I had spent the better part of 10 years researching the 1930s Qantas Empire Imperial flying boat route from Rose Bay, Sydney, through to Southampton, England, via Asia, India, the Middle East and Europe. It was the Golden Age of flying, luxurious and romantic. I wished I could have done the trip back in 1938 but I was born in 1968, 50 years too late. I either needed a time machine, or a pilot's license and a flying boat. I looked at Grumman Gooses, Widgeons, and Albatrosses; Lake Buccaneers and Renegades; even the Seabee. In the end, I was realistic about my experience and budget and bought a secondhand Searey to build some hours and lots of water landings. Ten years later and with only 450 hours under my belt, I had a new Searey, the Southern Sun, built with this trip in mind-13 hours of fuel tanks, and up to 21 hours in maximum ferry mode, ready for an adventure.
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