IMPERIAL AIRWAYS TO SOUTH AFRICA BY FLYING BOAT

ENGLAND-FRANCE-ITALY-GREECE-EGYPT-SUDAN-UGANDA-KENYA-TANZANIA

MOZAMBIQUE-SOUTH AFRICA.

 

EMPIRE AIRMAIL SERVICE

In 1935 the British Government announced ambitious plans for an Empire Airmail Service, but the plan was beyond the capacity of the existing Imperial Airways fleet.

 

Short Bros. were awarded the contract to produce a new flying boat, the result of which was the Short S23. In time it became without question one of the most famous and successful of all pre-war civil transports. It carried 24 passengers or 16 in a sleeping berth layout. A well-liked feature was the promenade deck, allowing passengers to view passing scenery and stretch their legs.

 

The first S23 flying boat was named "Canopus" and made its first commercial flight on 30th October 1936 flying from Southampton on the trans Mediterranean route. Imperial Airways boldly ordered 28, without awaiting results of trials. The success of the aircraft, well liked by Crew and


and Passengers alike, led to further orders being placed for a total of 42 aircraft.

 

Aircraft were now available to put into place the long awaited Empire Airmail Program. Mail was to be charged at one and a half pence per oz, which made possible it’s posting in ordinary postboxes. The service was to operate between Southampton to Durban, South Africa, India, Singapore and Sydney, Australia-later to Auckland, New Zealand.

 

SOUTHAMPTON TO DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA

Historical notes

The route, apart from being an adventure for passengers, had some of the most interesting places on earth to pass enroute, Rome, Athens, Alexandria, once seats of great civilisations. The Pyramids and temples of Egypt, following the mighty Nile River from the Mediterranean to its source in Lake Victoria. Deserts, Jungle, Mountains, Ancient Arab ports, always something to keep passengers enthralled. And a formidable task for the First Officer, whose task it was to keep passengers up to date with the passing points of interest.

 

The flight we are taking is based on a timetable of the late 1938 to early 1939. This route had some changes from the first flights, some earlier bases were closed down only to reopen later during WWII. Routes would be changed according to several factors, Weather, Passenger requirements, Mail pickup and delivery. Saint Nazaire on the French Atlantic Coast was used, when headwinds made the flight to Marseille a problem. Mirabella on the island of Crete was used until 1940 for the same reason.

Lake Naivasha Kenya was an alternate stop for passengers bound for Nairobi. Flights between Lindi and Mozambique would use a coastal route via Cape Delgardo, also Mozambique to Quelimane via Mafameda Island presumably as weather diversions. It is possible that some places shown on the route were over flown if there were no reasons for alighting there, i.e. No fuel requirement, no passengers or mail to be deposited or uplifted.

 

I am indebted to Mr.John Buchan of Durban for the following information; The stopover points between Malakal and Port Bell, changed pre and post-war. Initially in June 1937 when the service started, the Juba stop did not exist, a refueling stop was at Butiaba on the eastern shore of Lake Albert, a little to the West of the direct line to Port Bell, at about the halfway point. There was also an emergency refueling stop at Laropi on the Nile near the Ugandan border on direct track. Because of the limited facilities at Butiaba, if there was no significant headwind, pilots would fly the direct route Malakal to Port Bell.

 

From October 1938 the landing area at Juba was used, although if the water levels on the Nile were low, an alternate alighting area at Rijaf, a few miles south of Juba would be used.

 

This service was to continue, although a different route was used during and post wars until the last flight on 12th March 1947. Mr. Allan Jackson of "Facts of Durban" kindly provided copies of the Imperial Airways Brochure on which this flight was based and has been most helpful in providing additional information.

 

Flight Simulator Notes

This flight was put together by Bluegrass Pilot, Chris Fry. His Dad flew with British Maritime Air Nav.Co. which was incorporated into Imperial Airways. He flew the Sea Eagle, Short’s Calcutta and the S23 Flying Boats on the Mediterranean portion of the route until 1939.  Chris was a RAF Pilot from 1948 to 1973. he flew the Sunderland Flying Boats from 1950 to 1953 mainly in the Far East and was based at Seletar, Singapore. At that time he was employed in duties from Ceylon to Korea. He converted to the Shackleton and later flew all three V Bombers, before returning to Maritime duties and the flying the Nimrod and says “I would do it all again tomorrow, given half a chance”.

