A glorious tribute to the golden era of flying boats that ended in 1974, The Ships That Flew draws on rare archival footage to captures the romance of these magnificent machines, including: the extraordinarily effective 'Flying Porcupine' used against the Luftwaffe in WWII, hard-working Catalinas and luxurious Solents that were the flagships of the tourism market.
It recalls the times when flying boats were an integral part of the transportation systems, beginning in the 1930s when they connected Great Britain to the Empire and it was possible to fly from London to Sydney "in just seven days"!
Qantas, Ansett and Air New Zealand all operated services, between Australian cities, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, but after the war, the flying boats posed a threat to massive global investment in airports.
The Ships That Flew investigates the business side of the industry, including the building of an airstrip on Lord Howe, as well as remembering the legendary airmen who took to the skies in the ships that flew.