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Post by morosini on Jun 6, 2007 18:44:20 GMT 10
Does anyone have any information on the seaplanes that used Castellorizo as a stopover in the 1920s and 1930s? I have seen photographs of these planes in the harbour but I haven't been able to find out very much about which companies operated these services, why they did so and for how long.
If anyone has any info, I'd be grateful.
morosini
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Post by Administrator on Jun 8, 2007 10:55:54 GMT 10
The history of the seaplanes that used Castellorizo as a stopover in the 1920s and 1930s is a fascinating one. With the advent of the first long-haul seaplane flights from Western Europe to the Near & Far East, stopover destinations were required at convenient and accommodating locations. The French airline, Air Union, was the first to choose Castellorizo as one of its stopover destinations in 1928 for flights to Beirut. Another French airline, Air Orient (later Air France) followed suit in 1929 and specialised in services to Saigon from Marseilles with stopovers in Naples, Corfu, Athens, Castellorizo, Beirut, Damascus, Baghdad, Bouchir, Djask, Karachi, Jodhpur, Allahabad, Calcutta, Akyabad, Rangoon, Bangkok and Angkor. The entire journey lasted 9 days (!). Not to be outdone, the British airline, Imperial Airways, chose Castellorizo as its stopover for flights from London to Haifa and Karachi from 1929 (via Paris-Brindisi by train, Corfu, Athens, Castellorizo, Galilee, Baghdad, Basra, Bahrain, Sharjah and Gwadar). This service was later extended to Darwin (in 1933) and Brisbane (in 1934). Finally, the Dutch airline, KLM, also ran a small number of services from Amsterdam to Cairo and the Near East that stopped at Castellorizo. The French and British airlines maintained small representations on the island until all services were terminated in 1937 with increasing tensions in Europe. Additionally, the Italian airline, Ala Littoria, while not stopping there, also had an office on Castellorizo during the 1930s to compete with the other airlines. For an example of an original Air Orient timetable for its Marseilles-Beirut journey with Castellorizo recorded as a stopover, see www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/airori.htmNicholas
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Post by Administrator on May 4, 2011 12:57:48 GMT 10
Further to my last post, here are two wonderful images of the island's harbour showing Air Orient and Imperial Airways seaplanes 'moored' in its accommodating waters during their stopovers. Nicholas Attachments:
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anvex
New Member
Posts: 16
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Post by anvex on Sept 12, 2011 23:53:39 GMT 10
In this photograph of 1941, an Italian seaplane, type Cant Z 506, of Regia Marina is approaching Castellorizo harbour's roadstead. Regards Antonio Attachments:
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anvex
New Member
Posts: 16
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Post by anvex on Oct 11, 2011 20:32:21 GMT 10
Here, a further photo of a seaplane of the Air France, calling the port of Castellorizo. The photo can be dated on the period slightly before WW2, presumably between 1937 and 1939, since at the right it is still visible the building of Government's Delegation which was to be destroyed during the fighting of early 1941. Attachments:
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Post by Georgios on Apr 24, 2012 15:47:18 GMT 10
Great Photographs !!!! Thank you Nicholas and Anvex !!! I heard about a Greek Canadian entrepreneur who tried a few years ago to established a seaplane company in Greece , unfortunately without success due to the massive bureaucracy the objections of local councils and other at that time. Let’s hope that in the future this mean of transportation will be operating all over Greek Islands including Kastellorizo. Seeing these marvelous photos, it would be a great to have, docked on Kastellorizo's harbor an old seaplane as a museum /amusement exhibit attracting tourists.
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Post by Nicholas on Jan 8, 2014 8:25:26 GMT 10
Here is the Air Orient route in 1929:
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Post by afonso73 on Sept 18, 2014 1:22:38 GMT 10
Dear friends, I go to post the aeronautical treaties between France and Greece, signed at Athens 5th June 1931 and France and Italy signed at Turin the 10th March 1929. 141.pdf (205.51 KB) 216A.pdf (241.67 KB)
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Post by Administrator on Sept 19, 2014 9:22:30 GMT 10
These are fantastic, alphonso73 - thank you so much! If you have in your collection any other material relating to seaplanes and Castelrosso which you can share, please do so! In the meantime, here is a photo of a seaplane on arrival at Castelrosso in c.1931. Nicholas
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Post by afonso73 on Sept 20, 2014 8:03:13 GMT 10
the office of Air France Attachments:
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Post by Administrator on Jan 21, 2016 10:42:27 GMT 10
And here's another rare image of an Air France seaplane being hauled into place after arrival.
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Post by afonso73 on Oct 31, 2016 9:15:20 GMT 10
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Post by afonso73 on Oct 31, 2016 9:18:57 GMT 10
Dear Friends,
I'm doing the file of the Castellorizo seaplane base for the a association created by me.When I finish them , I post it here in the forum.
Kindest regards
afonso73
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Post by Administrator on Nov 7, 2016 8:05:50 GMT 10
Thank you, afonso73 - we look forward to your post!
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Seaplanes
Oct 29, 2018 3:34:18 GMT 10
via mobile
Post by kbuck60989 on Oct 29, 2018 3:34:18 GMT 10
Hi all - reading this thread in the past I understand there was going to be more about the seaplane base here. Has any more been found out? I am working on a book about a period in the operations of Imperial Airways so any info on the use of this lovely island would be great.
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