Chancing Pattern

Of Cook Islands

Air Services

From Kelvin R. King,

in Auckland, Air New Zealand’s new fortnightly flight to the Cook Islands, which began on October 1, is its first service to the Cook Islands since the flying-boat run ended in September, 1960. The aircraft is a Hawker-Siddeley

748, owned by Fiji Airways (in

April to be renamed Pacific Islands Airways) but chartered to the company.

Air NZ’s jet services to Rarotonga will not begin until the new airport is opened sometime in 1972.

Since the flying-boat withdrawal, there has been only one regular commercial air service linking the Cooks with the rest of the Pacific.

This was between 1963 and 1966 when Polynesian Airlines flew DC3s from Faleolo, Western Samoa. This service was terminated by the inter national restriction on DC3 aircraft limiting them to remaining within 90 minutes of an airstrip.

Over the last four years the Royal New Zealand Air Force has operated Hercules flights to Rarotonga, for some of the time on a regular basis.

But with the commencement of work on Rarotonga International Airport the airstrip could no longer accom modate the Hercules.

And yet there was even more potential traffic then than previously, because of the airport project and other construction and development programmes. An interim regular link therefore became essential and Air NZ, with its enormous commitment to tourist development in the Cook Islands, was the obvious carrier.

But neither Air NZ’s DCBs nor its Electras could land at Rarotonga; and the Aitutaki strip, although able to handle Electras, was impracticable because its coral particles can cause serious damage to Electra and Hercules turbine engines. Further more, it has certain weight restrictions.

It was thus necessary to charter a HS74B from Fiji Airways which is partly owned by Air NZ. On the first flight the aircraft had no special identification but in future it will carry Air NZ markings as well as its usual colours.

The HS74B can land and take off in a very short distance, and under an agreement with the contractor, a

stretch of runway at Rarotonga will be kept open throughout the construc tion period. This will be achieved by changing the site of the runway as construction proceeds.

The new service is open to Cook Islands residents, tourists and other general traffic. But under arrange ment with the major airport project contractor. Air NZ allows a certain number of seats on each flight for construction and development person nel.

Because of this “guaranteed” traffic, and the knowledge that this single link will be well utilised by other government and private travellers, Air NZ has been able to keep the cost of a one-way flight as low as $l6O. But the service must operate at near-capacity loadings to be profitable.

The fortnightly run commences at Nadi Airport, where it connects with a regular flight from NZ. First stop, for technical reasons, is at Tafuna Airport, Pago Pago, and then the aircraft flies direct to Rarotonga. On the Fiji-bound flight an extra stop is made at Aitutaki.

When DCS flights commence, one service will duplicate the temporary “island-hopping” route. Another will be operated direct from Auckland and then on to Honolulu. It’s not yet known whether attempts will be made to arrange flights through Rarotonga to Tahiti.

MEANWHILE, early next year two aircraft that are famous in the South Pacific will be withdrawn from service in favour of custom built Fokker Friendships. They are DC3s of the NZ Ministry of Trans port’s Civil Aviation Division calibra tion flights, which are being replaced to maintain efficiency and cut down transit time.

The two Dakotas have been res ponsible for the calibration (check ing of electronic navigation and com munication equipment) of all major airports in NZ and the South Pacific.

Several flights are made yearly with two basic routes: The shorter, covers New Caledonia’s Tontouta Airport and Nadi in Fiji with transit stops at Norfolk Island. The longer is primarily intended to calibrate Nadi, Tafuna Airport at Pago Pago, Aitutaki and Rarotonga in the Cook Islands and Faaa on Tahiti. Stops are also made at Norfolk, Tontouta and Faleolo, Western Samoa, This latter flight is the world’s longest scheduled DC3 service, while the former is second-longest.

The calibration flight also carries out irregular checks at other South Pacific airports such as those in the

3SeS£s£3

and flight engineer. All are chosen for their expert knowledge and ex perience and their ability to work aS Aftpr an J;v^ a i ,u Alter several years service the crews have become familiar figures on most of the islands they visit and have taken on an almost legendary aura m some areas.

One of the main stories associated with the calibration flight refers to the habit many Fijians at Nadi have of addressing crew members as “Pres”. This apparently started when John F. Kennedy was President of the United States. A calibration crew arrived at Nadi’s Mocambo Hotel and Flight Engineer Jim Young (Jim is the most colourful of a colourful team) passed the silver, white and orange DC3 off as the presidential aircraft and the crew as a presidential group.

Since then all calibration crews have been affectionately called “Pres”, a habit which is enthusiastically reciprocated.

The two DC3s have both had long and interesting careers. One—ZK- AXS was Lord Mountbatten’s personal aircraft during World War IX.

When the planes are gone the crews will remain the same.