Hi David. Pilatus B4 glider. ?? Yorkeys Knob ???
We corresponded by email? pprune ?? some years ago when you were asking questions about the prevailing winds in that pacific region.
Northair Surveys had the job to update the aerial photography coverage of Nauru in 1991.for mapping purposes, using our single engine Turbo Lance.
During the long haul TO Nauru from Honiara we checked the GPS thru the altitudes up to 12,000, but since the head wind was 25 to 30 + knots we staged down to 1500' to live with a 10kt headwind. You get to get a good look at an awful lot of water.!
The elapsed time for the flight was 5.5 hours TO. Nauru and after two weeks in that most relaxing place, 4.5 hrs BACK to Honiara.at a higher level.
There we got jumped by the cops and taken away for interview, ..they had just seized an Aztec twin... VH registered ..as we were, for bird smuggling.! But that's another story...and a funny one.
Cockroach sandwiches in the calaboose for the smugglers tho. !
GPS to let us know about the winds saved us a lot of angst...when yr expected elapsed time comes up and out there in the wide Pacific you dont see anything....uh ho !! What now???