"Larry Dighera" wrote in message ...

Thanks for the link. Here's the quote:

Having proved itself in peacetime operations, the Catalina
heralded a remarkable chapter in Australian aviation history.
Again at the urging of the British government (without whom the
pre-war flying boat or seaplane or sea plane service would never
have happened), the RAF supplied Qantas with five Catalina
aircraft, if Qantas agreed to open a flying route from Perth to
Ceylon (Sri Lanka). It was to be the world's longest regular
non-stop service - a total distance of 5632km (3520 miles). To
enable a flight over such a long distance, the aircraft were
stripped of all unnecessary weight, including almost all creature
comforts, save for seats, a small basket of food and a thermos.
Airmail was carried on microfilm, thereby reducing a load of
several tons to a parcel of around 60 pounds, and only three
passengers were allowed. To further complicate matters, these
missions were flown in complete radio silence across
enemy-patrolled waters. This also meant that pilots had to
navigate by dead reckoning, using only a map, a compass and the
stars to find their way.

On 10th July 1943, the first service departed from Koggala Lake in
the south of Ceylon bound for Perth, where it would land on the
Swan River. This was the first of 271 flights that took place
between 1943 and 1945, all without incident. Depending on the
prevailing conditions, a typical flight lasted anywhere from 27 to
32 hours. Because of the length of the flights, passengers
witnessed the sunrise twice while airborne. At the end of each
journey, passengers were awarded a certificate admitting them to
the 'Secret Order of the Double Sunrise'.



I wouldn't exactly call that a commercial enterprise.