TRAINING FOR NAVIGATORS

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25994, 23 December 1949, Page 6

TRAINING FOR NAVIGATORS

FLIGHTS TO ISLAND IN KERMADECS MOSQUITO AIRCRAFT FROM OHAKEA (New Zealand Press Association) ; AUCKLAND, December 22. Using only basic navigational aids, navigators of Mosquito aircraft of No. 75 Fighter-Bomber Squadron, Ohakea, are achieving extremely high technical performances in long-range flights to a small isolated rock in the Kermadec group. In the last fortnight five aircraft have made the flight and all have been within sight of the rock at their estimated of arrival. The average error after a flight across the open sea of hundreds of miles has been only fivd or six miles. The turning point for the flights is L’Esperance Rock, a southern islet of the Kermadec group, more than 50 miles to the south-west of the main islands. The rock is about 230 t feet high and covers only 12 acres. Tire only feature within miles is Havre Rock, which lies just awash seven miles to the north-west of L’Esperance Rock. The only inhabitants are seabirds. Squadron Leader C. H. Baigent, officer commanding No. 75 Squadron, said in a telephone interview from Ohakea yesterday that long-range flights to L’Esperance Rock began on December 7 after Mosquito crews had trained on flights from Ohakea to Cape Maria van Diemen and to the Chatham Islands. The aircraft took off from Ohakea about 6.30 a.m and returned to their base about six hours later. The return flight was of about 1400 statute miles, extra petrol tanks being necessary.