On Saturday, Shigeo and I wanted to walk south to the airport when Puna came with the community pick up truck towards us. His son Vano was sitting on a bench at the cargo area, a small one axle trailer connected. He was doing airport shuttle service and invited us to join him.<\/p>\n
We took the invitation. He explained us that he has to pick up some people and their luggage to bring them to the airport; among them also his daughter Takaia. It’s a service where people will get picked up at or brought to their homes incl their luggage or what just needs to be transported to and from the airport. That’s easily possible in a community like Omoka.<\/p>\n
Puna drove the truck slowly matching the road condition. But there was also no need to drive faster. All is easy going but not undetermined. The big difference to money countries.<\/p>\n
The flight, Puna explained, was a chartered one as there are no scheduled flights at all. Only chartered or emergency flights.<\/p>\n
This time it was necessary to have a chartered flight because 3 engineers needed to come to get the diesel generator of the island up and running again. Via remote diagnostic and the information from the island technician they knew what spare parts are needed and the work to be done.<\/p>\n
As the airplane was coming to Penrhyn and had to return, the return flight was then used to get people and freight from the island to Rarotonga. To fill a 10-seater plane is not that difficult.<\/p>\n
The airport is a 2.1 km long, former 2nd WW airstrip of the US air force. It’s surface is said it’s not good for bigger planes with around 20 seats. For such planes the surface needs to be sealed. This also is one of Puna’s projects. Another one is to establish vegetable farming. It’s not that easy to grow vegetables on coral islands because there is no topsoil.<\/p>\n
Back to the airport.<\/p>\n
There is concrete place covered with a roof to provide rain and sun protection for people while waiting for the airplane. A few benches inside to enable people to sit down. The “departure hall” of Penrhyn airport. It’s all what is needed. There was also a little shack near by to store things needed for the air traffic.<\/p>\n
There are even aluminum fuel tanks for the airplanes. The containers, I estimate, have a volume of a bit less than 2000 l each. Presumably they are brought by the supply boat, which comes every 3 – 4 month but sometimes it takes 5 – 6 month. I don’t know how many liters the plane refills for the return flight but it could become a bit narrow when the supply boat is delayed. On the other side, these islanders know what they need and manage their things; especially with Puna who collects and analyzes numbers instead of feelings.<\/p>\n
Interesting is the fuel pump. A 1-cylinder, 2-stroke engine, by hand started like a small outboard engine, drives the pump. However, the fuel is passed through a filter before going into the tank of the air plane.<\/p>\n
The plane, Rarotonga Air uses these days, has turbo-prop twin-engines.<\/p>\n
After quite some people – about 30 – 40 – gathered in the “departure hall”. Among them the priest of the Ziona church. He then initiated the signing of a hymn, which was followed by sermon of him. I assume it was all for a safe flight. (It reminds me a bit to my departure to Osaka back in October 1982, when a group of my former students came along and sang a song Marianne composed a song especially for that event.)<\/p>\n
Puna, as his back was not fully recovered, kept sitting in his car. I went back to him and we talked about projects he is working on or he plans to run. Among them wind energy.<\/p>\n
He told me that someone had a wind converter and it worked nice for a few years until state parts were needed. Spare parts are needed and the most important ones must be on the island. I also have spare part kit for my SuperWind 350 on board. Nothing needed so far, but available when needed. I offered Puna to contact the German SuperWind manufacturer because I remembered a wind converter model, which could be an ideal fitting to Penrhyn.<\/p>\n
Side note 1: A few days after my conversation with Puna I contacted SuperWind and explained also the need for an adjusted spare parts stock at the island. They company reacted positive. Now it’s up to Puna and SuperWind to make the best out it. I keep fingers crossed.<\/p>\n
Side note 2: In 2nd thought I realized that this wind converter is ideal for all the other islands in the South Pacific. They all “hang” in the SE trade wind, which blows on average around 13 KN and when the wind gets stronger they adjust rotor blade pitch and produce a very high current fit wind speeds to above 40 KN. All these islands don’t have big budgets for big wind converter but a network of reasonably sized wind converters. Start with one or a few and add when the budget is available. E.g. savings of diesel fuel will make money available to get more wind converters to increase the savings.<\/p>\n
Back to Puna and me in his car.<\/p>\n
When the airplane arrived, he asked me to understand but he has to do some things. He then drove with his truck and the one axle trailer next to the airplane to deliver the luggage of the departing passengers but when i returned he transported all the arriving luggage and freight. Beside loading and unloading the airplane the most seen activity at that moment in time was hugging and kissing. It was nice to watch these warm and intensive moments between people.<\/p>\n
On the way back from the airport into the village, Shigeo and I rode on the bench of the cargo area together with Vano. It was interesting to listen to his questions about our countries and their big cities. I could hear his thirst for information and maybe also his quest for experiencing these countries and cities. I also had it very strong when I was young. However, it also was difficult to give Vano the best answer possible. He lives now in paradise from our point of view. We are aware of the paradise-problems and the problems of living in metropolises. To put this in good answer for Vano was for me very difficult; I just tried my best.<\/p>\n
Then we reached the place where the engineers had their accommodation. It was just the house of a family and they got there a place to sleep. We later learned that they got their meal from the best known cook of Omoka: Kristine. (See: Alex and Kristine – catching up again; 240930_03)<\/p>\n
We gave Vano a hand with unloading of the luggage and stepped off ourselves shortly thereafter.<\/p>\n
What an interesting time we had during which we also gained a good inside into matters of the island and it’s wonderful people. Thank you Puna and Vano and all the others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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