Woods Airways which was run by pioneer aviator Jimmy Woods, operated the Perth to Rottnest service from about 1948 with two war-surplus Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Avro Anson aircraft.
It initially housed the Vickers Wellingtons and Avro Ansons of No. 12 Operational Training Unit RAF until April 1943, when it began housing the North American Mitchells of No. 13 OTU.
Avro had a factory next to Yeadon Aerodrome from 1938 to 1946 which produced many of the company's wartime planes, including the Lancaster, Lincoln, York and Anson.
Avro Lancaster | Avro | Avro Anson | Avro York | Avro 504 | Cap Anson | Avro Vulcan | Avro Canada | Anson | Avro Shackleton | George Anson, 1st Baron Anson | Avro Lincoln | AVRO | Patrick Anson, 5th Earl of Lichfield | Jack L. Anson | Anson Phelps Stokes | Anson Mills | Anson Jones | Anson Burlingame | William Anson | Thomas Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield | John Anson Ford | George Anson's voyage around the world | George Anson | Avro Type F | Avro Lancastrian | Anson G. McCook | Anson D. Shupe | Anson Chan | Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson |
12 Squadron was re-formed in October 1946 equipped with Avro Anson aircraft for anti-Tsetse fly spraying duties.
, these also included the No. 355 Squadron RHAF with a variety of transport types, including the C-47, Avro Anson, and Wellington and the 345, 346, and 347 Flights using the Auster AOP and other utility aircraft for liaison.
By 1945, there was a serious gap in performance between the so-called advanced trainers in use – such as the Avro Anson, Airspeed Oxford, dual-control Bristol Blenheim and Lockheed Hudson – and the combat aircraft which the pilots would be expected to fly on graduation.
19 December 1945: an Avro Anson Mk. II registration PP-MTA crashed in the neighborhood of Itaipu, Niterói, killing all passengers and crew, including the pilot and owner of the airline, Álvaro Araújo.
Between 6 April 1942 and 5 August 1943, No. 35 Squadron, flying Avro Ansons, was based at Maylands to transport supplies and passengers to Allied units throughout Western Australia, as well as supporting the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army.
On 3 May 1945 Michael was a passenger in an Avro Anson, and he was seriously injured when it crashed near Süchteln in Germany; he died on 5 May.
Schools located here were No. 10 Elementary Flying Training School (No. 10 EFTS), which flew De Havilland Tiger Moth and Fleet Finch aircraft, and No. 33 Air Navigation School (No. 33 ANS), which flew the Avro Anson.