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Flying High Above The Pacific With The RNZAF

Monday, 24 October 2005, 3:52 am
Article: Alastair Thompson

Scoop Foreign Correspondent
Flying High Above The Pacific With The RNZAF

Photo essay from Scoop Co-Editor Alastair Thompson on Assignment in Papua New Guinea and the Solomons - CLICK IMAGES FOR BIG VERSIONS

The Pilots of NPB970…
Scoop prefers to fly RNZAF airways.

On Saturday 22nd October a RNZAF 757, Flight NPB970, carrying a New Zealand media contingent, the official New Zealand PM's Party, & the premiers of Samoa, Kiribas, Naaru and Tahiti departed from Wellington for Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, where this year's Pacific Island Forum is being hosted.

The Forum proper does not begin till Tuesday, and on Sunday the Media was taken on a day trip to Honiara in the Solomon Islands (click to view a virtual tour of Honiara with NZ PM Helen Clark) where the Prime Minister toured the Regional Assistance Mission (RAMSI) operations to which New Zealand has contributed heavily over the past three years.

To provide Scoop readers – most of whom will probably not get a chance to fly RNZAF - with a visual taste of what it is like to fly NZ Air Force airways the following photo essay is offered…

Flight NPB970 arrives in Wellington ready to pick up its human cargo.

High above the Pacific only RNZAF can provide this view…

Just like a real airline meal, only bigger, better and healthier…

In flight service is without peer…

As we approach PNG NZ PM Helen Clark moves down the plane and talks to all passengers in turn.

Customs at PNG's Jackson Airport.

The Lamana Hotel in Port Moresby…. the NZ media contingent's home away from home for the next four days.

Port Moresby from the air as we once again take to the skies in RNZAF airways

.... watch this space for full coverage of this years Pacific Island forum.

ENDS

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Chief Editor

Alastair Thompson is the Chief Editor of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Journalist with 24 years experience at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

CONTACT ALASTAIR THOMPSON

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