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Post by brianc on Aug 6, 2016 6:44:00 GMT -5
Well, there doesn't seem to much in the way of air mail "routes" in Australia. I found this one (on top of the list) www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/qf.htm the May 1928 time table for Mail and Taxi planes, but there is a problem. Three of the airports listed are not available on my system. TAMBO which has a current airport code of YTMB, Mackinlay (now Mckinlay) has an airport (I saw it on Google Earth) but no ICAO code. It is just a dirt strip. The other one missing is Camooweal (ICAO YCMW). If you have ever seen the Crocodile Dundee movie you already know about Mckinlay - it is the location of the Walkabout Creek Hotel and it is still trading! They aren't in the OzX collection or Aussie Ants collection. I would highly recommend the Aussie Ants Longreach (YLRE), it has the Qantas Museum aircraft on show as well. I'm still looking!
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Post by Allen Peterson on Aug 6, 2016 12:11:28 GMT -5
Hi Brian, So maybe look for early - 1929 to 1936 - air transport lines in OZ, I'm sure they also carried mail. Did OZ have any government supported airmail routes? I have a "2016 Vintage Flight Posters" calendar. The July page has a "Czechoslovak Air Transport Company, Prague" poster with routes from Prague to Switzerland, Germany and England with a Ford Tri Motor. I'm flying those routes now, assuming they also carried mail. Allen
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Post by robau707 on Aug 6, 2016 18:02:26 GMT -5
Hi Allen, I agree with Brian, very hard to find. In the era that you mentioned the airlines of the day carried the Mail on their scheduled routes. Those certified airlines carried a Royal Mail emblem on the side of the fuselage. An example of the 1930's was Australian Airlines. Or Airlines of Australia, can't remember which, they flew the mail Sydney, Brisbane, Sydney with a drop off along the way at Lismore, the airline used 3 engine Stinsons, so you are really just looking back at early day airline schedules.
Here in Australia it was a completely different set-up to the USA, I am not aware of any dedicated air mail carriers but it is fun to keep looking for carriers around the world.
Cheers Allen and Brian. Rob
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Post by brianc on Aug 7, 2016 5:46:19 GMT -5
Thanks for your valuable input Allen, I'm still looking! Rob is on the right track, most early airlines obtained a "Royal Mail" certification to enable them to carry mail. I found Camooweal (YCMW) as part of a set but was able to just install YCMW as I already had the others. No luck on Mckinlay or Tambo yet. In the meantime, it would be possible to closely simulate the route now. Mckinlay is in the same district as Julia Creek and there is an airport there - YJLC. So using the early Q.A.N.T.A.S. route you might get away with YBCV-YBCK-YLRE-YWTN-YJLC-YCCY-YBMA-YCMW (bypassing Tambo altogether). I have prepared a Skyvector plan of the route. Here are links to some interesting airports: flyawaysimulation.com/downloads/files/10289/queensland-airport-pack-three/flyawaysimulation.com/downloads/files/10282/queensland-airport-pack-2/I might try the above route with the A2A Avro 504K that I have. That was the first aircraft they used. Although they had an Armstrong Whitworth for the early passenger flights. I found an interesting page on a re-enactment of Australia's first air mail flight 102 years ago. lockoweb.com/08%20the%20event/index.htm#_Toc392427005Could be an interesting flight as well. I haven't yet checked the availability of all the airports on the route. Even if you don't use it, there is an interesting story there. Especially the photo of the Dragon Rapide with the Royal Mail logo and appears to be in Australian Airlines (?) livery.
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