New Air Age For
p. 22 · Read in the full issue
The Highlands
The architect of New Guinea’s most fantastic show, Western Dis trict Commissioner Tom Ellis (above) is now about to concentrate his renowned organising ability on another objective—that of establish ing the Highlands’ first major air strip. (For the show story see p. 25).
THE pegs are already in the ground for the strip which will have a main runway of 9,000 ft with a 2,500 ft cross strip for light aircraft.
The main runway will take aircraft up to DC6A freighter standard.
The site is at Kagamuga, near Korn agricultural station, about six miles out of Hagen.
Hagen’s present strip—the one that took all the aircraft for the big show —is to be closed and the area used for housing. The present strip is 4,110 ft, and with an average of 300 DC3 movements a month, mostly from Madang, it has virtually reached saturation point. More than 4i million lbs of freight were brought in to Hagen in 1960-61 on that strip.
Tom Ellis plans to get his big new gravel strip down in the next few months. Later it will be sealed.
It will be more than just another air strip for Hagen—it will usher in a whole new era of Highlands avia tion, and make it possible for big aircraft to land right in the heart of New Guinea from Australia.