Air-Born

Stories of babies being born in taxis while their mothers are being taken to hospital crop up in the cities quite often these days. But it's a rare occasion to read of a baby being born in a plane—as happened near Rabaul recently.

The plane, TAA's Rabaul-based Piper Aztec, landed at Tol planta tion, 65 miles south of Rabaul, where Leslie Atui, a native medical assistant, brought word that a pregnant native woman was seriously ill and should be taken to Rabaul for treatment.

Two seats of the six-seater plane were removed to make way for a stretcher bearing the woman, and she was taken aboard (picture 1).

But as the plane taxied for take off, the baby arrived (picture 2) —the birth being assisted by Leslie Atui and New Britain's Acting District Commissioner, Ted Hicks, who happened to be aboard. The woman was therefore taken off the plane again (picture 3), and she and her child were driven home. In picture 4, Leslie examines the new baby.

The pictures were taken by Sub- Inspector Max Hayes, of Rabaul Police, who happened to be on the spot.