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Swedish Take-Off
- The Early Commercial Flights during the 1920's |
| Version 3.01 on September 5th, 2003, at 1551 UTC
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This text is written by seve AT ungermark.se
- please honor the copyright |
In an international perspective Sweden is very early to make use of commercial aviation. Less known is that the first passengers are transported on what is usually called the world's shortest leg, and that the first successful operator is a Swedish government agency.
After WWI the aircraft manufacturers in both Europe and the U.S. try to stay alive by introducing equipment to carry passengers. Several companies launch their own initiatives to connect cities by airlines thus favouring their own goals in aircraft manufacturing. In Europe with its many borders hampering ground transportation there is much to be won by transporting passengers and goods by air. In the U.S. all the way up to the early 1930's the priority is air mail.
The first "real" commercial aircraft is test flown during the summer of 1919. It is the single-engined Junkers F 13, entirely built in metal with an enclosed cabin accomodating four passengers. The crew of two is sitting "outdoors". It is - at this early stage - considered that a pilot needs to be in direct contact with the "atmosphere" in order not to loose the "feeling" of flying. The passenger cabin is heated, and the F 13 features another luxurious first: Safety belts. Two of the very first customers are an airline in Colombia and the U.S. Mail.
During almost twenty years Junkers F 13 is the most well-known and most reliable work horse of civil aviation. In Sweden you find one flying as late as 1946 (as a reserve ambulance plane in the North). More than 300 are manufactured, out of which there are only four left today. One is hanging from the ceiling of the Stockholm Technical Museum.
The year 1919 means the big launch of commercial aviation. The world's first daily flight connection opens on February 5th, 1919, between Berlin and Weimar. From August 25th, 1919, there is also a daily connection between Paris and London. In the U.S. the connection between Key West and Havana, inaugurated on November 1st, 1919, is recognized as the first regular international connection.
To use aircraft to cover distances over water or roadless parts of the country is nothing original. However, we may be astonished to meet with some un-Swedish extremes, like the fact that the first passengers are carried on the world's shortest service - Malmö-Copenhagen - and like finding that the first successful operator is a government agency operating north of the Arctic Circle.
In the Spring of 1919 the first real permit to carry paying passengers is issued to AB Enoch Thulins Aeroplanfabrik (the Thulin Aircraft Manufacturing Company). In co-operation with the Danish aircraft manufacturer Nielsen & Winther passengers are carried between April 12th and 26th to an air show in Copenhagen. Incidentally, the first to embark in Malmö is one at the time very well-known sports journalist, Oscar Söderlund (pen name Glokar Well). Thulin has evidently a very clear vision of future commercial aviation. As early as in 1917 he has acquired the concessions to almost all viable passenger connections within Sweden. In the beginning of 1918 he calls for both Stockholm and Gothenburg to build airfields - in vain.
Only one month after the Copenhagen exhibition, on May 14th, 1919, Enoch Thulin is killed testing one of his own new airplane, a fighter. With him the young Swedish aviation looses one of its most eloquent, knowledgeable and respected spokesmen.
Two specialized airline companies are founded in 1919. One - Svenska Lufttrafikaktiebolaget (SLA) - has far-reaching visions and a serious board of directors. Chairman is M. Sahlin, county governor of Stockholm. The deputy chairman is Dan Broström, a well-known ship owner from Gothenburg. The latter is far from new to civil aviation. The year before he is the first to sign a petition for forming an aeronautical society in Gothenburg, Aeronautiska Sällskapet i Göteborg. Unfortunately, Dan Broström is killed in a car accident driving home from a 1925 ship christening. (His successors are decidedly more reluctant to recognize the potential in aviation when SILA (i.e. more or less SAS) is to be founded fifteen years later.)
One of the SLA board members is K. A. B. Amundson, later general and the first C-in-C of the Swedish Air Force. It is also to be noted that the SLA head of flight operations is Karl Lignell, and that one of the pilots during the winter months of 1919-1920 is a German by the name of Hermann Göring. Lignell will march on to high positions within ABA and SAS. As for the career of Göring any textbook on History can tell.
The future possibilities are very seriously studied by SLA. The company also mounts what must be called a very smart lobbying operation (long before this concept is imported into Sweden). County governor Sahlin sees to it that he is selected chairman of the first governmental committee to discuss commercial aviation in Sweden, Lufttrafikkommittén. He is also successful in securing seats for three of the SLA board members in the very same committee... As suggested by the committee, the government asks the parliament for money to buy "equipment for airways and constructing an air station in Southern Sweden". However, the parliament says no.
In December of 1921 comes the final committee report, the result of which is nothing at all whatsoever. Nor will any governmental money be bestowed on Swedish aviation during the next few years.
