Due to the weight restriction on the flight Rarotonga > Manihiki
and Manihiki > Rarotonga we packed our transceivers, amplifiers,
band pass filters, headsets and log books into cardboard boxes.
We carried nothing else on the flights.
Since our last expedition was in 2009 (3D20CR)
we began in Feb. 2011 to find a new target for 2012.
After doing much research we decided to choose
the Northern Cook Islands for various reasons.
Since 2001 there had been no big operation from there.
Only several one man operations since then had taken place.
North Cook was not highly ranked on the
Most Wanted Lists for the America’s nor Asia,
but it was on the Top 10 in Europe.
Most of the Conway Reef Op’s agreed to go out again.
Then in June 2011 the hard work began.
After a short while I was in contact with Nancy Kora,
she and her husband Kora renting two bungalows
on Manihiki. In one of endless e-mails she wrote
that they have now power 24/7 on the Island.
One of the most difficult problems was over come.
In August 2011 I made a reservation for seven
people for March 27 to April 10 2012.
Also in August 2011 I booked and paid all seven seats
on Air Rarotonga just to make sure to be on board.
These flights are biweekly and only for seven passengers,
with a maximum baggage allowance of 10 kg each.
Beginning September 2011 I collected all the personal belongings
here at home. Everything was packed into vacuum sacks.
We also bought everything needed for our station set-up.
Antennas, fiber glass poles, coax, connectors, wire, rope, tools, etc.
The belongings and the station set-up (246kg) was packed into 5 big
aluminium boxes and sent October 7, 2011 per Air Freight
to Rarotonga, South Cook.
It arrived there October 14 and fortunately Nancy Kora, our host on
Manihiki, was on Rarotonga at that time. She cleared customs and brought
all the boxes for storage home.
On November 3, 2011 Mr. Katoa Banaba issued the
E51M license.
It was very kind of him to issue us a short call-sign.
Now we had to wait for transport from Rarotonga to Manihiki
with a supply vessel.
I was told that the SV Kwai was sail Nov. 12 from Rarotonga to Manihiki.
As time is not important there, our equipment was loaded
December 2 on board the SV Kwai and reached safely Manihiki on
Christmas day.
After having the confirmation that all equipment was on Manihiki
we booked the international flight from Europe to Rarotonga.
By the end of December we made our plan known to
the public.
Most of us flew with Korean Air from Frankfurt to Seoul
and then to Auckland where we met Leszek, who was on
his way coming from Tonga (A35YZ). We then flew with
Air New Zealand to Rarotonga.
Within all of these flights we never ran into luggage problems
as we only carried the transceivers etc. and some personal
belongings for our stay in Rarotonga.
On March 27 at 19:00z we flew out from Rarotonga and
arrived 4 hours later at our home for the next 14 days.
