Short Solent

Fascinating stories.
As a 5 year old i flrw on G-AKNO Shorts Solent 3 from Southampton Water to Lake Naivasha in August 1949. My Mum, elder brother and younger sister were flying out to Kenya to join my Dad in Mombasa. Even being so young I have vivid memories of the flight.
Subsequently I came into contact with the Historian at British Airways who provided me with articles about G-AKNO,:including the naming ceremony in the Pool of London. When we landed on Lake Naivasha, we were met by a fleet of station wagons that took us up the Escarpment to Nairobi where we spent the night in the Delamere Hotel before taking a flight down to Mombasa the next day.
This trip stsrted my lifelong interest in aviation. I hae the aircraft registration numbers of all of the 1,490 flights I've taken to date. I'm a retired Master Mariner by profession, but have a deep love of commercial aviation.
Best wishes, Steve Hobson

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Only just found this site! Our family boarded a Solent at Lake Naivasha just before Easter 1950. We flew if I remember correctly, we landed at Khartoum, then Cairo and then to Marseilles. After taking off for Southampton, there was a change in engine note and a propeller stopped on the starboard wing , then another change from another engine on the port side, the captain saying that it was necessary to trim the aircraft and that we were returning to Marseilles. Spent a night there and BOAC sent another Solent the next day to pick us up. I distinctly remember landing at Southampton and my grand parents picking us up off the BOAC coach at a hotel on the Hoggs Back, nor Guildford on I think Good Friday 1950. I was 10 and 81 now! 3 cheers for the Solent.what an experience !

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Only just found this site! Our family boarded a Solent at Lake Naivasha just before Easter 1950. We flew if I remember correctly, we landed at Khartoum, then Cairo and then to Marseilles. After taking off for Southampton, there was a change in engine note and a propeller stopped on the starboard wing , then another change from another engine on the port side, the captain saying that it was necessary to trim the aircraft and that we were returning to Marseilles. Spent a night there and BOAC sent another Solent the next day to pick us up. I distinctly remember landing at Southampton and my grand parents picking us up off the BOAC coach at a hotel on the Hoggs Back, nor Guildford on I think Good Friday 1950. I was 10 and 81 now! 3 cheers for the Solent.what an experience !

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Only just found this site! Our family boarded a Solent at Lake Naivasha just before Easter 1950. We flew if I remember correctly, we landed at Khartoum, then Cairo and then to Marseilles. After taking off for Southampton, there was a change in engine note and a propeller stopped on the starboard wing , then another change from another engine on the port side, the captain saying that it was necessary to trim the aircraft and that we were returning to Marseilles. Spent a night there and BOAC sent another Solent the next day to pick us up. I distinctly remember landing at Southampton and my grand parents picking us up off the BOAC coach at a hotel on the Hoggs Back, nor Guildford on I think Good Friday 1950. I was 10 and 81 now! 3 cheers for the Solent.what an experience !

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Only just found this site! Our family boarded a Solent at Lake Naivasha just before Easter 1950. We flew if I remember correctly, we landed at Khartoum, then Cairo and then to Marseilles. After taking off for Southampton, there was a change in engine note and a propeller stopped on the starboard wing , then another change from another engine on the port side, the captain saying that it was necessary to trim the aircraft and that we were returning to Marseilles. Spent a night there and BOAC sent another Solent the next day to pick us up. I distinctly remember landing at Southampton and my grand parents picking us up off the BOAC coach at a hotel on the Hoggs Back, nor Guildford on I think Good Friday 1950. I was 10 and 81 now! 3 cheers for the Solent.what an experience !

