Cook Islands

Need a Local Air Service

' T'HE following article is condensed from *■ “White’s Aviation” where it appeared under the heading “Here’s an Oppor tunity for Two New Zealanders.” For two New Zealanders, read two airmen— they don’t necessarily have to be Maori landers.

There is no doubt that the Cook Is landers are air minded enough to support such an air service; the only catch seems to be that the socialistic governments of England, Australia and New Zealand are also airminded and that as soon as any air service has outgrown its teethixg troubles and established itself soundly it is rnarked down for nationalisation.

THERE is an opportunity in the Cook Islands for two enterprising young New Zealanders. They would need capital, but some of that would be forth coming in the islands, and they would need an aircraft like the Miles Aerovan.

One would need to be a pilot and the other an aeronautical engineer.

There are four islands within 340 fhiles of Rarotonga, the principal island in the Cook group. Regular passenger and freight services to those islands would keep an Aerovan fully employed. Indeed, one of the major difficulties preventing the develooment of all the Pacific Islands has been transport. An air service that would bring the major Cook Islands within an hour of each other would have the blessing of traders and Government officials, and it would also have the bless ing of the native Maoris.

It is quite unnecessary to enlarge upon the reception the Cook Island Maoris would give the operators of an air service.

Passengers would be offering for years to come. The operators would be men of im portance.

There is the example provided by the Maoris of Atiu. They decided that they needed an air service and they built an airstrip. Eve*~* able-bodied man applied himself to the job. They still have no air service. The Government has promised them a boat.

But the lesson to be learnt from Atiu is that the operators of an aircraft would not need to worry very much about the construction and maintenance of airstrips.

Aitutaki, one of the islands, already has one, and it is used by the Dakota service from New Zealand. What the Maoris did on Atiu others could do on Mauke and Mangaia. An aircraft would just need to arrive in the grouu and airstrips would follow.

As the Cook Islands are a New Zealand dependency, it is quite likely that the New Zealand Government would be interested in granting a subsidy for an internal air service. It has promised an odd boat or two which it does not seem to be able to provide, and a bit of help for an air ser vice woqld enhance the value of those promises. Moreover, from the point of view of ambulance work, the Govern ment could not afford to ignore such ai air service. A trip of 100 miles by launch does not give serious hospital cases much of a chance.

The New Zealand Government has ob viously decided that the regional Dakota service which operates to the Cook Islands is useful for the transport of officials. The islands, since that service was instituted, have seen more officials than they have ever seen before, which, from the point of view of giving the Islanders a better deal has had advantages. So if those official could be transported by air around all the principal islands, everybody would bene- As for an aircraft, the Miles Aerovan has been suggested because it meets with

nearly all the requirements for such a service. It will carry a load of one ton and can be readily .converted for passenger carrying. It can either be fitted as a six or 10-passenger transport.

The Aerovan has two engines and a range of 400 miles, and in the Cook Is lands its fuel capacity of 48 gallons would make return trips quite simple. In fact, it could visit two or more islands before returning to Rarotonga.

Another point in favour of the Aerovan is that a crew of one is quite adequate. A partnership consisting of a pilot and en gineer could readily operate a service in the Cook Islands. It would be necessary, of course, to hold a spare engine and an adequate supply of spare parts. But there would be no difficulty in building a small hangar and workshop near the airstrip et Rarotonga.

As yet there has been no definite an

nouncement about the price of an Aero van in New Zealand, but one Is expected to arrive in the country at no distant date. Considering the likely price of the aircraft, the capital required to operate the island service should be quite reason able. It is known that one leading trader

at Rarotonga would be willing to invest some money in the venture as an indica tion of his belief that it would be a com plete success.

Anyway, as businesses go to-day, thi capital required would not be excessive.

Moreover, the business would be estab lished in a group of islands which defin itely have a future as a South Seas tour ist resort.