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What International Air Travel Was Like in the 1930s

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Today we largely take international air travel for granted. Every major city in the world is little more than a hop, skip, and jump away. But what was it actually like to fly halfway around the world in the 1930s, when the very concept was still novel? Pretty incredible, as it turns out—provided you could afford it. (paleofuture.gizmodo.com) Altro...

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projectabove35000feet
Provided by they can afford it. I wonder what it would be like to be the pilot?
Paciano
A lot of this information is out of date, and some of it frankly wrong. The Imperial Airways service never extended to Brisbane, Australia - it did not fly beyond Singapore. A Qantas service from Sydney via Brisbane flew to Singapore to transfer the mails to the U.K.

In the early 1930s, Britain was still making "string-bag" aircraft - wood and fabric. The epitome of this practice was the DH-86, one of the most dangerous planes ever built, in which an additional two engines were stuck on the wings of a DH-84 to call it an international aircraft. Its high crash rate was the reason Australia abandoned Imperial preference for aircraft and bought American ever after.

In 1938-39, the Australia-England route was serviced by Short Empire flying boats. The route began in Sydney, not Brisbane. The map in the story is quite an inaccurate picture of the situation.

The Armstrong Whitworth Ensign flew for the first time in 1938, and barely went into airline service before war broke out, when it was used as a transport. It was a design and economic failure and could not be resuscitated after the war.

The breakthrough in aviation came with the American metal airliners - the Douglas DC2 and 3, then the Boeing 307 and the 314 Clipper.

The story gives an accurate picture of pre-war imperial and colonial ambitions, and the luxurious cabins. But the flying was tiresome, at low level, frequently bumpy and slow, with overnight hotel stops en route.

By the way it does not require a stopover anywhere on a flight from Australia to Europe today, whether travelling via Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong or Dubai.
Patster
A very interesting article, thank you!
yr2012
matt jensen 1
It was classy, even stylish. People dressed up like they were going to church. Everyone was treated with respect.

[This poster has been suspended.]

Moviela
In the 1930's the pilots were delighted they were paid, period.

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