French Polynesia by Air Tahiti

Arrival in Tahiti on Air Tahiti Nui from LAX	Air Tahiti Nui A340-300 F-OSUN	Air Tahiti Nui A340-300 (F-OSUN)	Fa'a'ā International Airport arrivals, Tahiti - French Polynesia
Air Tahiti Nui A340-300 (F-OJTN)	Bienvenue en Tahiti!	Musical welcome, Tahiti	French Polynesia immigration
Aéroport de Tahiti Fa'a'ā	The domestic airline, Air Tahiti, uses a fleet of ATR-42 and ATR-72 aircraft	Control tower, Aéroport de Tahiti Fa'a'ā	Aéroport de Tahiti Fa'a'ā
Departures - Aéroport de Tahiti Fa'a'ā	Domestic departure board, Tahiti	First leg on Air Tahiti, the short hop over to Moorea	Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQT)
Air Tahiti is hardly the world's cheapest airline	Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQT)	Airborne from Tahiti	Papeete, Tahiti
Port of Papeete, Tahiti	Papeete is the capital of French Polynesia	Papeete, Tahiti	Tahiti is the main island of French Polynesia
The island of Moorea lies just 17km west of Tahiti	Arriving in Moorea by air	Moorea's reef lies 700m offshore in places	Shallow waters off Moorea
Moorea	Approach to Moorea Airport	Moorea, French Polynesia	Moorea Green Pearl Golf Course
Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQT) on the ramp in Moorea	Second Leg on Air Tahiti - Moorea to Bora Bora	Again we have F-OIQT	Moorea Airport, French Polynesia
Air Tahiti operates 7 of these ATR72s as well as 2 ATR42s and several smaller aircraft	Northeast coast of Moorea	Northeast coast of Moorea	Overflight of Raiatea enrolee to Bora Bora
The sister islands of Raiatea and Taha'a share a single lagoon	Raiatea and Taha'a	Taha'a Private Island and Spa off the west coast of Taha'a	Taha'a, French Polynesia
Taha'a Lagoon	Bora Bora comes into sight	Bora Bora, French Polynesia	Intercontinental, Bora Bora
Le Meridien, Bora Bora	St Regis Resort, Bora Bora	The eastern barrier islands of Bora Bora with the Intercontinental, Le Meridien and the St. Regis Resorts	Northeastern lagoon, Bora Bora
Eastern motus (barrier islands), Bora Bora	The deep blue sea surrounds the turquoise lagoon of Bora Bora	NE Lagoon, Bora Bora	Four Seasons, Bora Bora
Four Seasons, Bora Bora	Most of the major resorts are on the barrier islands rather on Bora Bora itself	Polynesians call these small barrier islands "Motu"	The main island of Bora Bora enshrouded in cloud and surrounded by a turquoise lagoon
Northern lagoon, Bora Bora	Bora Bora, French Polynesia	Sit on the left side inbound from Tahiti or Moorea	Bora Bora Airport (BOB/NTTB), French Polynesia
Bora Bora airport was constructed in 1943 to support the US Military during WWII	Bora Bora's airport, built on a motu, has a runway only 1500m (4900 ft) long, so intercontinental flights must land in Tahiti	Abeam the numbers, Runway 11, Bora Bora	Believe it or not, they call that Runway 17, 3000 feet
Short Final, Runway 11, Bora Bora	Land short, get wet	Feet dry, Bora Bora	180 degree turn at the opposite end of the runway
Air Tahiti ATR72 arrival, Bora Bora	Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQU), Bora Bora	Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQU), Bora Bora	Bora Bora's watery airport
Arrivals hall, Bora Bora	Not a bad job, ATC at Bora Bora	No airport in the world is actually finished	My journey around French Polynesia continues - next leg, BOB-RGI
Air Tahiti ATR42 (F-OIQD), Bora Bora	Air Tahiti ATR42 (F-OIQD), Bora Bora	Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQV), Bora Bora	Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQV), Bora Bora
Liftoff from Bora Bora - sit on the right side	Bora Bora, French Polynesia	Departing runway 11, Bora Bora	Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Boat captains in the lagoon had better watch out for the shallow reefs	East coast of Bora Bora where my hotel was located	East coast of Bora Bora	Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Goodbye Bora Bora	Out the side window, Bora Bora	Le Meridien and Intercontinental, Bora Bora	Le Meridien and Intercontinental, Bora Bora
