Vivigani Airfield

Infobox Airport
name = Vivigani Airport
IATA = VIV
ICAO =
type = Public
owner =
operator =
city-served =
location = Vivigani, Goodenough Island, Papua New Guinea
elevation-f =
elevation-m =
coordinates = coord|9|18|23|S|150|19|12|E|type:airport
website =
r1-number =
r1-length-f =
r1-length-m =
r1-surface = Asphalt
footnotes =

Vivigani Airfield airport codes|VIV is an airport at Vivigani on Goodenough Island, part of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands in Papua New Guinea.

History

Constructed as a mission airstrip at Vivigani.

World War II

The Australian 2/12th Battalion reached Vivigani on 27 October 1942 after occupying the island after defeating the Imperial Japanese troops marooned on the island, during World War II.

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) prepared the airfields, first building an emergency landing strip in April 1943. A road was built from the Vivigani docks to the airfield. The first use of the airfield was by 6 Bristol Beauforts of No. 100 Squadron RAAF, staging out of Gurney Airfield, Milne Bay for a strike on Gasmata, Papua New Guinea on 17 May1943.

No. 7 Mobile Works Squadron RAAF worked on the strip between June and September 1943. The airfield consisted of two parallel runways ft to m|6600 long and ft to m|150 wide.

The airfield was used by both the 5th Air Force and the RAAF.

Units Based at Vivigani during World War II

*No. 6 Squadron RAAF (Bristol Beauforts)
*No. 8 Squadron RAAF (Bristol Beauforts)
*No. 22 Squadron RAAF (Bostons)
*No. 30 Squadron RAAF (Bristol Beauforts)
*No. 77 Squadron RAAF (P-40's)
*No. 79 Squadron RAAF (Spitfire)
*No. 100 Squadron RAAF (Bristol Beauforts)
*No. 108 Communication Unit RAAF (PBY Catalinas)
*No. 7 Mobile Works Squadron RAAF

Post War

Was used as an general use airstrip until roughly 2006. This airstrip is now closed, and the only two air operations that regularly used it (MAF & JAARS) now refuse to attempt to land there. The entire area has been completely overgrown by native kunai grass.

References

* [http://gc.kls2.com/airport/VIV Airport information for Vivigani Airport (VIV)]
* [http://www.pacificwrecks.com/airfields/png/vivigani/index.html Pacific Wreck website]

External links

*ASN|VIV