our story
From sinclair air charters to flinders island aviation…
Flinders Island Aviation has an extensive history of servicing Flinders and the other islands of the Furneaux Group. Established as Sinclair Air Charters by Huey Sinclair, an iconic aviation figure, the business began with three to four smaller aircraft.
From here, the business changed hands to Gordon and Barbara Rorison and was renamed Flinders Island Aviation. During this period, the business focused on mail, freight and ad-hoc charters between Flinders Island and the hangar in Bridport.
Today, Flinders Island Aviation is owned and operated by Peter Barron. His team of 15 operate daily freight services, as well as charters and scenic flights to and around Flinders Island. These take off from the hangar in Bridport, as well as from Launceston and Hobart Airport.
pETER BARRON
Making the move from Queensland in 2009, something that has always stuck with Pete is his love for the aviation industry. With a family filled with helicopter pilots, he has dreamt of flying for as long as he can remember — and took the ‘big swing’ to planes.
It wasn’t long before Pete was making his way through pilot school, which he kept busy with on the weekends to balance with his day job as a Service Manager for Porsche. Strong customer service and work ethic are attributes not lost on Pete, as he continues to dedicate himself to the automotive industry through frequent training for Audi, with whom he has worked since 1996.
On a walking tour in the south of Hobart, he was inspired when he overheard a fellow traveller comment on her experiences getting to and from her home on Flinders Island. From here, Pete ventured to the Rorison’s hangar in Bridport and got a job within the business. During his time, he worked on both the planes and the books for two years before preparing to take over.
Since his handover in 2015, Flinders Island Aviation has grown by leaps and bounds while staying true to its focus on building relationships and providing a high level of customer service. But Pete’s business ventures didn’t stop here. In 2017, Unique Charters was established, a sister business that specialises in helicopter travel in and around Launceston.
