Butler Air Transport

[3] After getting a pilot's license, he became a barnstormer before, in 1934, winning the contract for the Charleville to Cootamundra leg of the England-Australia airmail route.

It became the most successful airline in New South Wales, operating three Douglas DC-3s, Avro Ansons, De Havilland Herons and three Airspeed Ambassadors.

Arthur Butler fought against the trend, including an intended buy-out in the early 1950s by Australian National Airways.

Despite a legal and boardroom battle to retain or regain control, Arthur Butler lost.

Early on, a Dragon Rapide and two de Havilland Heron Mk Is (VH-AHB and VH-ARB) took passengers from, e.g. Coonamble to Tooraweenah, where they transferred to a DC-3 for the rest of the journey to Sydney.