Indian Ocean Survey Flight

The Lancastrian was an expedient pending availability of modern passenger aircraft. It was not commercially viable because it could carry no more than 10 passengers. Its use for the survey flight in November 1948 was partly because Qantas' Constellation aircraft were fully occupied with regular passenger flights. Also Qantas crews had considerable experience in operating the Lancastrian on the Australia-England route, and the aircraft was well suited for a survey flight.

'Doc' Hogan (1912–1978) had considerable experience in developing and operating meteorological services for the Perth-Colombo flights during and after the war and he was responsible for the operation of the meteorological section in Perth which provided forecasts for the flight. The Perth-Cocos Island leg had some observations on which to base a forecast but the Cocos-Mauritius leg had few if any except those at the departure and landing points. It was decided that it would be advantageous for an experienced meteorologist to be part of the crew. Gerry O'Mahony was a logical choice in the light of his adventurous nature, his ability to inspire confidence in aircrew and his then recent reconnaissance flight with the RAAF over the Southern Ocean on 11 March 1947 described later.

Figure 8 Gerry O'Mahony following the return to Perth in November 1948 of the Lancastrian aircraft in which he flew as meteorological liaison officer. The aircraft made a proving flight for the Perth—Cocos Is—Mauritius—Johannesburg air route across the Indian Ocean. Gerry made many significant contributions to the Bureau in his 30 years of service, especially in Statistics, Hydrometeorology and Electronic Data Processing. He coordinated the acquisition by the Bureau of one of the nation's largest computers in the 1960s and supervised its operation after its installation in 1968.

Gerry, then an aviation forecaster located at Pearce aerodrome near Perth, was completing a science degree in his spare time.

The comprehensive reports by Gerry on meteorological aspects and J. Cowan, the navigator, (of which Gerry has kindly made copies available) make interesting reading.

The survey flight was under the command of Captain Lou Ambrose, an experienced Qantas pilot, and flew the Sydney-Perth sector in the early hours of 15 November. After a briefing by 'Doc' Hogan the aircraft flew Perth-Cocos Island on 17 November in a little over eight hours, meteorological observations at Cocos being provided by a local medico. The Cocos-Mauritius sector of about 2700 miles was flown at night to enable astro navigation. The Mauritius-Johannesburg leg was flown in daylight on 20 November with the flight time from Perth totalling 30 hours.

Figure 9 Qantas crew of the Lancastrian aircraft used for the Indian Ocean Survey flight on which Gerry O'Mahony flew as meteorological liaison officer.

Gerry's report of the flight appeared in the Bureau's Weather Development and Research Bulletin (WDRB).

Bureau of Meteorology