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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 1947.PDF
1944 : Consolidated Liberator. A-. :o Lancastrian. THIRTY YEARS 0 "Twenty-four hours to landfall "—a Qantas Catalina at sea, 1943. The reception committee greets a Q.E.A. Dragon in New Guinea. December 1st, the first official schedule was despatched by the Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr. Drakeford, from the Kingsford Smith Airport at Sydney. The Lancastrians were converted for freight and mail-carrying only, and at the end of the year trunk-route operations were represented by Constellations to London while, in conjunction with B.O.A.C., Q.E.A. crews flew Lancastrians between Sydney and Karachi and Hythes between Sydney and Singapore. Lancastrians were used on the courier service for the R.A.A.F. between Sydney and Japan, which had been in operation since November, 1945. The route was eventually extended to Tokyo, the Lancastrians being replaced by Skymasters the following year. This run was subsequently converted to a normal civilian service. The Sydney-Noumea-Suva route became a scheduled Catalina service and, in 1949, Skymasters replaced Lancas- trians on the link between Australia and Norfolk Island. By this time the company was coping with all the diverse responsibilities which are the lot of a modern international operator. Passenger hostels, terminals and booking offices were set up at Singapore and Darwin. At the end of the year the Hythes had been withdrawn and Constellations were making seven flights per fortnight on Q.E.A.'s section of the Kangaroo Service. In accordance with the Govern- ment's policy of recognizing T.A.A. as the " chosen instru- ment" for internal services, the Brisbane-Darwin and Western Queensland network, and the Flying Doctor ser- vices were handed over. An extensive network was developed in Papua, New Guinea and the adjacent islands, and on these flights three different types of aircraft were used. The Bird of Paradise Service was, at the end of the year, being flown five times a week with DC-3s. Q.E.A.'s unduplicated route-mileage had grown to 30,158, nearly 4,000 more than in the previous year. The fleet then stood at 41 aircraft, among which were Catalinas, Constellations, DC-4s, Lancastrians, Liberators, DC-3s, Dragons and even one Fox Moth. This year Qantas has taken over two of Tasman Empire Airways' Sandringhams, which are being used on the Lord Howe Island and Noumea-Suva routes, while the Austra- lian-built D.H. Drover—a seven-seat feederliner, powered by three Gipsy Major 10s—is undergoing trials on the com- pany's routes. Traffic increases have called for DC-4s to fly two of the five weekly schedules to New Guinea, and one Kangaroo Constellation each fortnight is now routed via Colombo and Bombay instead of Calcutta. To-day, on November 16th, Qantas is 30 years old. From its first service of 577 miles in 1922, the company has grown to embrace a network of some 33,352 route- miles on which the longest service is almost 12,000 miles. From the foresight of men like Sir Fergus McMaster— by whose death last May Qantas lost a very old friend— there arose an airline which has proved both a gallant soldier in war and a symbol of progress in peace. Now, under the chairmanship of Hudson Fysh, the company is still in the hands of one of its own pioneers and, inspired by his enterprise and determination, there seems little douht that Q.E.A. may look forward to a long and pros- perous future. E. A. G. R. 1947 : Lockheed Constellation. 1949 : Douglas DC-4 (Skymaster). 1950 : D.H. Drover
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