Planes Now in Use in Papuan
p. 79 · Read in the full issue
Oil Search
THE Australasian Petroleum Co., Pty., Ltd., will soon be using two planes to help in its search for oil in New Guinea.
The second machine —a Sea Otter—left Sydney in late May.
Single 850 h.p. Bristol Mercury engines give the Sea Otter a cruising speed of 100 m.p.h. and it can carry five pas sengers. It is amphibious.
The planes will be used to carry sup plies and passengers to the isolated geological survey parties and to drilling sites, and will also provide ambulance and flying doctor service.
Because of narrow, strong-current rivers and other flying difficulties, great attention has been paid to the choice of pilots. The chief pilot will be Captain Phillip Oakley, of Qantas Empire Air ways Limited, who has more than 4.000 flying hours to his credit and who, during the war, was a member of the famous No. 10 RAAF Squadron, flying Sunderlands from the south of England. The other pilot will be Captain Fox, who was a war time Catalina pilot with the RAAF.