Flying boats

[Warks]

Just saw this old movie that was posted on FB. The last "flying boat" from Lord Howe Island to Rose Bay in 1974.

Made me wonder how they "cleared the strip" on approach.

Anyone ever fly on these?

[video=youtube;fXTWvkxylTU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXTWvkxylTU[/video]

Sydney Harbour would have been okay to land in most weather but I wonder about the waters off Lord Howe. I guess they used to fly boats all the way to the UK so had to pretty much land on anything!

Another era.

 

[janelarm]

Yes. Spent a week at Lord Howe over 50 years ago. Have a vague memory of the plane landing on the water outside the reef and small boats collecting passengers and luggage. A real aviation experience.

 

[russ]

Made me wonder how they "cleared the strip" on approach.

Seaplanes do it every day on Sydney Harbour at Rose Bay. It's just a visual approach. One guy was doing it up the river a bit too, but I haven't seen him lately.

 

[samh004]

Search for a video on the Double Sunrise Catalina flights that Qantas operated during the war. They were so full of fuel that by the time they'd flown down the river to the bridge at Fremantle they'd only clear it by 100 or so feet!

This service still holds the record for the longest flight, ~32 hours!

[video=youtube;rkiavk3yZOU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkiavk3yZOU[/video]

 

[Warks]

Seaplanes do it every day on Sydney Harbour at Rose Bay. It's just a visual approach. One guy was doing it up the river a bit too, but I haven't seen him lately.

I was thinking the big birds might need a slightly longer runway than the little seaplanes.

 

[drron]

Seaplanes do it every day on Sydney Harbour at Rose Bay. It's just a visual approach. One guy was doing it up the river a bit too, but I haven't seen him lately.

This was one that flew to Pittwater-

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