TAA Sunbird Services...

[Laikim Liklik Susu]

Large request, and not sure if this is the right place exactly, but I need a colour shot of the Bird of Paradise emblem worn on the fin of TAA Sunbird Services aircraft in PNG.

Doesn't matter which aircraft it is on, but PREFERRABLY DC-3.

Any help much appreciated!

[Desert Dingo]

Lukim:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/077540/M/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/222195/M/

[Laikim Liklik Susu]

Dingo,
Thanks, but I really need good colour. I have DOZENS of B&W shots, but the only colour I have is a TAA Sunbird Services "handout" toiletry bag, now faded a bit, showing yellow belly, black chest, and bronze-green wings and upper body.

Could be incorrect on the green, as it has faded to poo-brown in colour! :p

I don't really want to haul out the slide projector, but may have to. GRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Animalclub]

Perhaps someone has still got the Lae TAA Social Club badge?

[The Gimp]

Liklik,

Gee I love that Handle.


Gimp

[Animalclub]

Lik Lik Here's picture of the Sunbird route map with the Logo on it if it's any use.


http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an22704296-v

Found a small DC3 at

http://www.hawkeyemodels.com.au/cds-207.JPG

Cheers

[Laikim Liklik Susu]

I need good colour photos - the time tables I have don't cut it:

http://www.gunboards.com/forums/uploaded/S42/2005411984_taa%20timetables.jpg

The toiletry bag looks BEST, but is fading and dirtying a little:

http://www.gunboards.com/forums/uploaded/S42/200541191621_sbs%20bag.jpg

Colour photos of the GENUINE fin logo sincerely appreciated.

[Fris B. Fairing]

Lik Lik

Will these do?

VH-SBK (http://www.adastron.com/aviation/VH-SBK-1.jpg)

Close-up (http://www.adastron.com/aviation/VH-SBK-2.jpg)

[Laikim Liklik Susu]

FAN-BLOODY-TASTIC!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks mate!!!!!!!!!!!!

All shall be revealed in time.

[Douglas Mcdonnell]

Lik Lik and Fris B. Thanks for a wonderfully positive thread. These were the days when flying was still romantic and pilots were nice to each other. Ie, gentlemen.

Cheers Douglas.

P S, probably showing the years here, but why cant Flight Attendants look like that anymore?

[Woomera]

Strange that Doug .... but I was thinking exactly the same thing! :}

But I don't recall the trolley dollies being that good looking on the TAA PNG internal services.

I'm intrigued as to the project the Small Tits Connoisseur is brewing up.... :confused:

[SkySista]

Just a guess here...

not painting one's own aircraft with said bird design now, are you? ;)

Edit: errrr... that would be the bird with wings I'm talking about here, not the other one.... :E

Hmmmm. Methinks I have a poster with that hostie picture on it somewhere...

[Laikim Liklik Susu]

Oh yes, the days when hosties were employed by airlines without fear of sexual discrimination! Hosties back then had CLASS, as well as knowing what to do, and WELL! True 6 star service.

This is NO flame against todays hosties (and Hairy Leggers), but the 6 star service is LONG gone, and now with equal opportunity, the less glamourous lookers are employed - even in the sexist Virgin Blue!

Ansett of old had some STUNNERS, as did Tata's (Dixie Chickens - if you don't know what that means, you don't NEED to know! :p ) and QF.

Looks aren't everything, but CLASS and style sure are! The days of old sadly are, just that, the days of old. Reliving those memories occasionally is a good thing.

PS: Sky Sista - CLOSE, but no cigar. It\'s for a hobby of mine (not what one may think either!)

If anyone wants copies of TAA SB DC-3\'s, I have a couple hundred. There\'s some well known fellas in some shots too.

[Animalclub]

Lik Lik If at all possible is there anywhere we could see them all on the web. It was my era!!!

[Laikim Liklik Susu]

What a great idea! I'll do a LOT of scanning, and create a website for it.

It'll take some time though. I appreciate ANY contributions as well - anyone may PM me, and we can get in contact from there.

I have photos coming from a fine gent that was Madang based TAA SB, so that is a great start.

Cat, Frightener, and Otter pics would be fantastic as well as the DC-3 - heck, anything Sunbird!

[king oath]

Jeez.

You just reminded me of the time I rocked up to the TAA Social club at Lae wearing thongs/flip flops and was quickly put straight on dress code.

Leather shoes and knee length long white socks young man. See that it doesn't happen again. Those where the days of much drinking and an Air Hostess kicked out of the pool in the early hours for swimming naked. She's probably someones grandma now.

[Animalclub]

Lik Lik I had plenty of photographs, but a little thing like divorce came into play. I can't even afford the old PNG books that she has - now that they're out of print! C'est la vie.

king o Was president of the club the club whilst we were saving for that pool... was transferred to MEB before I got chance to use it! Went back in 1972 just to look at it!!!

[flugenluft]

I wish we had more posts like this.