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I flew with my parents
from Southampton to South Africa in 1949

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As a young lad of 5 or 6, my parents and my brother flew from Alexandria to Lake Victoria, in the latter part of 1950 or thereabouts...I am pretty sure that it was a 'Short Solent' Amphibious aircraft that landed on Lake Victoria...A Launch-Craft picked us up and took us to Port Bell where we climbed aboard an old bus that took us into Kampala and dropped us off at rather ancient Hotel...I am trying to verify the authenticity of this account via a landing date for the ROHLOFF family...We then took off a day or so later and flew Southwards to Johannesburg...(Could have been Water-Kloof). I would appreciate anybody out there give me some information...thank you...Michael Rohloff

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My mother-in-law flew in a flying boat between Southampton and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) in the late 40s-early 50s, and is trying to get in touch with any other passengers. Does any here know of any way of doing that? Thank you. davidinglis2@comcast.net

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I'm not sure if this particular aircraft was the one that uplifted myself and about thirty other soldiers from either Evans Bay in Wellington or Auckland Mechanics Bay to Australia and on our way to Korea about 1952> It was however definitely a Solent Flying Boat. Would be great to hear from someone who also had the same experience

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In November 1949 I flew with my brother (14) and my parents to East Africa from Southampton. I was 9 so do not remember it very well. The weather was very bad so much so that we had to fly through the Alps because we could not gain enough altitude to go over them. We were not fed on board only when we landed subsquently because it was so bumpy we were all very sick. They ran out of sick bags! In fact my parents told me there were only two people not sick on the flight - one being my mother. Even the stewards were sick. We landed on Lake Naivasha and were transported to Nairobi in a bus with wooden slated seats. The journey took 36 hours and was one I will never forget.

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In November 1949 I flew with my brother (14) and my parents to East Africa from Southampton. I was 9 so do not remember it very well. The weather was very bad so much so that we had to fly through the Alps because we could not gain enough altitude to go over them. We were not fed on board only when we landed subsquently because it was so bumpy we were all very sick. They ran out of sick bags! In fact my parents told me there were only two people not sick on the flight - one being my mother. Even the stewards were sick. We landed on Lake Naivasha and were transported to Nairobi in a bus with wooden slated seats. The journey took 36 hours and was one I will never forget.

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GIANNI 26 /11 /2012
Vedevo, Solent ANA-J City of Funchal,ammarare nel golfo del Tigullio sulla costa ligure nel 1956 una meraviglia, ho assistito all'incidente e alla demolizione del velivolo sulla spiaggia di S margherita Ligure. Avevo 8 anni non l'ho mai dimenticato, ho anche le foto . Gianni

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GIANNI 26 /11 /2012
Vedevo, Solent ANA-J City of Funchal,ammarare nel golfo del Tigullio sulla costa ligure nel 1956, ho assistito all' incidente e alla demolizione del velivolo sulla spiaggia di S margherita Ligure. Avevo 8 anni non l'ho mai dimenticato, ho anche le foto . Gianni

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My Mother and sister were on flight from Augusta (Sicily) to Sydney December 1948 on a sea plane. I remember mum telling me the flight took almost a month due to engine problems, she mentioned places:- Singapore, Cairo, Calutta,Karachi etc.
I would like to know more information if any one can help please.

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My father william pardey I believe flew to Southern Rhodesia and landed at Victoria Falls ( jungle junction ) on one of the solent flying boats.
Are there any passenger lists of the Southampton /Vaaldam route in archives anywhere as I would like to know the date he landed on the Zambesi.
Thank you.

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Like Albert Leonhard I flew from Southhampton UK with my parents and sister(s)on a Short Solent "Hungerford" to Australia in November - December 1948. It was an unforgetable journey

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The TEAL Solent is still very much a part of what is now MOTAT in Auckland. They are building new hangarage for the larger aircraft which also includes a late mark Sunderland.

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In 1950 my father and I emigrated to East Africa on one from Southampton waters owned by BOAC. Two engines had problems over France so we did a forced landing in the harbor at Marseille France where they were patched up and we flew on to the first scheduled stop in Augusta, Sicily. There we waited for a week in a hotel at BOAC's expense for the next weekly flight to bring us out new parts. Then we continued on to Nairobi via Alexandria and I think Khartoum. I remember I was airsick over France, and then seasick in the choppy waters of Marseille harbor.

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Moving back to Belfast after the war(1947) our new home was on the Antrim side of the Belfast Lough,not too far east of Sydenham on the Co.Down side. I will always remember the sounds of engine testing at S&H and watching the flying boats on the Lough.
Gordon H.

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In 1971 there was a Solent in Auckland. It was part of the Auckland transportation museum. Its probably still there.

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