During the 1950s air travel was on the change. Most flying-boat operators were changing to the more convenient method of travel from water to land-based airports.
One of the last operators was Aquila Airways, which used the huge Short Solent flying boats.
Scroll through the gallery of pictures above to see more images of the disasters and subsequent events...
It was one night in 1957 when ‘The City Of Sydney’ developed engine trouble soon after leaving Southampton water and crashed into the face of a chalk pit in Shalcombe, near Brook.
Being fully loaded with fuel, the plane swiftly became a fireball.
A total of 45 people were killed, but there were some survivors, due to the gallant efforts of rescuers, a group of solders on night exercises in the area.
Of the plane the only part left in any recognisable form was the tail.
Soon after this tragic incident Aquila ceased operating.
The second tragedy happened in 1962 when a Douglas C47A hit the side of St Boniface Down, Ventnor, killing 12 of its 18 passengers.
It had been on a scheduled flight from Jersey to Portsmouth and burst into flames on hitting the downland.
This happened on a Sunday, and on Sundays during that period small airports left navigation to the pilot.
It was heavy fog and the pilot recommended not flying, but sadly the operator, Channel Island Airways, thought otherwise - to the detriment of other people's lives.
Like reading stories about the Isle of Wight in bygone days? Click here to visit our Looking Back section.
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