The Untold Story of Sri Lanka's Private Aviation Pioneers
Wings of Empire and Industry: The Untold Story of Sri Lanka's Private Aviation Pioneers Long before modern business jets dotted South Asian skies, Sri Lankan aviators broke intercontinental flight records and reshaped regional air transit. The island nation’s private aviation history dates back to the twilight of British rule in Ceylon, marked by audacious long-distance journeys, corporate fleet expansion, and one of aviation's most enduring maritime mysteries. The Epic 1946 Journey of J.P. Obeyesekere In November 1946—over a year before Ceylon gained independence—a young pilot named James Peter Obeyesekere III accomplished a monumental aviation milestone. Departing from Cambridge, England, Obeyesekere piloted a single-engine Auster J/1 Autocrat on an extraordinary flight home to Ratmalana Airport near Colombo. Navigating across continents without modern GPS, satellite communications, or sophisticated avionics, he completed 31 intermediate refuelling stops ...