Flights to ships

[Dennis McGuckin]

I have noticed in some past postings, mention of being flown out [or back] to ships already in foreign ports.
When did this practice begin, and what was the main reason for it?
I was at sea until the early 60ies, and never heard of it.
I'm guessing it had to do with the owners and saving money somehow.
Den.

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Den
All i now about this is that in the more Modern era a lot of Crew Members are Flown al over the place to koin Ships in other Ports!
However in our days ,i did hear of this happening in some cases!
The main ones being if a Seaman got sick overseas and then rejoined his Ship.or sometimes (i know of a few) that have been detained for one reason or the other (mainly Fighting haah) were then flown back to their Ship,but this didnt happen very often at all!
Cheers hope you get some better explanations!
Enjoy the Smoke Fish! haha

[Richard Quartermaine]

Hi Den

In 1948 during my short stint on Australian ships we got our catering jobs through the Marine Stewards and Pantrymen's Association - and that's another story. The Burns Philp cargo passenger ship "Bulolo" (newly refitted after wartime service) was in Brisbane short of crew. I and others were given air tickets to fly from Sydney to Brisbane to join her (see Crew Lists Bulolo) for the Papua & New Guinea voyage. I had never flown before and it was a great experience at that time in a Douglas DC3 of ANA (Australian National Airlines) flying up the Aussie coast at about 10,000 feet.

Have a great day.
Richard Q

[Mike Newell]

In March 1960 I got flown from Heathrow to Schipol (Holland) to join the River Afton. Previous sparks had jumped and they were waiting to sail after drydock .Paid off 10 months later in Ijmuiden and came back to UK by ferry from the Hook.

[Albert Bishop]

Flew with a full crew from Newcastle to Amsterdam in 1958 to join a" New" tanker. It turned out to be an old rust bucket of a T2, The plane was an old Dakota, !25 mph at 3000 ft. Pilot just seem to follow the A1 south then just shot across the north sea to holland. Was a bit like being on a bus. An old bus at that. But eleven happy months on that trip, The old saying about "Chattier the Happier " proved true. Cheers Albi

[Captain Kong]

First time we flew was after taking the Good Hope Castle to Hong Kong breakers in June 1959, it was on a DC3 Dakota, owner driver, still in camoflage from the US military surplus, with the starboard engine spewing smoke and oil out of it.
It was a three day flight, Hong Kong, Calcutta, Bombay, Bahrein, Athens and then Stanstead.
Iron bucket seats and a chemical camping toilet.Very uncomfortable.
Inthe 60s and 70s and 80s in Esso we flew world wide to join or leave ships, including L.A. San Francisco, Cape Town, Dubai, Tokio, Singapore, Adelaide, Sydney, Bankok. Guam and many other places. We seemed to get more airmiles in than sea miles.
Interesting times.

[jimmys]

Around 1970/71 I was sent an air ticket to join the Texaco Rochester (I think) in Long Beach. I did not look at the ticket.
I got from Glasgow to London no problem and we were met at Heathrow by airport staff. It was a PanAm clipper, Heathrow direct to Los Angeles. We were taken to a lounge to look at the plane it was a bloody great Jumbo. I had heard of them but never seen one. A number of people were refusing to fly in them. We were big strong rufty tufty seaman scared of nothing, the first words were wheres the bar, lets get flying before we get aboard this bloody thing.
It got away alright and headed across the pole right into great headwinds and only got as far as Winnipeg which could land it but not disembark it and had difficulty servicing it. We just kept flying all the way, what a shambles. One of many shambles in aircraft, but not as many as on ships!!

regards
jimmy

[JoeWhelan]

Flew with B.O.A.C. from London via Rome & Beruit to Bahrain to join s.t. Caltex Colombo , June 1952.

[Duke Drennan]

I don't know that this was a rare occurence, I did it several times but always to or from tramps. Glasgow to Philly to join Denholm's "Scotstoun" and from Hong Kong to Glasgow from the same ship (now that was a story and a half!).
I also joined Salvesen's "Salvada" in Antwerp and paid off her in Rotterdam. Both incidences were regular crew changes although the crew change on the Scotstoun involved replacing us with a Chinese crew, that was a big stink with the union. As I said earlier, that one was a story and a half.

[Dennis McGuckin]

Thanks Guys,
Looks like I missed out on some fun times. Well maybe more interesting than fun.
Why didn't they fly me home when I missed the Argentina Star in Santos?
Would have saved me a lot of grief.
Guess there was no percentage in it for the owners.
Anyway, prefur ships tp planes
Den.