 

We  thank Coleman Green for providing the seaports at several places along the route. The Red and White Towers are clearly visible and they also have 3 red lights in the vertical plane at Southampton,

Marseilles, Rome, Brindisi, Athens, Alexandria, Wadi Halfa, Khartoum, Kisumu and Port Bell. Other destinations may use the ICAO code for the nearest airfield for planning purposes. Landings will be made on the nearest suitable river, lake or harbour. Note; Alexandria, initially flying boats landed in East Harbour, later a base was set up on Lake Mariut. Cairo, Rod el Farag on the Nile, North of Cairo, Luxor, Wadi Halfa, Kareima, Khartoum, Kosti, Malakal, Rejap(Juba) on the Nile. Port Bell Lake Victoria. Naivasha on Lake. East African Ports land in sea or adjacent river..

 

Some of the distances are a bit long, if using downloaded real weather beware of headwinds. A good rule of thumb is to ensure that when you are 40% of the way, you should have 70% fuel left else turn back. (percentage numbers should always add up to 110 or more). With the Flying Boats, one has an advantage of runways that are a few thousand miles long, and a few thousand wide unless they are rivers. Don’t stray too far from them. Follow the coastline from Mombasa to Durban as inland, the land mass rises very rapidly.

 

Aircraft can be downloaded from Avsim.com (Search for Imperial-Airways).

 

Scenery can be downloaded from Imperial Airways Scenery right here at Bluegrass Airlines.

 

 

Happy Flying from the Bluegrass Imperial team

 

 

Bill Odell, Norm Holman, Allan Lowson, Chris Fry, Coleman Green

 

Links to print the schedules below.

 

Page 1        Page 2

 

 

IMPERIAL AIRWAYS

ENGLAND-FRANCE-ITALY-GREECE-EGYPT-SUDAN-UGANDA-KENYA-TANZANIA

MOZAMBIQUE-SOUTH AFRICA WITH SHORT S23 FLYING BOAT.

Effective from late 1938

DAY 1-SOUTHAMPTON-MARSEILLE-ROME-BRINDISI

Your Captain Speaking: Ladies and Gentlemen.Today we shall be flying at 7,500 ft. Our route

will take us across the Channel to cross Normandy, Central France, the Massif Centrale,

and Provence to land at Etang de Berre near Marseille. Passengers will lunch ashore whilst the

the aircraft is refueled.We shall then proceed across the Mediterranean to land on Lake Bracciano, just North of Rome and finally proceed to Brindisi where we shall spend the night.

ICAO         Airport

Dep

 

EGMS Southampton

07.00

Route via St Nazaire for possible refuel

Miles

LFFB  Marseille

13.00

Land Etang de Berre. NDB 331.0

523

LRSP  Rome

15.30

Land Lake Bracciano. NDB 331.0

327

LISP   Brindisi

Arrive evening. Overnight at Hotel. NDB 470

275

Note With adverse headwinds on the first leg, aircraft routed via St.Nazaire (LFRZ) on the Atlantic seaboard.

 

DAY 2-BRINDISI-ATHENS-ALEXANDRIA

Your Captain speaking: Good Morning,today we will be flying at 1,500ft if the weather is good, else 7,500ft. Our route takes us across the Ionian Sea, down the coast of Greece to Kefallinia, through the Gulf of Corinth, then east to land at Athens. From Athens we shall cross the Mediterranean Sea at 3,500ft via Crete to land at Alexandria for a night stop.

ICAO         Airport

Dep

 

LISP Brindisi

07.00

BSP NDB 470.0

Miles

LGSP Athens

11.00
GAS NDB 570.0

310

GCR Crete Barge

 
NDB GCR 460.0. Refuel if necessary

 

HESP Alexandria

Arrive afternoon, overnight at Hotel. Connects with flights to S.Africa and Australia. NDB ESP 370.0

503

Note Adverse headwinds between Athens and Alexandria, aircraft may refuel at Mirabelle,Crete.

