Pacific Islands

Seaplanes for the Pacific Islands Fiji’s Ideal Conditions Wide Use of Planes When Depression Lifts

INTERESTING facts concerning the development of aviation in Fiji were given to The New Zea land Herald by Mr. W. Man, who recently returned to Auckland after nine months’ flying in Fiji. Dur ing that period, Mr. Man was pilot of the three-seater Domier flying boat belonging to Mr. A. H. Mar low, the well-known Suva building contractor.

Mr. Man said that conditions in the Group were almost ideal for machines of a suitable type. Land locked waters abounded on every coast and many of them contained beaches of good hard sand upon which a flying boat or seaplane could be hauled up.

He did not find that the hurricanes were a drawback to aviation, as there was always fairly good warning of their approach. A larger wfiite popu-

lation would stimulate aviation in the Pacific; but he was convinced that when the present depression lifted and trade developed, flying boats and sea planes would be widely used by the present population.

The Fiji Government was very anxious to develop aviation, but any plans it had were shelved for the pre sent owing to lack of money. For the same economic reason Mr. Marlow had dismantled and stored the flying boat until times improved.

Mr. Man spoke highly of the flying done under difficulties by Mr. Chalm ers, a Suva solicitor, who imported a Moth aeroplane some time ago, but later shipped it to Auckland and dis posed of it.

There were too few landing grounds in Fiji for land machines to be of much use, he said, and in any case most of the towns and settlements were on or near the sea.

The type of Moth in use in Fiji.