Kendell grew up on his parents' wheat and sheep property in south western
New South Wales, where he became fascinated by aviation. He recalled that as a seven-year-old he ran barefoot for nearly a mile through paddocks full of Saffron Thistle just to watch a
biplane take off. He attended
Geelong College after a period at Osborne Bush School but returned to his parents' property near
Lockhart, New South Wales, to help during a drought in 1946. But the flying bug was strong and in 1949 at the age of 19, Kendall took flying lessons in Wagga Wagga and soon obtained his licence. After a period in the Citizens Air Force, successful barnstorming trips around western Victoria flying
Tiger Moths and a round Australia odyssey looking for flying work, he set off for England in 1955. He returned to Australia and farming in 1959 but the aviation bug soon took hold again and in 1965 he and Eilish moved to Wagga Wagga to become partners in a small flying business. After buying out their partners, they set up Premiair Aviation with two
Piper Cherokee aircraft. The company was incorporated in 1967 and the name changed to Kendell Airlines in 1971. In 2001, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Business from
Charles Sturt University. ==Death==