During the pre-war era, flying boats had been preferred for conducting long-distance flights as, unlike their land-based counterparts, they were not limited by available runway length – the majority of which were still grass-surfaced at this point – and as a long range aeroplane would be required to carry a large load of fuel, a larger size of the aircraft could be permitted without needing to cater for factors such as limited runway and airfield sizes. In addition, for services to far-flung parts of the British Empire, the ability to land and take-off from any available area of water was a distinct advantage for services to such places, many of which at the time had no airport facilities at all. With the end of the Second World War, flying boats services were resumed with other types being operated, such as the Short Hythe, Short Sandringham, and Short Solent. However, the war had also produced a legacy of large runways and sizable airports formerly used for military purposes that could now meet the needs of a larger generation of land aircraft.