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Haya and  Rodríguez: Seville-Bata / 1931

«…To cover the distance in a single flight between the metropolis and its possessions, foster national industry, bring peoples closer, and enhance Spain’s prestige among the indigenous people» Commander Ángel Pastor Velasco, head of the Aviation Service.

The Aircraft and the Objective

Captain Cipriano Rodríguez Díaz and Lieutenant Carlos de Haya González formed a crew of great feats.

  • With their Breguet XIX Super Bidón n.º 194, christened «Cuatro Vientos», they sought to surpass the world distance record with a payload of 500 kg, 2000 Kg, and 2000 Kg plus 500 Kg of cargo, reaching an average of 220.40 Km/h in this last record. A feat for which they were awarded the prestigious Ramón Prize that year.

In 1931, with the same plane, they prepared a risky raid to link Spain with its Guinea in a single flight. The objective was not only to surpass the world record of 6,879 Km of distance, but to do so via a route that flew over inhospitable and hostile territory. The return would be in successive stages along the African coast.

The Flight to Bata

  • They planned the orthodromic route, the shortest path as it’s a great circle, and used meteorological study provided by the Flight Protection Service. They were equipped with a powerful and modern radio compass for navigation, which everyone called «Curculate». De Haya carried a heated flight suit and provisions including hard-boiled eggs, roasted chicken, dried fruit, coffee, chocolate, a prayer book, and a photograph of his home.
  • They took off from Tablada on the morning of December 24th, 1930, to take advantage of the full moon night. The Breguet XIX with a 600 hp Hispano Suiza engine sounded smooth.
  • At 1:00 AM, the Tablada sky offered a «sublime Curculate conspiracy»… «with no visibility and therefore no stars, we confined ourselves to celebrating the journey with a cup of cognac.»

At 9:11 PM, after flying 4,312 km, they landed at the improvised aerodrome of Bata, accomplishing the goal of linking Spain with Guinea in a single flight.

Records and Feat

Flight Details:

December 24th, 1930 – January 25th, 1931 4,312 Km. 21 hours, 11 minutes (Non-stop) World Record for distance with 500 kg, 2,000 kg, and 2,000 km payload.