Peril At Easter

Book Review:

Island

Taylor’s Exciting Story of S. American Flight

M’OST people know that Captain 1 P. G. Taylor (“Bill” to his thousand friends) in 1951 oneered the South Pacific air ute between Sydney (Australia) id Valparaiso (South America), st as he pioneered the trans icific route to Central America, a Clipperton Island, and the ans-Indian Ocean route, between ustralia and South Africa; but >w many know that, both going and coming from South America, ‘ escaped from disaster at Easter land by a combination of skill, tylor tenacity, and Providence?

Going west, Taylor’s Catalina anlane was caught by darkness id a southerly storm while re elling on the ocean alongside ister Island and could not take :. It rode out the wild night at ichor; began to zigzag slowly over ountainous waves at dawn; was us, during the 10 hours, gradually irked through fearful seas around the lee side of the island; and, led by rockets, got into the air ain 24 hours after the storm oke.

Coming east, 10 days later, the :men had an almost exactly nilar experience, except that they st managed to get air-borne off ing seas as the tempest and the ?ht were closing down upon em.

JHESE are only two of scores of dramatic incidents described by Taylor in his new book, titled Frigate Bird, .iust pub hed by Angus & Robertson, dney. In this full story of the ?ht from Sydney back to Sydney, i meet scores of old friends in lumea, Suva, Apia, Aitutaki and ihiti. “Bill” Taylor and some of 3 four companions were already ill known in South Pacific air msportation and they were seted and feted as heroes in uth America.

Captain Taylor has done some rilous flying in the last 35 years, der folk will remember that it is he who climbed out on a wing Kingsford Smith’s plane during b trans-Tasman pioneer flight a arter-century ago, in order to al with an oil-failure crisis—a it seldom equalled in aviation, it he was never closer to death an he was on at least three Basions in 1951, out over those 00 miles of un - beaconed, ather-torn, virtually landless sea tween French Oceania and the ast Of Chile. (Next Page)

He tells the story very modesth but the flight, from Tahiti to Chil and back to Tahiti, is so packe with risk and adventure, and th thrilling gamble of expert naviga tion pitted against terrifying an uncharted storms, that the boc probably will go into the aviatioc records as one of the most excitin ever written. I could not put down until I had gone with Taylo clear across to Valparaiso and go back through those storms to wan and hospitable Papeete.

TAYLOR is sure that, presently there will be a regular ah service from Australia acros the South Pacific to South Americ —and he is right, of course. Bo his own experiences make it cleai beyond all doubt, that it is a rout for land-planes; and such a servio cannot be contemplated until then are, at Easter Island, not only first-class airfield, but also even modern aid to trans-ocean flying Tropical islands provide calm watej enclosed by coral reefs; and, s there are warm-water archipelagoe right across from Australia tt French Oceania, there are als countless refuges for flying-boat: But, beyond French Oceania, then are no coral-reef islands, and n sheltered water at all for more thaj 4,000 miles.

P. G. Taylor not only rival.

Kingsford Smith as Australia’s mos skilful and successful pioneer ain man: he also has shown grea initiative and courage in establish: ing and developing new air trans port lines. At the present momem he is associated with Messrs. Monk ton and Barnes in the inauguratiox of South Pacific Airlines, whicx plans to start the Honolulu-Tahiij service, with seaplanes, in 1954.

It is strange that, while knightt hoods are handed out ad lib tt vociferous politicians and money? conscious traders for “publii service”, the remarkable record o Captain Taylor is consistently igc nored. However, Canberra’s inr difference to achievement does nco alter the fact that Taylor’s Frigate Bird is the most readable booc published south of the Equator iii

1953.

Rwr.