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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 0889.PDF
APRIL 18, 1935. FLIGHT. 429 WVATE tr "~V3 FLYING LORD SEMPILL VISITS THE GUINEA GOLDFIELDS AND DESCRIBES THE IMPORTANT PART WHiGH AIRCRAFT PLAY IN THEIR OPERATION O N landing at Port Moresby I found that the pilot of the " box Moth " 1 haa seen from the air was Mr. Denny, who had come from the headquarters of Guinea Airways at Wau to meet me. Realising that there were no maps of the country, they had very kindly arranged tor him to show me the way into the interior. Having been asked to dine with the Lieutenant Governor, Sir Hubert Murray., I stayed the night at Port Moresby and was very glad indeed to have the opportunity of learn ing from its chief representative something of the fine work that is being done to develop the country. Sir Hubert, who is a brother of Sir Gilbert Murray, has been in Papua tor a long time and is a remarkably well-informed man. On the next morning Mr. Denny and I started-out quite early, and I followed him for two hundred miles into New Guinea to Wau, which is the main aerodrome serving the goldfields. Mr. Denny, who was in the Royal Australian Air Force, is an excellent pilot and a most competent man, typical of that nne boay of airmen who have made unique flying history in New Guinea. My first flight over these mountainous regions brought home to me the arduous conditions under which air transport operates in that part ol the world. Without maps, Mr. Denny's guidance gave me a sense of security as we climbed through the clouds to 12,000 feet. Alter two hours' flying he started to come down through the various cloud layers and presently I saw a collection of buildings and then a long landing strip sloping steeply upwards, on the side of which were various aircraft, including three-engined Junkers. The landing ground at Wau has a gradient of about one in twelve, and the slope is so marked that unless air-; craft have very efficient brakes, chocks have to be placed under the wheels before the pilot switches off the engine to prevent the machine running backwards down the hill. Heavy Rain YV7 E found on landing that there had been doubt as to ** whether we should be able to make it on that day, as there was a lot of .faeavy .cloud in the interior. As is often the case there had ;been a tremendous flood of rain during the night, and I was told, in fact, that the landing strip resembled a mountain torrent. Had not the ground been on a slope it would almost certainly have been un suitable for landing on the morning of our arrival. Although air transport has been utilised to good effect in gold-mining regions in various parts of the world, the part plav d by aviation in the opening up of the New Guinea Goldfields is unique, and there is probably no more romantic air service in the world to-day than that of the pioneering company, Guine*. Airways, Ltd. When, in 1926, rich gold discoveries were made by prospectors at Edie Creek, the difficulties of transport threatened substantially to curtail operations. Native carriers could travel only about five miles a day, and a large proportion of their carrying capacity was taken up in the conveyance of food for the journey from the shore base to the goldfields. Added to the difficulty of foot transport was the danger of attacks by the uncivilised natives who, not unnaturally, resented the coming of the white man. It was recognised that if these valuable deposits were to be worked profitably some other moans of transport must be found, and the newly formed companv, Gui.ien.Gold, NX.., decided to inaugurate a service by air. For this purpose a D.H.37 machine was New Guinea's Goldfields acquired and operations were commenced in April, 1927. At the end of the year Guinea Airways, Ltd., took over the service and in 1928 purchased two Junkers W.34 machines. An enormous amount of freight was earned from the shore base to the mining centre from the inception of the new company; everything was carried by air; machinery, stores and equipment of every description as well as passengers and the gold was conveyed by the same means. Guinea Airways air fleet consists of four Junkers—two W.34s, one G.31 and one F.13 ; two " Gipsy Moths " ; two " tox Moths," and a Ford Tri-motor. The company operates, in addition, three Junkers G.31 machines owned by fiulolo Gold Dredging, Ltd. Up to the end of November, 1934, the total amount of cargo carried was ,21,400 short tons. The mileage flown was 1,882,160, and the number of flights made 17,306. Apart from the freight Conveyed 24,760 passengers were carried during this period. The present carrying capacitv ot the company's fleet per trip works out at 17.2 tons, so that on the basis of three trips per day for six days a week, the total tonnage which can be transported in one week amounts, therefore, to 309 short tons. Fantastic Fact AS I flew over the Bulolo River and saw one of the 1 dredgers used in the recovery of gold, it seemed fan tastic when one realised that every pound of material for the erection of this vast mechanical contraption, weighing well over a thousand tons, had been brought in by air— mainly on the three-engined Junkers. Other flying organisations which have done good work in New Guinea are Holden's Air 'transport Services, Ltd., and Pacific Aerial Transport, Ltd. The first-named com pany owed its inception to Captain L. H. Holden, A.F.C., iVi.C, well known as the pilot who was responsible for the rescue of Kingsford Smith and Ulm when the " Southern Cross " was lost in North West Australia in 1929. He realised the field for air transport in New Guinea, the growing mining community having to rely almost entirely on supplies brought by aeroplane, and in 1931 commenced operations from Salamaua to Wau with a D.H.61 machine on which he had previously engaged in commercial flying in Australia. So appreciated were the possibilities of the service commenced by Captain Holden that when he was unfortunately killed as a passenger when on a visit to Sydney for the purpose of acquiring a second machine, the local residents readily helped to find financial support for the purpose of forming a company to continue his work. With a capital of /"25,ooo, this company showed a good profit on its first year's operations. Future Possibilities SUBSTANTIAL as the gold-mining industry has be come, the possibilities are by no means exhausted. In its further development aircraft are likely to play an even greater part than hitherto. The utility of the aero plane for prospecting purposes has already been proved in other regions, and it is understood that Messrs. Hemming and Partners, who have already been engaged on survev and photographic work for the Bulolo Company, will shortly begin the survey of a large concession obtained by the Oroville Dredging Co., Ltd. It is proposed to carry out this work with a Short " Scion '.' seaplane from bases on the Fly River. Gold has already been found on parts of this concession.
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