Qantas Double Sunrise flights began in Hawaii before Pearl Harbour
Qantas got its first Catalina in Hawaii in January 1941, months before Pearl Harbour. It enabled the famous Double Sunrise flights.
On January 27, 1941, a flying boat called a Consolidated PBY Catalina flew 4,392 kilometres from San Diego to Hawaii. The flight took almost a full day.
A Qantas crew waited in Honolulu to take delivery. The US was still neutral while Australia was at war.
Because of this, an American crew had to fly the delivery. Ownership went to Qantas in Hawaii.
The Catalina would later enable the Double Sunrise flights, which was 6,480 kilometres between Perth and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). This kept Australia connected to the UK during World War II.
The planes needed three ways to navigate across the vast Pacific safely: dead reckoning, radio navigation, and watching the stars. Catalinas played a key role in Pacific patrols and reconnaissance.
Japan attacked the Catalinas at Pearl Harbour in December 1941. This destroyed most of them.
- January 27, 1941
- Delivery date
- 4,392 kilometres
- San Diego to Hawaii
- 6,480 kilometres between Perth and Ceylon
- Double Sunrise distance
Why it mattersOne aircraft type shaped wartime strategy. It shows how world politics forced new solutions in aviation history.
AustraliaThe Double Sunrise flights remain an iconic chapter of Australian aviation and resilience; Qantas' modern Project Sunrise continues this legacy of long-haul innovation.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 4 h ago
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