Nas asas... do Condor, Our Aces from the Condor...
The German-led Condor syndicate was in the twenties the accelarator of aviation in Brazil. Recently the representative of the Dornier Wal Documentation Center Mr. Fred Nicolau in Natal in Brazil drew my attention on the website of the blogger Marieta Borges from Fernando Norohna.
I hope, you will be able to read my email, otherwise the reprensentative in Brazil is able to help you.
She features this very interesting photograph on her website.
It shows an older Italian built Dornier Wal mail flying boat on the roads of Fernando Norohna.
These were in service in the Syndicato Condor later the VARIG. The pilots of the Condor were in the word of the Brazileans our aces "Nas Asas".
Besides the French effort there were the operations of the Luft Hansa Air Mail Service (from 1934 regularly) to South America v.v..
A German catapultship was stationed off Fernando Norohna servicing the last generation Dornier Wal flying boats.
In the third and latest edition of my book Dornier Wal "a Light coming over the Sea" I describe the German efforts a. o. with letters from a pilot about the catapult launch, life on board of the catapult tenders in Gambia and off Fernando and a.o. a visit to the beached Greek collier on the beach.
The first mate of the catapult tender beached the burning crewless collier as the glowing ship was a danger to the German catapult ship "Westfalen" at anchor on the roads of Fernando Norohna.
In my book there is a letter from the German pilot who describes a visit to the unfortunate ship, which still laid turned around 180 degrees as in comparison with Marieta Borgos photo.
However it offers an opportunity for a calculated guess to date the photo.
The photo must have been taken before the Germans started the regular catapult service with the 8,5 and 10 tons Dornier Wal flying boats.
Before that Italian made Dornier Wals from the Syndicato Condor Ltda occasionally made rendez-vous with a German mail ship to transfer mail for Europe v.v..
This happened for the first time on 22 March 1930 when the Dornier Wal Jagandeiro (Wal 108) transferred mail to the Cap Arcona off Fernando Noronha.
These adventures and many more can only be found in my book Dornier Wal a Light coming over the Sea. The book can be bought through this website.