 

DAY 3-ALEXANDRIA-CAIRO-LUXOR-WADI HALFA-KAREIMA-KHARTOUM

Your Captain Speaking: We shall be flying at 3,500ft.,across the Nile delta to Cairo.and roughly

follow the course of the Nile, passing the Pyramids to Port, followed by the Barrage at Assiut,to land at Luxor, famous for its temples. After Luxor we overfly Thebes with its Tombs of the Kings.also the site of the Tutankhamen excavations and on to Wadi Halfa where we enter Sudan, a refuel stop at Kareima and finally, overnight at Khartoum.

ICAO         Airport

Dep

 

HESP Alexandria

Dawn

NDB ESP 370.0

Miles

HEEM Cairo

08.00

NDB ORS 290.0

110

HELX Luxor

10.25

 

317

HSSW Wadi Halfa

12.45
NDB AWS 320.0

275

HSMR Kareima

14.40

NDB KAS 260.0

235

HSSS Khartoum

Arrive evening, overnight at Hotel. NDB SSB 360.0

210

 

DAY 4-KHARTOUM-KOSTI-MALAKAL-JUBA-PORT BELL

YourCaptain Speaking: Today we shall be flying at 4,500ft as far as Juba. Shortly, the desert will end and the bush will begin. Approaching Malakal, there are vast swamps in which herds of elephants may be seen.The 12,000 sq mile ‘Sudd’ swamps on our right end at Juba. Now as the ground begins to rise, we climb to 6,500f and we may be lucky and see some of the vast herds of game. We shall overfly Entebbe to alight at Port Bell on Lake Victoria. In the event of bad weather, we may divert to Kisumu (HKKI).

ICAO         Airport

Dep

 

HSS Khartoum

Dawn

NDB SSB 360.0

Miles

HSSM Malakal

09.00

NDB MLK 373.0

257

HSSJ Juba

13.00

NDB  JU 364.0

333

HUEN Port Bell

Arrive afternoon, overnight at Hotel. NDB PB 270.0

336

 

DAY 5-PORT BELL-KISUMU-MOMBASA-DAR ES SALAAM-LINDI

Your Captain Speaking: Ladies and Gentlemen, today we proceed to Naivasha climbing to 12,500ft.

From there, we fly at 7,500ft passing over Nairobi and to the right of Mt Kilimanjaro, to alight at Mombasa, where we take lunch.We then fly down the coast at 1,500ft.to Dar es Salaam and on to Lindi to overnight.

ICAO         Airport

Dep

 

HUEN Port Bell

06.00

NDB PB 270.0

Miles

HKNV Naivasha

08.30
NDB NVS 320.0

238

HKMO Mombasa

13.00

NDB MO 267.0

272

HTDA Dar es Salaam

15.00

NDB DR 361.0

190

HTLI Lindi

Arr afternoon, overnight at Hotel. NDB LDS 348.0

220

Note Depending on weather, Naivasha may be missed out and return to Kisumu HKKI NDB is KKS 360.0. Passengers for Nairobi will then travel by Train or Road to their destination

 

DAY 6-LINDI-MOZAMBIQUE-QUELIMANE-BEIRA

Your Captain Speaking Today we will be flying at 1,500ft and we shall cruise down the coast to Lumbo,

Quelimane,then crossing the mouth of the Zambesi River, we alight at Beira to spend the Night

ICAO         Airport

Dep

 

HTLI Lindi

06.00

 

Miles

HTLU Lumbo

08.30
NDB LBS 330.0

350

FQQL Ouelimane

13.30

NDB QL 267.0

320

FQBR Beira

NDB BR 327.0

Arrive afternoon, overnight at Hotel. Connects with flight to Salisbury (Harare) and Blantyre. (DH89)

187

 

 

 

DAY 7-BEIRA-INHAMBANE-LOURENCO MARQUES-DURBAN

Your Captain Speaking: Today we continue down the Coast at 1,500ft to Inhambane and then

to Lourenco Marques for lunch. Then to our final destination, Durban.

ICAO         Airport

Dep

 

FQBR Beira

06.00

 

Miles

FQIN Inhambane

08.45

NDB IN 400.0

278

FQMA Maputo

13.00

(Was Lourenco Marques) NDB MO 329.0

226

FADN Durban

Arrive afternoon, Flight terminates here and connects with flights to Johannesburg/Cape Town

NDB DUS 410.0

288

 

Hope you enjoyed your flight with Imperial Airways.

 

From the “Bluegrass Team”

 

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