The other company from 1919, P. O. Flygkompani, is run by a lonely enthusiast with a past in military aviation, lieutenant Per Oscar Herrström. He focuses on sightseeing and show flights. Both his aircraft and their crew are "surplus" from England. "Surplus", but eager-to-fly, pilots are plentiful from all the different air forces. Herrn Göring from Germany is only one of them. When the SLA plans mentioned earlier are disclosed, hundreds of pilots apply for a SLA job. In other words, the question of pilot supply and demand is nothing new under the sun.
On May 5th, 1920, P.O. Flygkompani opens a commercial air link between Stockholm and Helsinki thru Åbo (Turku). Six flights are performed with one single and constant problem - the small revenue from the tickets sold. The service is discontinued. In the autumn of 1921 the whole company ceases to exist.
The future long-distance passenger flights will be made by airships. That is what the people at SLA maintains (a very logical conclusion at the time). A test flight is arranged with the zeppelin "Bodensee" to Stockholm on October 8th, 1919. After an intermediate stop of only one hour at the Gärdet park close to the center of Stockholm the return journey is begun. This impressive display of the practical possibility to travel Berlin-Stockholm-Berlin in one single day is astonishing to many people. The Swedish Parliament now allocates money to a zeppelin hangar in Stockholm (to be located at the Årstafältet, a field near present-day in-door arena Globen). The company SLA is planning for connecting Stockholm to Berlin, London and Petrograd (S:t Petersburg) with a surplus ship acquired from the former German Navy.
However, the grand project is suddenly halted by the allied victors. In 1920 they impound all existing Zeppelins to pay for German war damages. The above-mentioned Bodensee goes to Italy. It makes practically no more flights whatsoever. Furthermore, the City of Stockholm turns out to be very reluctant to reserve any space for the big hangar. In fact, it is a constant trait with the Stockholm politicians - surviving into the new Millennium - never to show much interest in aviation...
Magnificient plans and ignominious refusals line the business activities of SLA. To harbour their flying boats the company leases a space at Lindarängen close to the Stockholms Frihamn. The wheel-carrying aircraft use nearby Ladugårdsgärde (Gärdet). In the beginning of 1920 SLA contemplates plans for the first "Air Route of Sweden". Suitable space is leased in the harbour of the Northern town of Sundsvall. However, the plans stay plans. Focus is changed to Gothenburg, where a temporary air station opens at Tingstadsvassen. But the result is limited to a few test flights.
However, in the autumn of 1920 SLA opens the mail route Malmö-Berlin using a Junkers F 13 and a German pilot - Hans Eichler. In order to be able to land in Malmö SLA must use an aircraft on floats, which in turn requires the use of German Warnemünde as transfer point to land-based German aircraft in order for the mail to reach Berlin. Out of 67 possible days the flights are carried through according to schedule during no less than 59. This success is, however, marred by the necessity to stop half-way at Warnemünde. SLA asks for money to build an airfield in Malmö, but their suggestions meet no understanding.
The Danish company Det Danske Luftfartselskab A/S is much more favoured, provided early on with a centrally located airport by the authorities. In the autumn DDL inaugurates a connection to Hamburg. By the way, DDL is the oldest yet existing airline company in the world, founded already in 1918. Certainly, Dutch KLM is founded in 1919, but they do not start to fly until May, 1920.
Down in Europe, all the countries formerly at war not only can provide pilots in great numbers, they also are equipped with numerous airports. As a contrast, Sweden is only able to produce a few useable military training grounds, like Ljungbyhed, Malmslätt, Tingstadsvassen (at Gothenburg) and Hägerstalundsfältet (Barkarby to the northwest of Stockholm, expanded in 1922).
SLA receives inquiries from the newly created Estonia about a route between Stockholm and Reval (i.e. present-day Tallinn). On July 19, 1921, the inaugural revenue flight leaves Lindarängen to be followed by two connections a week. Travelling time between the two capitals is dramatically shortened from 24 to less than 3 hours. In spite of this, not many passengers show up when Autumn arrives. At the end of October, lacking revenue, it is impossible to continue the flights.
In the beginning of 1923 Svenska Lufttrafikaktiebolaget wraps up. The installations at Lindarängen are offered to the City of Stockholm.
All is not failures and bad business in the 1920's. A government agency takes to the air with great success. Between 1920 and 1923 - far from the Swedish capital and the European continent - there are successful flight operations by Swedish Kgl. Vattenfallsstyrelsen. We are talking about the time period when electricity is introduced in Sweden - railways, industries, and homes are connected to the national grid. In 1910 the construction of the Porjus hydro-power station starts. There is a great need for dams to regulate the water flow. In the summer of 1919 the first workers are sent to Suorva to build a dam there. They are 110 kilometres from the nearest road and village. In the summer it is possible to travel the distance by boat, but the summer in the North is short, only four months. A trip through the wilderness that will take four days at winter time can be flown in 45 minutes, some forward-thinking engineers at Kgl. Vattenfallsstyrelsen tell themselves. But is it possible to fly so high up above the Arctic Circle?