Eastern barrier islands, Bora Bora	Bora Bora, French Polynesia	Le Meridien and Intercontinental, Bora Bora	Eastern barrier islands, Bora Bora
Bora Bora, French Polynesia	Bora Bora, French Polynesia	Bora Bora, French Polynesia	Climbing away from Bora Bora
Taha'a, French Polynesia	Taha'a, a similar appearance to Bora Bora, but much less developed	Taha'a, French Polynesia	Taha'a, French Polynesia
Taha'a, French Polynesia	Passing over Tikehau bound for Rangiroa	These northern islands are true atolls with no remnants of the high volcanoes remaining above the lagoon	Tikehau, Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia
Tikehau, French Polynesia	Tikehau, French Polynesia	Rangiroa's massive lagoon, 1446 square km	A small reef inside Rangiroa's lagoon
Rangiroa Lagoon	Rangiroa Airport, French Polynesia (RGI/NTTG) - 2100m	Avatoru Pass, Rangiroa	Turning final over the Avatoru Pass, Rangiroa
Large motu on the west side of the Avatoru Pass, Rangiroa	Avatoru Pass, Rangiroa	Avatoru, the main settlement on Rangiroa	Avatoru, French Polynesia - population 700
Turquoise waters of Rangiroa Lagoon, French Polynesia	Rangiroa, French Polynesia	Rangiroa, French Polynesia	The main island of Rangiroa is actually divided into many small motus
Landing in Rangiroa	Rangiroa, French Polynesia	Rangiroa, French Polynesia	Collège de Avatoru, Rangiroa
Rangiroa Airport, French Polynesia	Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQV) at RGI	Airport Terminal, Rangiroa	RFF - Rangiroa, French Polynesia
Departure board, Rangiroa	Aérogare de Rangiroa	Just across the street from Rangiroa Airport	Passenger Terminal, Rangiroa
Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQU) at RGI	Departing Rangiroa for Papeete via Tikehau	Apron at Rangiroa with an Air Tahiti ATR	Rangiroa Lagoon, French Polynesia
The atoll of Rangiroa seems barely wide enough for the airport	Avatoru Pass, Rangiroa	Rangiroa, French Polynesia	West side of Rangiroa Lagoon
Rangiroa, French Polynesia	Rangiroa, French Polynesia	Rangiroa, French Polynesia	Rangiroa, French Polynesia
Rangiroa, French Polynesia	Rangiroa, French Polynesia	Le Lagun Bleu, Rangiroa	The Blue Lagoon, Rangiroa
The Blue Lagoon, Rangiroa	The Blue Lagoon, Rangiroa	The Blue Lagoon, Rangiroa	Le Lagun Bleu, Rangiroa
Only 13 km of open ocean separates Rangiroa from the neighbouring atoll of Tikehau to the west	Tikehau, French Polynesia	Tikehau, French Polynesia	Tikehau, French Polynesia
Tikehau, French Polynesia	Tikehau, French Polynesia	Tikehau, French Polynesia	Tikehau Lagoon
Tikehau Lagoon	Tikehau Lagoon	Tikehau, French Polynesia	Tikehau, French Polynesia
Tikehau, French Polynesia	Landing at Tikehau for a brief stop enroute to Papeete	Tikehau, French Polynesia	Tikehau, French Polynesia
Passenger terminal at Tikehau (TIH/NTGC)	Palm trees lining Tikehau Airport	Tikehau Airport, French Polynesia	Tikehau, French Polynesia
Tikehau, French Polynesia	Tikehau, French Polynesia	Tikehau, French Polynesia	Makatea - Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia
Tahiti comes back into view	Tahiti, French Polynesia	Point Venus with its black sand beaches, Tahiti	North coast of mountainous Tahiti
Matavai Bay, Tahiti	Pīra'e, Tahiti	'Ārue, Tahiti	'Ārue, Tahiti
Nearing Papeete on approach to Tahiti's Faaa Airport	Matavai Bay, Tahiti	Tahiti, French Polynesia	Tahiti, French Polynesia
Tahiti, French Polynesia	Tahiti, French Polynesia	Suburban Papeete, north shore of Tahiti	Suburban Papeete, north shore of Tahiti
Pīra'e, Tahiti	Ta'aone Hospital, Pīra'e, Tahiti	Ta'aone Hospital, Pīra'e, Tahiti	Taunoa, suburban Papeete
Papeete, Tahiti	Papeete, Tahiti	Papeete, Tahiti	Papeete, Tahiti
Papeete, Tahiti	Papeete, Tahiti	Papeete, Tahiti	Port of Papeete, Tahiti
Port of Papeete, Tahiti	Port of Papeete, Tahiti	Papeete, Tahiti	Papeete, Tahiti
Papeete, Tahiti	Papeete, Tahiti	Final Approach runway 22, Faaa Airport, Tahiti	Faaa Airport, Tahiti
Air Tahiti Nui A340-300 (F-OJTN) at PPT	Air Tahiti Nui A340-300 (F-OJTN) at PPT	Faaa Airport, Tahiti