Successful Flight of

Frigate Bird II: Australia —South America Capt. Taylor Makes Adventure Seem Easy

C CAPTAIN P. G. Taylor with his crew J of three and a RAAF-supplied Catalina, Frigate Bird 11, reached Chile from Australia in 13 days in the course of the survey flight that he under took last month.

He left Australia on March 14 and made landings at Noumea, Suva, Satapuala Bay (Samoa), Aitutaki, Papeete, Margareva and Easter Island, before reaching Valparaiso.

The survey flight was sponsored by the Australian government and the RAAF fitted special equipment to the Catalina so that Captain Taylor would have the

advantage of jet-assisted take-off at Easter Island, should he need it.

As was anticipated, JETO was required at Easter where there is no sheltered an chorage but, with the aid of this equip ment, Frigate Bird II was airborne in a matter of seconds.

At Valparaiso, Taylor and his crew were feted by the Chilean Government who conferred a decoration on Taylor.

Frigate Bird II left Valparaiso on its return flight to Australia in early April.

While in Chile Captain Taylor said that although the survey flight had taken 13 days on the eastward flight, the 8,000 mile journey could eventually be accomplished in three days by commercial plane. A great deal of preliminary work would have to be done first, however, on intermediate islands.

Two Missionary Aviation Fellowship pilots, Mr. E. B. Hartwig and Mr. R, Hutchins, left Sydney for Madang, New Guinea in early April flying an Auster Autocar plane. From their headquarters in Madang they will undertake flying jobs for the Lutheran and Baptist Missions in New Guinea.

Captain Taylor shortly before he left Laucala Bay. Suva, on his eastward flight. He is shown receiving a mail bag from a Fiji Postal official.

Mr. Bert Henry. —Photo by C. L. Cheng.