Captain Moody Flies 20,000 Miles—

Aerial Tour In New Guinea.

IT is inevitable that the seaplane will play an important part in the future development of the Pacific Islands groups and territories. It is the obvious vehicle of communication between islands scattered over comparatively calm seas, in a region where coal and petrol are necessarily costly. The low prices of Islands products , with re stricted spending power, are retarding this form of enterprise for the present, but when economic stability returns there is going to be a remarkable de mand for aeroplanes and seaplanes for the Pacific.

IN view of these things, the recent aerial tour of Papua and New Guinea, made by Captain P. H.

Moody, a well-known Sydney pilot, is full of interest. Captain Moody, for a time, did pioneer work in the air trans port service between Lae and the Bulolo goldfield. Unfortunately, through an accident, the Ryan monoplane he was flying crashed into Huon Gulf, and was lost; and he returned to Australia.

A few months ago, Captain Moody fitted floats to a De Havilland aero plane which thereupon acquired the name of "Puss in Boots”— and headed north to demonstrate the value of a seaplane to the Papuan and New

Guinea communities. He had a re markable tour —including- Daru, Ker ema, Port Moresby, Dedele, Samarai, Normanby Island, Tufi, Mambari, Sala maua, Finschafen, Iboki, Talasea, Pon do, Rabaul, and several plantations in New Ireland.

Captain Moody did valuable work in introducing his ’plane as a method of quick, cheap communication. He spent a month at Rabaul, and a fortnight at Port Moresby and Samarai; and at each centre the ’plane was freely hired for trips to outlying islands and plan tations. The receipts were quite con siderable: but the promoter reported no profit, because of the heavy damage done to the ’plane by the humid, tropi cal climate, making expensive re-con ditioning necessary.

From the time he left Brisbane, until he returned, Captain Moody flew 20,000 miles —probably the biggest commercial

PHOTOGRAPHS OF CAPTAIN MOODY AND HIS AEROPLANE, PUSS-IN-BOOTS,” ON THEIR RECENT 20,000 MILES TOUR IN THE NORTHERN ISLANDS, 1.—A portion of Rabaul, chief town of New Guinea, showing the avenues of mango trees, the Government wharves, and the big stores of Messrs. Burns, Philp & Co., Ltd., and W. R. Carpenter & Co., Ltd. 2.—Looking from the aeroplane into a small crater in New Britain, near Rabaul. This creater smokes occasionally. 3.—Thursday Island, with Prince of Wales Island in background. The town's water supply is seen in the foreground: while the world’s smallest golf-links may be seen in the middle foreground. 4.—Chief Judge Wanliss, of New Guinea, about to take the air with Captain Moody. The Judge is a keen airman, and made several flights over Rabaul. On one occasion, from 4000 feet, he could see the mountain, “The Father,” 100 miles away.