The author of this article highlights the benefits of the more modern and higher-flying DC-7 over some other propeller-driven airliners, but also reflects on the earlier flying-boat service.
London – Johannesburg Return
By C. A. Sims
EARLY last month South African Airways introduced their fast West Coast service with DC-7Bs between Johannesburg and London. With only one refuelling stop at Kano in Nigeria and an all-in schedule of just over 20 hours from airport to airport, it approximates in time to that taken by the Comets. It is about four hours faster than the services, including that with B.O.A.C. Britannias, which make use of the longer East African route through Nairobi and Salisbury.
Since 1948, I have, at fairly widely spaced intervals, flown down to Johannesburg three times, the most recent being on the inaugural flight of the S.A.A. service referred to above. In 1948 the journey by flying-boat took me five days, stopping every sundown, and with, during daylight hours, an interesting and sometimes close-up vi…
