Artisan of Auspicious Artifacts
First stop was in Greenland and I had some trouble sorting the military air bases and the airports. Kangerlussuaq Airport opened up to civilian flights in '56 and was indeed a refueling stop in transatlantic flights. Before that was Narsarsuaq.
You'd then need to stop at Reykjavík–Keflavík Airport, Iceland. After than you've got just enough range to make it to London.
Oh, thanks! I really need that info. 👍
Just your average meddling geek
I have some reservations about the DC-3 though. It was essentially a 1930's airplane that got it's big break as a WWII freighter. By 1950, it was already withdrawn from the front lines og all major airlines and only used for short routes by the minor ones. The bulk of the DC-3's flying in the 1950's were second-hand military surplus planes operated by more or less freewheeling charter companies.
the Atlantic route being the most prestigious link a 1950's airline had to offer, they would definitely use it's most modern flagship planes, which in this case were all 4-engined. Typically you had the Douglas DC-4, which was by the middle of the decade already being replaced by the later DC-6 and DC-7. Then there was the Locheed 'Constellation' and 'Super Constellation' favored by many European airlines. Boeing had its big model 377 'Stratocruiser', which was basically a B-29 with a bulbous almost sausage-like fuselage, but that one was only used by a handful of airlines. My best guess would be to go with the 'Super Connie' and use the route described above: From Newfoundland over G Reenland to Iceland and from there over Ireland to London.
I have a question about transatlantic flights in the 1950s, since part of my story I am writing takes place in that era.
In one part of the story, a family takes a plane from New York to London in a DC-3. I understand that the first stopover was usually in Gander, Canada, but from this point on I don't know what other stopovers were usually made, although I understand that places like Greenland, Iceland or the Azores Islands were very common points for refueling on those flights from the U.S. to the U.K. Can anyone help me in this regard, to avoid any mistakes?