▁Australian ▁av iation ▁exper ts ▁were ▁deeply ▁s cept ical ▁about ▁the ▁Sch eme ▁from ▁the ▁start , ▁and ▁were ▁especially ▁concerned ▁that ▁Imperial ▁Air ways ▁had ▁decided ▁on ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁flying ▁boats ▁to ▁operate ▁the ▁new ▁services , ▁even ▁before ▁final ▁agreement ▁was ▁reached . ▁Ged des ▁preferred ▁flying ▁boats ▁because ▁he ▁thought ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁expand ing ▁air fields ▁throughout ▁the ▁Empire ▁would ▁be ▁too ▁great , ▁and ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁fuel ▁would ▁be ▁lower ▁along ▁the ▁coast line ▁in ▁comparison ▁with ▁in land ▁air fields . ▁ ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁flying ▁boats ▁quickly ▁exposed ▁the ▁fra ilt ies ▁of ▁the ▁Sch eme ▁once ▁it ▁became ▁oper ational . ▁The ▁first ▁service ▁from ▁Alexand ria , ▁Egypt ▁began ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁and ▁that ▁to ▁Dur ban , ▁South ▁Africa ▁comm enced ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁However , ▁the ▁service ▁to ▁Australia ▁did ▁not ▁begin ▁until ▁July ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁ow ing ▁to ▁difficulties ▁in ▁building ▁al ight ing ▁stations ▁in ▁the ▁difficult ▁ge ographic ▁and ▁clim atic ▁conditions ▁in ▁northern ▁Australia . ▁The ▁Short ▁C ▁Class ▁‘ Emp ire ’ ▁boats ▁were ▁over - weight , ▁meaning ▁their ▁useful ▁load ▁and ▁hence ▁profit ability ▁were ▁down ▁on ▁specification , ▁and ▁struct ur ally ▁weak , ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁aircraft ▁were ▁easily ▁dam aged . ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁the ▁Sch eme ▁was ▁wra ck ed ▁by ▁crisis , ▁as ▁the ▁frag ile ▁Short s ▁flying ▁boats ▁went ▁out