Historic flight plan

1930: Australian Aerial Services, southeastern Australia by trimotor

A Michel Lagneau historic route presented as a clear cockpit briefing, ready to help you prepare the simulator, follow each stopover and enjoy the journey.

Period1930AuthorMichel LagneauReading3 min

19Waypoints~ 2 717 kmDistance3Segments

Interactive route, leg by leg, with animated playback.

Real route map

Approximate track based on the article waypoints and available aeronautical coordinates.

01Victoria and South Australia02Riverina and New South Wales03Return to Melbourne

Pre-flight briefing

Australian Aerial Services, southeastern Australia by trimotor

Understand the mission

Start with the historic context: it sets the atmosphere, aircraft choice and overall logic of the journey.

Prepare the simulator

Check scenery, recommended aircraft, fuel and weather before launching the first leg.

Follow the legs

Use the airport codes, flying times and route notes to build your navigation leg by leg.

Enjoy the journey

Let the route shape the experience: adjust lighting, document waypoints and take time to rediscover the story.

Historic flight plan

Michel Lagneau route notebook

Settle into the cockpit, prepare your aircraft and follow the journey as a proper historic crossing.

A pioneering, punctual and surprisingly reliable network

Australian Aerial Services appears in 1930 timetables with impressive figures: more than one million nautical miles flown, 46,705 passengers carried, schedules maintained and no accidents reported on those services.

As the original Lasco Lascondor is not readily available in the simulator, a Fokker XII or similar classic trimotor works beautifully across Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales.

Period1930

AirlineAustralian Aerial Services Ltd

Suggested aircraftClassic trimotor such as a Fokker XII

NavigationGPS with VOR/DME and ADF/NDB

Why this plan works

The routes follow towns and overfly points that clearly draw southeastern Australia.
The moderate speed of a trimotor makes each stage readable and gives time to enjoy terrain and navigation.
The four routes can be flown as a complete regional network.

Suggested route

Route 1 - Melbourne to Adelaide

This chapter structures the Route 1 - Melbourne to Adelaide segment with regular legs and distances to monitor in the navigation block.

YMEN → YHML → YMTG → YNRC → YPAD

Route 2 - Adelaide to Broken Hill

This chapter structures the Route 2 - Adelaide to Broken Hill segment with regular legs and distances to monitor in the navigation block.

YPAD → YWKI → YLOX → YREN → YMIA → YBHI

Route 3 - Wentworth to Cootamundra

This chapter structures the Route 3 - Wentworth to Cootamundra segment with regular legs and distances to monitor in the navigation block.

YPCE → YMIA → YBRN → YHAY → YGTH → YNAR → YCTM

Route 4 - Hay to Melbourne

This chapter structures the Route 4 - Hay to Melbourne segment with regular legs and distances to monitor in the navigation block.

YHAY → YDLQ → YECH → YMML

Navigation steps

Route 1 - Melbourne to AdelaideMelbourne / Essendon YMEN → Hamilton YHML 64 NM then 18 NM via Colac, Camperdown, Mortlake and Penshurst
Hamilton YHML → Mount Gambier YMTG 18 NM then 31 NM via Coleraine and Casterton
Mount Gambier YMTG → Naracoorte YNRC 37 NM then 40 NM via Penola
Naracoorte YNRC → Adelaide Intl YPAD 102 NM then 60 NM via Meningie
Route 2 - Adelaide to Broken HillAdelaide YPAD → Swan Reach → Waikerie YWKI 147 NM then 221 NM
Waikerie YWKI → Loxton YLOX → Renmark YREN 36 NM then 17 NM
Renmark YREN → Mildura YMIA → Menindee → Broken Hill YBHI 70 NM, 113 NM then 53 NM
Route 3 - Wentworth to CootamundraWentworth / Pooncarie YPCE → Mildura YMIA 57 NM then 38 NM
Mildura YMIA → Balranald YBRN → Hay YHAY 42 NM then 62 NM
Hay YHAY → Griffith YGTH → Narrandera YNAR → Cootamundra YCTM 33 NM, 35 NM, 35 NM then 42 NM
Route 4 - Hay to MelbourneHay YHAY → Deniliquin YDLQ 24 NM then 21 NM via Booroorban and Wanganella
Deniliquin YDLQ → Echuca YECH → Melbourne Intl YMML 37 NM, 13 NM then 47 NM via Rochester and Derrinal