15 September 2011
All to soon it was time to leave Sanbis Resort…another gem in paradise. Sunrise heralded the prospect of a good flying day ahead for the run through to Papua New Guinea.
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| Sanbis Resort |
Prior arrangements had been made to pick-up Customs and Immigration officers from Gizo and ferry them by Sanbis speedboat over to Gizo airport. Like a mirage they appeared on time all smartly attired to stamp passports and the all important General Declaration that is required for an aircraft to enter the next country. Prior arrangements are notoriously casual in the Solomon Islands so the early arrival of government officials was greeted with some measure of disbelief. We had earlier been told news of our five 'private jets' flying through the Solomon Islands had made the national newspaper. Certainly the presence of five aircraft, private jets or otherwise, on Gizo airport at one time would have been a first since WWII. However, whatever the motivation departure formalities were completed ahead of expectations and by 9am Comanche-5 had settled in at 8,500 feet cruising on the direct track from Gizo to Tokua Airport, near Rabaul in Papua New Guinea.
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| Passing Bouganville |
Rabaul is where our Coral Sea Safari was conceived almost exactly one year ago. The idea arose as the participants of today's Comanche-5 group of flyers were relaxing in the tepid sea-water off Kokopo Beach Resort…and so it was, in the manner of a ritual that we all gathered once again in the sea off Kokopo Beach Resort. As surely as the sunrise earlier that day it did not take long before the topic of conversation became focused on the prospect of a future safari somewhere else. Although we had yet to fly across Papua New Guinea before touching down in Australia, our return to Rabaul via the Coral Sea route symbolized the realization of a significant Bazflyer achievement.
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| Landing Tokua Airport |
Tomorrow is the 36th anniversary of PNG Independence. The Bazflyers and their family were in Aitape in 1977 for the 2nd PNG Independence Day celebrations. How time passes…!
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