Between 14
March and 20 April 1951 Captain P G Taylor and crew flew PB2B-2 Catalina
VH-ASA Frigate Bird II on an experimental flight between Australia
and Chile, and return. This was the first ever air crossing of the South
Pacific.
This photo shows Minister for Air Thomas White farewelling the crew at Rose Bay flying boat base, NSW. The crew members, dressed in uniforms specially designed by Taylor for the flight are, L-R: Capt. P G 'Bill' Taylor, Capt. Harry Purvis, Flight Officers A Allison (Radio Operator), Jack Percival (Executive Officer) and E L'Huillier (Flight Engineer).
The flight departed Sydney and intermediate stops were made at Noumea, Fiji, Tonga, Aitutaki (Cook Is.), Tahiti, Mangareva and Easter Island (Isla de Pascua). The aircraft arrived at Valparaiso, Chile, on 27 March. The return flight departed Valparaiso on 6 April and arrived at Brisbane, Qld, on 20 April.
(Photo: The West Australian/Geoff Goodall collection)