The question is first directed to SLA, but the P. O. Flygkompani comes up with a quote that is lower. In November, 1919 the Swedish Parliament receives a proposal about the use of aircraft. Agencies like Generalpoststyrelsen (Swedish Mail) and Sveriges Meteorologiska och Hydrologiska Institut (SMHI - the Weather forecast service) approve immediately. The parliament allocates the requested money, and flights start in August, 1920, to Suorva - with British pilots. The equipment is mainly three Avro 504 aircraft.
After only a few months the operation is taken over by the Kgl. Vattenfallsstyrelsen. When it stops in the spring of 1923 statistics show that during 888 flights no less than 1 005 passengers, close to 17 metric tons of freight and 1.5 metric tons of mail have been transported (BTW, the first domestic air mail). Notable is also that only one accident occurs. The aircraft is lost, but out of the three on board, only the pilot receives a permanent injury, a broken foot.
In 1923 there is a big aviation event in Gothenburg. When the city celebrates its 300th anniversary the International Aviation Exhibition (Internationella LuftUtställningen i Göteborg - ILUG) is staged. ILUG is not only the biggest aviation exhibition in the world up to that time, to date it is the biggest aviation event ever in Sweden. About 70 aircraft take part in different competitions, and 36 countries are participating as exhibitors.
The organisers start the planning as early as in the summer of 1920. In February, 1921, Torslanda is selected to be the airport that all aviation-minded have been longing for. On June 28th, 1923, the first aircraft ever to land at Torslanda is an old British fighter of the SE5a type although it carries civilian immatriculation. Torslanda is then used as the main airport of Gothenburg up to October 3rd, 1977, when present-day Landvetter is opened.
The two aircraft remaining from Suorva are bought by a newly-founded company, AB Göteborgs Luftdroskor (Air-Taxis of Gothenburg). The CEO is the head of operations within the now defunct SLA, Karl Lignell. His business plan is passenger flights during ILUG. The exhibition is opened between July 20th and August 12th, 1923.
Air Mail is a logical result from all the publicity and the good-will generated by ILUG. Visiting foreigners recognize Sweden as a market ripe for harvesting. A few months later a consortium consisting of DDL, KLM, and a German airline pays respect to the Generalpoststyrelsen suggesting a way to include Sweden in the European air mail network. Stressing that competent Swedish companies do not exist the trio offers to open a connection between Malmö and Rotterdam.
ILUG is also - unwillingly - the godfather of the Malmö airport Bulltofta. It has already a very long pre-history consisting of requests during many years from, among others, Enoch Thulin, SLA and Planfabriksaktiebolaget Pålsson (a local aircraft manufacturer totally forgotten today but in its time working with very advanced wing designs).
Not until the ILUG organisation is planning their big arrival competition and is asking for an intermediate landing site for the competitors to use do the local Malmö politicians understand the value of an airfield. Probably help also comes from a promise that an airport will give Malmö flight connections to Hamburg, Copenhagen, and Gothenburg by the newly founded Sveriges Luftpostlinje AB.
When Bulltofta in the Summer of 1923 is ready to receive aircraft it turns out that the ILUG competitors don't find the option interesting. And the Sveriges Luftpostlinje AB decides to buy a flying boat. Which is making only one single flight before crashing and being a total loss - bringing down the company.
Thus the field is in every way left free to the players waiting in the wings...
Sources/Källor:
Lennart Andersson Svenska flygplan | Aeroklubben i Göteborg - Torslandaepoken | Svenskt flyg och dess män | Taylor The Aerospace Chronology | m fl
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© 1997-2003 Seve Ungermark
The author welcomes your comments under the e-mail address seve AT ungermark.se
This text is © 1977-2003 Seve Ungermark - a senior consultant (PR and corporate communications strategy), during the 1960's and 1970's an aerospace correspondent of Swedish radio and television, during the 1980's vice president corporate communications Swedish aviation industry. Former president (and current honorary member) of The Swedish Association of Aviation Journalists. Also former glider pilot and holder of PPL (multi-engine land under 5,700 kg) and British as well as Swedish licence for hot air balloons. Have (passenger)flown Draken and Viggen fighter aircraft and a Goodyear blimp.
Copyright © 1977-2003 by Seve Ungermark, Stockholm, Sweden. All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced, translated, transmitted or stored in a retrieval system for public or private use without the written permission of the copyright holder. This page was created in June, 1996 and all information as well as web links were correct at the last update.
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