C/N SH.55C
"Southern Cross"
Aussie Airliner
Manufactured - Shorts Bros / Sunderland MK III July 1943
Royal Air Force - Wing Bay, Stranraer, Scotland as JM715 1943-1947
Flying Boat Modification Unit - Cairds Yard, Greenock - conversion to MK V April1945
Short Bros. & Harland - 1947 conversion to Sandringham Mk 4 Tasman Class for...
Tasman Empire Airways Ltd. TEAL - Auckland, N.Z. reg. ZK-AMH "RMA Auckland" 1947 -1950
Barrier Reef Airways Pty. Ltd.- Brisbane, Australia reg. VH-BRC "Coral Clipper" 1950 -1952
Ansett Flying Service - Sydney, Australia 1952 - 1974 "Beachcomber"
Antilles Air Boats - U.S.V.I. 1974-1980 reg. N158C orig. "Southern Star" chg. to "Southern Cross" re-reg. VP-LVE (B.V.I.)
M & M Aviation - Isla Grand, San Juan, P.R. 1980 Capt. Ron Gillies / Mike Coghlan and additonal investors purchase from AAB to ferry to U.K. for resale after arrival.
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Solent Sky Museum - Southhampton, UK presently on display
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photo credit Tom Anusewicz
photos by Barry Friend
S-25 Southern Cross's Last Atlantic Crossing First Officer, Jim Flanagan's Journal transcript
Sept-Oct 1980
Pago Pago
Describe your image.
Slides by Jim Flanagan, the AAB "Southern Cross" crewmember from start to finish.
Philadelphia
Southern Cross's Last Atlantic Crossing
The CD-ROM
is 248 pages of in depth information on Beachcomber then "Southern Cross"
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Robert H. Smith
P.O. Box 484
Kiama, N.S.W., 2533 Australia
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It is also available as a coffee table book
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This film has some "alternative facts" and will make comments later.
taxiing into Dublin
Dublin, Ireland
1950
Leaving Dun Laoghaire (Dunleary)
Dun Laoghaire Harbor - Dublin 1977
Refueling at Killaloe for flight to Gander Lake (Newfoundland) in 1976
photo credit Donal Goggin
"Southern Cross" arrives in Foynes before flying on to Glengarriff and Killaloe on July 28, 1976
photo credit Donal Goggin
Entering Scotsman's Bay at Dun Laoghaire (Dunleary)
photo credit
Moored at Dun Laoghaire Harbor. Donal Goggin in the bow compartment pulling in the drogues (sea anchors) and adjusting other lines. Noel Holle (engineer) on top and Capt. Ron Gillies in the cockpit.
photo credit Donal Goggin
Moored at Glengarriff. Donal drove to Cork City, got a bus to Glengariff and flew on "Southern Cross" for an hour before making the return trip and on to Limerick.
photo credit Donal Goggin
Recently acquired this post card. When I received it, the back had a revision. AER ARANN IRISH INTERNATIONAL was crossed out and Antilles Air Boats inserted. The AAB aircraft was leased to Aer Arann and correct as printed.
Active soldier, Jeff O'Connor sent in a polaroid photo of "Southern Cross" at its dock in Christiansted, St. Croix. Jeff found the photo in the back of the frame of one of his grandmothers painting.