Over Fiji Airways

Drovers Grounded Again

Qantas Finally Takes Over Fiji Airways

Grounding of Fiji Airways’

Drover planes shortly after the

airline was taken over by Qantas

Airways disrupted services in

Fiji for a few days in early May.

Inspection had shown that a

modification of the “centre engine

attachment point” was necessary.

THE grounding probably indicates that Qantas is still wary of this particular type of plane wh ; ch the company itself used in New Guinea for a few years un L il re placed by the current Beavers.

The 3-engined Drovers were made for the Australian Flying-Doctor service, but some of the plnnes wte taken to New Guinea by Qantas for use on routes where DOS’s were unsuitable.

In the Territory there we”e two serious accidents involving D’-overs —in one the plane went down into the sea off Lae and all on board perished, and in the other, the nlane was forced down in the sea between Wewak and Manus and on - ' ru’or was seriously injured. Th-* was attributed to a propeller weak ness.

Wh°n the Drovers wer -5 chased by Fiji Airways in the propellers we v e mod’fihd. T'his affected their rate of climh hrt it mattered little in Fiji where nlan°s seldom have to fly above 3.000 ft.

Last February all the Drovers

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grounded because of “metal i” found in one of the air (PIM, March, p. 117). The s were resumed in a couple ks after an expert had been rom Australia to take a look.

New Planes Coming as has already indicated that overs will be replaced in the srvice with larger aircraft, niting factor here, of course, development of aerodromes Colony. service between Nadi and i could be carried out with Dr planes of equivalent size— ie original purpose of Fiji s was not only to provide k-line service between Suva ri) and Nadi, the inter il airport, but also to service ter islands whose only other of communication with the ;land of the Group was small and vessels. airstrips in the outer islands . up to Civil Aviation require for planes of the DC3 size, as is anxious to consolidate :pand its operations in Fiji only on the profit-making, ■important Nadi-Nausori ser it in the community-serving ervices. It will be a matter ing the right aircraft to suit circumstances.

jptain Mant Appointed

purchase of Fiji Airways by became official from April e change in ownership fol the death last year of Mr.

Gatty, founder of the air -1951. as has appointed Captain R. it, formery Assistant Opera

lanager (Administration), in

, as the Fiji manager, rentiy the name Fiji Air ; to be retained.

Airways since its inaugurat ed carried on its sales and functions through Hunt’s Agency, Fiji, but Qantas has t up a brand new Fiji Air ooking Office in the Victoria in Suva.

Airways staff of five pilots w ground engineers will be d by Qantas.