Sir Gordon Taylor

Visits South America

SIR Gordon Taylor, in an interval between his South Pacific fly ing-boat cruises from Sydney, journeyed by regular air line to South America in October-November.

The visit, naturally, raised speculation as Sir Gordon’s in terest in a possible air connection between Australia and South America is well known. Since he made a survey flight to Valparaiso in the Catalina Frigate Bird 11, in April, 1951, it is believed that noth ing has been done in the way of improving the primitive airstrip on the heights of Easter Island, though it was reported at that time that the Chilean Government planned to develop the strip for strategic reasons.

The only aircraft ever to land there, an amphibious Catalina of the Chilean Air Force, was wrecked on the take-off run in the latter part of 1950, or early 1951.

Sir Gordon’s aircraft, which made sea landings, narrowly escaped dis aster twice in sudden changes of weather, while lying at its open-sea anchorage. In his book on this flight, Sir Gordon said that Easter was out of the question for com mercial flying-boat operations.

It appears probable that when

Australia-South America flights do eventually come, there will be air craft capable of overflying Easter Island; or, more probably, the much shorter polar route will be used.

t To pay off the cost of a concrn floor in a public building, the peo;c of Manihiki atoll, Northern Coco in a MOP shell diving one-day effo’ raised £lOO in October,