Refueling.
Modern General Aviation Class pilots may land and refuel at any airport. The concept "Prepared Fuel Stops" does not apply to the Modern GA Class.
For the Golden Age Class, only a limited number of airfields are Prepared Refueling Points. Once outside of Europe, the availability of AVGAS was highly uncertain in the '30s . In the event, the organizing committee had to pull some "colonial" weight to get these stops set up with proper Avgas and Oil and to insure that the often-rough aero-dromes were upgraded with the proper facilities. This list includes the airports prepared for the 1934 race as well as a few others commonly used by long-distance fliers in the 1930s.
Prepared Fuel Stops for the Golden Age Class
(Some substitutions where necessary.)
London, England. Mildenhall AB [EGUN]
***
Paris, France. Le Bourget [LFPB]
*
Lyon, France. Bron [LFLY]
*
Marseille, France. Marignane [LFML]
**
Rome, Italy. Ciampino [LIRA]
**
Brindisi, Italy. Casale [LIBR]
*
Halle-Leipzig, Germany. [EDDP]
*
Vienna, Austria. [LOWW]
*
Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Dojno Polje [LYBE]
*
Bucharest, Romania. Baneasa (LRBS)
*
Athens, Greece. Hellinikon [LGAT]
**
Iraklion,Crete, Greece. [LGIR]
*
Akrotiri, Cyprus. (Britain) [LCRA]
*
Mersa Matruh, Egypt. [HEMM]
*
Cairo, Egypt. Amaza [HEAZ]
*
Lydda, Palestine.( British Mandate) (now Tel Aviv Ben Gurion) [LLBG]
*
Beruit, Lebanon, Syria. (French Mandate) [OLBA]
*
Aleppo, Syria (French Mandate). [OSAP]
**
Baghdad, Iraq (British Mandate). [ORBS] [ORBI-FSX]
***
Bushehr, Persia. [OIBB]
**
Jask, Persia. [OIZJ]
**
Gwadar, Sultanate of Oman (now Pakistan) [OPGD]
*
Karachi, India (Britain) (now Pakistan). Jinnah Intl [OPKC]
**
Jodhpur, India (Britain). [VIJO]
**
Agra, India (Britain). [VIAG]
*
Allahabad, India (Britain). [VIAL]
***
Calcutta, India (Britain). Dum Dum (now Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose) [VECC]
**
Akyab, Burma (Britain). (now Sittwe or Site-tway) [VYSW]
*
Rangoon, Burma (Britain). (now Yangon) [VYYY]
**
Bangkok, Siam. [VTBD]
**
Alor Star, Malaya (Britain). [WMKA]
**
Singapore (Britain). Seletar [WSSL]
***
Medan, Sumatra, Netherlands Indies. (Polonia) [WIMM]
*
Palembang, Sumatra, Netherlands Indies. [WIPP]
*
Batavia, Java, Netherlands Indies. (Jakarta Halim Intl) [WIIH] [WIHH-FSX]
**
Bandung, Java, Netherlands Indies. [WIBB] [WICC-FSX]
*
Surabaya, Java, Netherlands Indies. [WRSJ] [WARR-FSX]
*
(Rambang, Lombok, Netherlands Indies.) Selaparang [WRRA] [WADA-FSX]
**
Kupang, Timor, Netherlands Indies. El Tari [WRKK] [WATT-FSX]
**
Port Darwin, Australia. [YPDN]
***
(Newcastle Waters, Australia) Tennant Creek [YTNK]
**
Cloncurry, Australia. [YCCY]
**
Charleville, Australia. [YBCV]
***
Narromine, Australia. [YNRM]
**
Melbourne (Flemington Racecourse), Australia. Essendon [YMEN]
***
Notes.
***Compulsory Checkpoint Control Stop
** Prepared Refueling Stations (1934)
* Additional Airports from the 1930s
Observe that this Prepared Refueling Points restriction increases the navigational chal-lenge. First, the pilot must calculate fuel consumption to be sure to reach these fields. And second, this requires slightly more precise navigation/planning so as to be able to hit the right field. (Many cities changed airports since 1934. Substitutions here aim to keep the routing decisions similar to those faced during the 1930s and to include multiple run-ways for "into the wind" operations so important for earlier aircraft.)
Refueling at Other "Unprepared" Airports.
Golden Age pilots may land and refuel at other "unprepared" airfields. However, each such landing or refueling will incur an additional one hour "Uncertainty Cost" which is added to the total time. This cost represents the probability that one will find no fuel or oil, or get the wrong grade of fuel, or hit a hole in an unprepared field, or get detained by the local officials. And it compensates for the fact that in 1934 there were not nearly so many airports from which to choose. (Two telling examples: (a) The Mollisons stopped for fuel at an unexpected place. They had to convince the local bus service to contribute fuel. Using that fuel, their engines seized up and the Mollisons had to abandon the race. (b) The American team of Jack Wright and John Polando in the Monocoupe stopped un-expectedly for fuel in Persia. They were arrested as spies and held for a few days.) Need-less to say, one cannot refuel at a non-airport site.
(you guys asked for it!) flew around Iran - did they need to?
