Australia To S. Africa
p. 72 · Read in the full issue
New Air Service
USING 824 war-time crossings the Indian, Ocean, between Perth and Ceylon, as a yardstick of experience, Qantas Empire Airways has commenced survey flights over an air route connecting Australia with South Africa, across the Indian Ocean. The first flight began on Sunday, November 14.
In charge of this survey were Captain W. H. Crowther, Operations Manager of QEA. The aircraft, a QEA Lancastrian, VH-EAS, was commanded by Senior Plight Captain L. R. Ambrose, with Captain A. R. H. Morris as First Officer and Deputy Captain. The remainder of the crew were First Officer G. Jakinov, Navi gation Officer J. Cowan and Radio Officer Clarke. A team of aviation experts was carried The following are details of the route, with mileages and flight times; St. miles Hrs. Mins.
Sydney-Perth .. .. 2,056 9 30 Perth-Cocos Is 1,833 8 Cocos Is.-Mauritius . 2,670 12 30 Mauritius-Tananarive via Reunion Is. 603 4 Tananarive-J ohan nesburg 1.360 6 15 Qantas pioneered the Indian Ocean with regular services in 1943, establishing con tact over 3,500 miles between Perth and Ceylon after the United Kingdom-Aus tralia route had been broken by the Jap anese invasion of Malaya and NEI.
The Indian Ocean was first crossed by air in 1939, when Captain P. G. Taylor, with the Archbold expedition, flew from Port Hedland, Western Australia, to Mom basa, Kenya Colony, via Batavia, Cocos Island, Deigo Garcia and the Seychells Islands, in the Catalina Plying Boat “Guba.”