To Valparaiso

Possible South Pacific Air Service—Sydney

Summary of Results of Captain Taylor's Survey

WHEN the Catalina flying-boat Frigate Bird II arrived in Rose Bay, Sydney, on April 22, Captain P. G. Taylor had completed a survey flight of 20,000 miles for the Australian Government, in order to test the feasibility of a com

mercial air-line across the South Pacific; between Australia and Chili (South America).

One member of Captain Taylor’s crew was the well-known Australian journalist: Jack Percival; and the following article by him, which was published in the Sydney Morning Herald of April 28, provides ar admirable summary of the flight, and ol what the famous airman discovered.

THE flying-boat made her most valuable 'flights hundreds, and, in some casei thousands of miles away from air craft bases —where there were no installa tions for servicing or repairs.

Except at Suva, Aitutaki (Cook Islands)!

Satapuala Bay (Western Samoa) and a the Chilian Air Force Base, at Quinteros Valparaiso, fuelling was completed unde; almost unbelievable conditions. In on instance, a delay in fuelling at Eastei Island nearly caused the loss of the flying' boat. Here the fuel had to be brough out into the ocean in boats which hai to shoot the breakers through a gap ii the cliffs.

Polynesian seamen stood by the flying; boat all night in a vicious sea. Order from the crew to these Polynesian seamei were interpreted by Jack Lord, an Aus tralian in charge of a large sheep static; on the island.

Fuel at Mangareva (Gambier Islands was cached under coconut trees on one c the islands of the group. On Captai; Taylor’s instructions this fuel was coverei with fronds to prevent sun deterioration The crew, led by Captain Taylor, had t swim ashore to locate the cache. Th drums were then floated beneath the air craft’s wing on native outrigger canoes.

There was a pleasant servicing surpris at Aitutaki, where we found a forme American Army colonel in charge of th fuel. At the end of the war he had re turned to Aitutaki, where he married, st up a modern American drug store an built a home. The boat in which h brought fuel to the flying-boat wa equipped with all modern servicing equip ment, much of which he had improvise himself.

Later, this former colonel, John Hai rington, renewed our stores with almoa everything required including the b et Australian asparagus, paper plates an serviettes, and plastic cups and saucers..

THE highlights of the flight were tH open ocean “landings” and take-ofl at Easter Island, where there is it sheltered water. The whole coastline the island comprises steep cliffs againt which a heavy surf continually breaks.

Easter Island looks like a gigantic ir dined saucer resting on the sea, II surface is dotted with 15 extinct volcano© and gigantic stone figures each weighir up to 100 tons. Fences on the sher station, which runs about 35,000 sheei three to the acre, are made of stom collected from the defunct volcanoes. tween the craters of the volcanoes thK are wide plains of flat land on which aen dromes of almost unlimited length coin be built at low cost.

There is only one jeep on the islan the usual form of transport being stun Chilean ponies on which the huasos, peons, ride two at a time.

After a 500-foot climb up a cliff face had to ride on one of these ponies to ti opposite side of the island to give instruj

3ns for the delivery of fuel, and to hand r er mail sent by Australian philatelists the post offiice.

It seemed that I was at the head of a vision of cavalry. I was followed by al ost the entire population, all riding ►nies and carrying fish spears.

When I got back I found that the wind id changed. Captain Taylor was worried out the safety of his craft. So we spent I night on the “ship” to find in the arning that she was riding high seas.

Captain Taylor decided to send Captain irvls and the Radio Officer, Mr. A. lison, ashore to try and get a heavy ichor. They were no sooner ashore after hting through the surf when the air aft’s anchors carried away.

Paced with the possibility of losing her .ptain Taylor ordered L’Huillier, the ight Engineer, to start up the engines d then edged the ship to sea.

By alternate use of the port and star ard engines, and with using lowered erons and elevator to catch the wind, sailed the Frigate Bird II six miles to >re sheltered waters. kURING this operation Purvis and ' Allison returned to the cliffs. Purvis said later: “We would see you, then i would go down into the troughs of the is, and it would be some time before saw you again. Time after time we night you would founder.” )n our long flight we saw many islands i atolls seldom visited by ships and rer before by aircraft. Inhabitants were first scared when the flying-boat roared ;r their lagoons as we examined the al formations of certain atolls with the ect of spotting likely sites for landing ips.

They ran inside their grass huts or o banana and coconut plantations, ere they remained for some time be e recovering their wits. Then they k off their cotton or grass skirts and

tried to wave us down into their lagoons.

Most beautiful of the islands we visited were Western Samoa and the Tuamotu or Low Archipelago, the latter in French Oceania. Almost every atoll in the Low Archipelago can be used as either a permanent or emergency base for flying-boats T.™i a J? y thoro is sufficient land for the building of long s ™P S - , , . . . TJ 10 lagoons and islands we flew over by day were fascinating, but many of them were even more attractive bn moonlit

nights. Some ot them stood out on the sea in the moonlight like great necklaces of opals. at t v • . , .. . L,Y flight pin-pointed the louowmg facts: • A commercial air route between Aus tralia and South America is feasible, Almost immediately it could be flown in three days in modern landplanes such as the DC6 and Lockheed Constellation.

This, of course, is contingent upon the construction of an adequate strip on

Easter Island. Already there is a grassed strip of about 4,000 feet there, but it must be surfaced with concrete or some other suitable substance to withstand the wheel loads of modern landplanes.

Probable stops for three days’ com mercial service from Australia to Chile would be: Suva, Aitutaki (Cook Islands), Bora Bora (French Oceania), and Easter Island. • There is an obvious need for a regular South Pacific air service. French Oceania and other islands with large European and wealthy native populations are at present isolated. • Until Captain Taylor made this sur vey flight there was no adequate informa tion concerning atolls on which strips could be built, or about such lagoons as could be used as regular or emergency bases for flying-boats. • Beyond Papeete there is no adequate aviation meteorological co-operation be tween Australia, United Kingdom colonies

and dependencies, New Zealand, France, the United States and South America. • At Aitutaki the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority has maintained strips built by the United States during the war.

Not only have these been maintained, but a number of improvements have been made. • Finally there is much which South American countries can give Australia, and much which Australia can give South America.