Christmas Island, Kiribati (CXI) pics

[Will T]

Had the pleasure a couple of days ago of flying an all-daylight QF74 SFO-SYD (yes, it was quite delayed!). We flew right past Christmas Island in Kiribati (PLCH/CXI), one of very few alternates out that way with a runway long enough to accomodate a 747-400. It's around 1200nm due south of Honolulu - plug 1° 52' 0 N 157° 25' 0 W into Google Earth.

Managed to get a few snaps (it's rare to see it in daylight)... I've resized them from the originals, but they're still a little large, so apologies in advance.


Overview of the island, from the south:





Southern tip of the island. Note the old guano pits. The air strip on the right is abandoned, and was built and used by the British for their 1950s nucelar testing on the island (in which I believe a number of 'detonations' occurred directly overhead the island, without evacuating the locals!).





View of the northern half of the island, including the large lagoon (the actual PLCH airfield is obscured by cloud, unfortunately). :




We said g'day to the lady in the tower on the way past, and an Air Pacific 737 was also inbound from Nadi (thence continuing to HNL). No one in the cabin was sleeping, so I made a PA about it, and we had a very grateful passenger in First Class whose father was stationed there during the war. Has anyone ever been to Christmas Is, or stopped off there on the FJ flight? Something I wouldn't mind doing, actually!

Will