page_title: Consolidated PBY Catalina
section_title: Early commercial use
hierarchical_section_title: Consolidated PBY Catalina / Operational history / Roles in World War II / Early commercial use
caption_attribution_description: English: Flight steward Max White at work on board a Qantas Catalina aircraft en route from Suva to Sydney in January 1949, assisted by young passenger Jennifer Grey.
context_page_description: The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other nations. The last military PBYs served until the 1980s. As of 2014, nearly 80 years after its first flight, the aircraft continues to fly as a waterbomber in aerial firefighting operations in some parts of the world. None remain in military service.
context_section_description: Catalinas were also used for commercial air travel. For example, Qantas Empire Airways flew commercial passengers from Suva to Sydney, a journey of 2,060 miles (3,320 km), which in 1949 took two days. The longest commercial flights (in terms of time aloft) ever made in aviation history were the Qantas flights flown weekly from 29 June 1943 through July 1945 over the Indian Ocean, dubbed the Double Sunrise. Qantas offered non-stop service between Perth and Colombo, a distance of 3,592 nmi (4,134 mi; 6,652 km). As the Catalina typically cruised at 110 kn (130 mph; 200 km/h), this took from 28 to 32 hours and was called the "flight of the double sunrise", since the passengers saw two sunrises during their non-stop journey. The flight was made in radio silence because of the possibility of Japanese attack and had a maximum payload of 1,000 lb (450 kg) or three passengers plus 143 lb (65 kg) of military and diplomatic mail.
caption: Flight steward Max White at work on board a Qantas Empire Airways Catalina aircraft en route from Suva to Sydney in January 1949 with young passenger Jennifer Grey
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