Historic flight plan

1958: Butler Air Transport across New South Wales

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.

Period1958AuthorMichel LagneauReading3 min

34Waypoints~ 9 259 kmDistance3Segments

Interactive route, leg by leg, with animated playback.

Real route map

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

01Butler main routes02Branches and north coast03Inland and Charleville

Pre-flight briefing

Butler Air Transport across New South Wales

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 regional network built around Sydney

Founded by Arthur Butler in 1934, Butler Air Transport became one of the major airlines of New South Wales. By 1958, its network radiated from Sydney-Bankstown toward major Australian cities, rural communities, the coast, inland towns and several extensions into Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.

This flight plan turns the 1958 timetable into a usable Flight Simulator network. Instead of one single route, you get a complete regional system to fly as a campaign, line by line.

Period1958

BaseSydney / Bankstown

AircraftDouglas DC-3 or light twin

MoodAustralian regional network

Historical setting

Arthur Butler developed an airline closely tied to its territory: inland towns, the coast, routes to Melbourne, Brisbane/Coolangatta, Adelaide and many smaller New South Wales stops. In 1959, after a legal battle with Reginald Ansett, Butler Air Transport was absorbed by Ansett Transport Industries.

In the simulator, the appeal is variety: long DC-3 legs, short hops between regional towns, modest strips, open plains, terrain and coastal sections.

Suggested route

Butler main routes

Start with the main services to understand the network backbone: Melbourne, Sydney, Coolangatta, Broken Hill, Adelaide, Canberra and Cooma.

YMEN → YSBK → YBCG / YSBK → YBHI → YPPF / YSBK → YSCB → YCOM → YMEN

Regional branches and north coast

Then move to the short Sydney branches and the north-coast run toward Queensland. This is where Butler Air Transport becomes a practical regional airline.

YSBK → YPKS → YSDU / YSBK → YMDG / YSBK → YMRY / YSBK → YBTH / YSBK → YTRE → YKMP → YSCH → YCAS → YTWB

Inland New South Wales and Charleville

Finish with the longer rural lines: Warren, Nyngan, Cobar, Wilcannia, Moree, Bourke, Cunnamulla and Charleville. It is the most isolated and demanding part of the plan.

YSBK → YWRN → YNYN → YCBA → YWCA / YSBK → YWWA → YNBR → YMOR / YSBK → YCBB → YCAH → YNYN → YCNM → YWLG → YCBR → YGDA → YBRW → YBKE → YCMU → YBCV

Navigation steps

Butler main routesMelbourne YMEN → Sydney YSBK → Coolangatta YBCG
Sydney YSBK → Broken Hill YBHI → Adelaide YPPF
Sydney YSBK → Canberra YSCB → Cooma YCOM → Melbourne YMEN
Regional branches and north coastSydney YSBK → Parkes YPKS → Dubbo YSDU
Sydney YSBK → Mudgee YMDG / Moruya YMRY / Bathurst YBTH
Sydney YSBK → Forster YTRE → Kempsey YKMP → Coffs Harbour YSCH → Casino YCAS → Toowoomba YTWB
Inland and CharlevilleSydney YSBK → Warren YWRN → Nyngan YNYN → Cobar YCBA → Wilcannia YWCA
Sydney YSBK → Wee Waa YWWA → Narrabri YNBR → Moree YMOR
Sydney YSBK → Coonabarabran YCBB → Coolah YCAH → Nyngan YNYN → Coonamble YCNM → Walgett YWLG → Collarenebri YCBR → Goodooga YGDA → Brewarrina YBRW → Bourke YBKE → Cunnamulla YCMU → Charleville YBCV

Recommended aircraft

The Douglas DC-3 is the natural choice for the main routes. A light twin is also suitable for shorter feeder services and smaller destinations. DC-3 enthusiasts can use the free resources from DC-3 Airways.

GPS is recommended alongside VOR/DME and ADF/NDB navigation. Some stops are given by coordinates or by a nearby GPS target, so prepare those before departure rather than searching for the strip on short final.

Simulation advice

Start with lines 1 to 4 to understand the structure of the network. Then fly the short branches around Sydney, and finish with the longer rural lines toward Wilcannia, Moree, Bourke and Charleville. It becomes a strong aerial portrait of regional Australia in 1958.