Copenhagen to Tokyo, the Danish raid of 1926
In 1926, Denmark wanted to demonstrate mastery of long-distance aerial navigation. A modified Fokker C.V. flew southeast toward Indochina, China, Korea and Japan, then returned through the Soviet Union.
The return avoided the Southeast Asian monsoon and tells a story of national prestige, navigation and endurance.
Danish Copenhagen - Tokyo raid with a Russian return.
Prove range and navigation capability.
A modified military aircraft gives the right tone.
Two very different weather and geography logics.
Understanding the flight
The flight belongs to an era when nations proved they could connect the world by air. The outbound route follows existing corridors toward Asia; the return crosses the vast Soviet space.
The contrast between tropical outbound legs and the Siberian return gives the page its force.
Before departure
- Choose a vintage aircraft with decent endurance.
- Prepare two weather moods: heat and avoided monsoon outbound, cold continental air on return.
- On the Russian return, keep generous fuel margins and rare alternates in mind.
- Split the flight into four chapters to keep it readable.
Suggested route
Europe and Middle East
Copenhagen, Berlin, Lviv, Istanbul, Baghdad, Bushehr, Bandar Abbas and Karachi open the route toward Asia.
EKCH → EDDB → UKLL → LTBA → ORBS → OIBB → OIKB → OPKC
India, Burma, Siam and Indochina
Agra, Calcutta, Rangoon, Bangkok, Hanoi and Hong Kong form the great South Asian diagonal.
OPKC → VIAG → VECC → VYYY → VTBD → VVNB → VHHH
China, Korea and Japan
Shanghai, Beijing, Shenyang, Seoul, Osaka and Tokyo mark the eastern objective.
VHHH → ZSPD → ZBAA → ZYTX → RKSS → RJOO → RJAA
Soviet return to Copenhagen
The return through Harbin, Chita, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Omsk, the Urals, Moscow and Kaliningrad avoids the monsoon and demands endurance.
RJAA → ZYHB → UIAA → UIII → UNKL → UNNT → UNOO → USUU → UWKD → UUDD → UMKK → EKCH
Experience tips
Give the outbound and return legs distinct weather moods; that contrast makes the route memorable.
The Russian return is long and almost hypnotic; keep a logbook to give it texture.
Copyright Michel Lagneau 2010