The Cooks are in the jet age

The Cook Islanders have had few, if any, chances to commission new air services with ceremony. But they made up for it on November 26, and again on December 1, when the two new services were inaugurated. And there is a third chance coming up on January 28 when the Queen officially opens Rarotonga’s new jet airport.

On November 26, Cook Islands Airways’ Britten Norman Islander launched the Rarotonga-Aitutaki ser vice. There was a brief ceremony at Rarotonga, when a VIP party boar ded the aircraft for the 140-mile flight to Aitutaki. At Aitutaki, they were welcomed by the Resident Agent, the Island Council, Ui Ariki fa body of chiefs who are tradition al leaders), and a guard of honour formed by children from the secon dary and primary schools.

Later there was a Cook Islands’ style feast and a dancing exhibition.

The island councillors and the Ui Ariki were taken for a flight.

Airstrips are being developed in three of the southern islands—Atiu, Mangaia and Mitiaro, to link into the local service.

Premier Albert Henry was on hand to welcome the first Air New Zeal and DCS jet flight from Auckland on December 1. It was estimated that more than half Rarotonga’s population of 11,000 turned out to watch the jet land in wet weather.

But the weather did not dampen the spirits of the islanders, who welcomed the jet with song and dance. Among the New Zealand party were the Minister of Civil Aviation, Dr Martyn Finlay, the Minister of Tourism, Mrs Tirikatene-Sullivan, and the chairman of Air New Zealand, Sir

Geoffrey Roberts.

Mr L. A. (Joe) Lawton, who navigated the first aircraft to land on a newly-laid airstrip at Raro tonga about 30 years ago, notched another “first” on December 2, when he navigated an Air New Zealand DCS jet to Rarotonga’s new airport. This flight inaugu rated the Auckland-Rarotonga re turn service. And he was back in Auckland the same evening.

In the “good old days” his trips to the Cook Islands and back took 10 days, including a three-day stopover at Rarotonga. And those early flights, by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, covered part of what was to become the Coral Route when TEAL (now Air New Zealand) launched the Auckland- Tahiti flying-boat service.

The first flight, in 1944, in a RNZAF twin-engined Lodestar, carrying the New Zealand Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, was via Fiji, Western Samoa, Penrhyn and Aitutaki.

After World War 11, the NZ National Airways Corporation (NAC) took over the Islands ser-

vice from the RNZAF. Mr Law ton joined NAC as a navigator, flying in DC3s through the islands to Rarotonga. He joined Air New Zealand in 1951.

All Rarotonga turned up to greet Air New Zealand's DC-8 and despite the rain there were few solemn faces in this section of the crowd.

Joe Lawton.