up.”

Mr Richards said he was determined to improve helicopter safety following a number of crash deaths on pastoral stations.

“I have seen so many (helicopter) accidents in the Kimberley and Australia caused by maybe the lack of on-going training after people have completed their helicopter licence,” he said.

“I am hoping that by us doing this I can make a difference to the number of fatal accidents in the Kimberley.”