A number of days of rough swell prevented an immediate launch of the "Glen" floatplane. They stayed submerged during the day and went back to the surface at night. Finally on Tuesday, 17 February, Warrant Flying Officer Nobuo Fujita took off in the "Glen" for a reconnaissance flight over Sydney Harbour. The purpose was to look at Sydney's airbase. By 0730, Fujita had returned to "I-25" and disassembled the "Glen" and stowed it in the watertight hangar. Commander Tagami then pointed "I-25" southwards on the surface at . By midday on Wednesday 18 February, they were nearly south east of Sydney still heading southwards.