Aviation Progress In Papua
pp. 62-63 · Read in the full issue
New Landing Ground at Ioma, Northern Division
From Our Own Correspondent.
Pt. Moresby, Sept. 26.
ANEW landing ground for Guinea Air ways Ltd. has been completed at loma, in the Northern Division, a short distance from the Government station there. It is situated to the north of Kokoda, where a landing stage has been established for some time past at Ebei on the Yodda River for the con venience of Yodda Goldfields Ltd.
On August 30 the first flight was made by Orme Denny, Guinea Airways’ well known pilot, in a Junkers machine, fly ing from Port Moresby to the Yodda for purposes of inspection. A successful
landing was made and the ’drome was found to be in excellent condition. In future it will be used as an emergency landing ground on the Port Moresby-Wau air route.
The usual journey overland from the Yodda field to loma takes just over five days. The Junkers covered the distance in less than half an hour.
It is understood that, besides the new aerodrome at loma, another landing ground will shortly be constructed at Daru, the Government centre in the Wes tern Division. This new ’drome will be used as an emergency landing ground for
Guinea Airways’
Junkers machine on the new Ioma landing ground in the northern division of Papua. The photo, gives a good indication of the wild country sur rounding the aerodrome.
’planes flying from Somerset (at the tip of Cape York Peninsula, North Queensland) and Thursday Island to Port On September 18 Guinea Airways’ Ford ’plane, with Orme Denny as pilot, made its first landing on the Bulldog ’drome, the landing ground on the Lakekamu goldfields constructed by Guinea Gold N.L. Owing to excessive rains the ground was not in its best condition; in spite of this a successful landing was made and the ’plane took off for Port Moresby and returned to Wau the following day with passengers from the Macdhui for the goldfields.
The R.A.A.F. Southampton flying boat, in charge of Squadron-Leader A. E. Hempel, Pilot-Officer L. E. Burt and a crew of three, arrived in Port Moresby from Yule Island on September 5. En route they examined the coastline from Daru for possible landing grounds, calling in at Kikori, Kerema and Yule Island.
On September 13, Squadron-Leader Hempel made a flight to Bulldog and Wau in Guinea Airways’ ’plane, returning to Port Moresby on September 18. The Southampton will proceed shortly to Darwin via Daru after the arrival of engine parts from Australia.