Flying-Boat
p. 147 · Read in the full issue
Wrecked
At Tokelaus
WHEN taking off from Nukonono lagoon T °k elau islands, on August 31, an RNZAF Sunder land flying-boat was holed and oadly damaged when it struck a Saivage was reported as unlikely, though the mishap occurred in shallow water and the aircraft did not sink.
Thf aircraft, one of the RNZAF’s No. 5 Flying-boat Squadron based at Lauciala Bay, Fiji, was com* manded by Flying Officer J. Laing It was on a routine quarterly flight to the Tqkelaus with six Govern ment officials from Apia.
It was expected that another Sunderland would proceed to Nuku nono to fly out the stranded per sonnel.
The RNZAF has a mooring buoy in Nukunono lagoon. Normally an aircraft remains overnight there and makes daytime visits to the other two atolls, Atafu in the north west, and Fakaofu in the south east.
Several years ago a Catalina fly mg-boat of No. 5 Squadron, taking off for the Tokelaus from Sata- Puala Seadrome, Western Samoa, crashed with the loss of several lives. t One out of every six members of the P-NG public service is under taking a course of study with the Public Service Institute. Present enrolment is 200. t An average of 16,271 passengers pass daily through the Suva Bus Terminal, and the Saturday average is 21,771. About 890 buses arrive and depart every day.