SAS 1947, the Vikings cross the Atlantic
After the war, the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian national airlines formed Scandinavian Airlines System. In 1947, DC-4s opened major services toward the west and southwest.
This plan follows two faces of young SAS: the transatlantic line to New York and the great route to South America through Geneva, Lisbon, Dakar, Natal and Rio.
Postwar SAS taking off intercontinentally.
Connect Scandinavia to the Americas with regularity.
Long-range airliner, durable and fuel-sensitive.
Weather, long legs, local times and strategic stops.
Understanding the flight
The strength of this page is double: it tells both the birth of SAS and the reopening of great horizons after the war.
Period timetables add a fine constraint. The point is not only to arrive, but to keep the rhythm of an airline proving its reliability.
Before departure
- Set propeller RPM, fuel and DC-4 cruise altitude carefully.
- Study weather before Prestwick, Gander and Dakar: they are the great oceanic thresholds.
- Accept simulated delays if weather does not allow a credible departure.
- Treat the two lines separately: North Atlantic, then South Atlantic.
Suggested route
Scandinavia and Prestwick
Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen and Prestwick place the flying Vikings in front of the North Atlantic.
ESSB → ENGM → EKCH → EGPK
Gander and New York
The Prestwick - Gander - New York crossing gives the route its transatlantic color.
EGPK → CYQX → KLGA
Southern route to Dakar
Geneva, Lisbon and Dakar prepare the South Atlantic crossing.
ESSB → LSGG → LPPT → GOOY
Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina
Natal, Rio, Montevideo and Buenos Aires close the South American line.
GOOY → SBNT → SBGL → SUMU → SADM
Experience tips
The DC-4 rewards preparation. Take time to compute fuel and engine settings before oceans.
Real weather gives excellent atmosphere, but do not hesitate to delay a departure like a real airline.
Copyright Michel Lagneau 2013