A good result

[Laikim Liklik Susu]

Well, of course anyone from Ansett-MAL could have a word or two as well!

I found some GORGEOUS colour shots of SBD the other day in my filing cabinet. Shame it is in the later Big T scheme! :p

Anyone remember who flew the VERY last TAA Sunbird Services flight (not TAA PNG, but the LAST TAA Sunbird) - they brought it home to Aus to be repainted. I know, but let's see who else does! :ok: No hints just yet!

It's wonderful to see many former SB DC-3's still extant! I was surprised at how many of them are even still flying - can't keep a good aeroplane down!

[Animalclub]

Wasn't VH-SBW used by some big military figure as his personal transport? I seem to remember a metal plate pinned on a bulkhead. Anyone remember?

[jedda]

King Oath,
I'm not a G'ma yet,but I do have a married daughter!I also remember the cane toads being used as golf balls at the mess;talc powder on the top of the blades of the fans in our rooms always spoiled the first few minutes of "passion".Those were the days.
SBW was Montgomeries DC3.

[Animalclub]

AaaaHhhh Jedda... you've got me remembering now!!!

[Laikim Liklik Susu]

Ah yes, and SBO had SBW's wings!

Here's a quick montage:
SBW
SBG
SBD

http://www.gunboards.com/forums/uploaded/S42/2005464636_DC3%20TAA%20SB.jpg

[tiger_maynard]

Laikim Liklik Susu, a wonderful memory evoking thread you have running here, sufficient to move me from my Pprune observer's seat to writing a word or two.

I can settle your query posed a couple of posts ago about the very last operation of the Sunbird, it was me your honour, I'm guilty of the crime.

As you have said correctly, VH-SBD was the last aircraft to wear the Sunbird, and with Peter Iredell as Captain, and myself as F/O, ferried it to Brisbane for overhaul and a new paint scheme on September 22nd, 1971. After that, the Sunbird was gone forever. As I was "going finish", Peter Iredell, as the gentleman he was, allowed me the last sector, so I guess that makes me the last Sunbird pilot.

I later crewed the post-overhaul test flight of SBD before it's return to New Guinea, and in it's new "TAA Look of the 70's", had lost it's character altogether.

Thanks for evoking the memories,

Tiger (Ken) Maynard

[Laikim Liklik Susu]

G'Day Tiger, thought it might bring you out to post - now, I wonder where Peter Iredell is! I hope he has internet access.

Yes, they certainly lost their character when the Big T adorned them. The SB scheme was just so delightful, and evokes wonderful memories, not only in myself, but it seems a lot of people.

Wasn't it also YOU that did the last ever TAA / Australian Airlines propeller service, I believe in a Jetstream J31? Memories of such trivialities are fading with the onset of C.R.A.F.T Disease.

Drop me a line sometime mate!

[tiger_maynard]

Laikim Liklik Susu, Close but not quite. The last ever TAA / Australian Airlines propeller flight was a Jetstream 31 ferry flown by John Cleary and Dick Kennedy from Townsville to Brisbane on May 31st, 1987. I operated the last ever TAA / Australian Airlines propeller PASSENGER flight on the same day from Charleville to Brisbane. John and Dick allegedly delayed their departure so as to be the last, so I guess it's a matter of definition, they did the last prop flight, I did the last passenger prop flight.

The passenger complement, including two MPs, thoroughly enjoyed the manner in which we bade farewell to Charleville, the details better left unsaid, but suffice it to say that it was in the same time honoured manner as in the "going finish" tradition in New Guinea.

I'd be happy to drop you a line Laikim Liklik Susu, but it would help a lot if I knew who you were! A PM seems like a good idea.

I too, would love to know where Peter Iredell and Eric Sundstrup (Jockstrap) are these days, thorough thorough gentlemen of the kind they don't make anymore.

I'm getting all choked up, cool it with the nostalgia.

Tiger (Ken) Maynard

[jokova]

Liklik - There is a former Lae engineer, Dave Thollar, who has a large collection of colour slides of PNG DC-3s. Last I heard of Dave was 1995 when he was with Ansett in Brisbane. His photos appeared from time to time in 'Bird of Paradise' magazine and one with Sunbird DC-3s featured is in one of those published hardback bound sets - as is a piece about the late LL ('Low Level') Blackman. Larry was training captain for a wantok, Bill Hobday, who is now wheeling them on deftly somewhere way up there. RIP.
Tiger Maynard - Eric Sundstrup, after he and Mary sold Swan Island (NE tip of Tasmania), bought a property on the west bank of the Tamar.
Address is 364 West Tamar Highway, Riverside, TAS 7250. Phone 03-6327 1255

[Laikim Liklik Susu]

SOMEWHERE in the GUZZILLION colour slides I have, there is a shot of Larry doing the lifeboat drills in the pool :p

[Kaptin M]

Well there you go, I never knew you for the celebrity you really are, Tiger.
Even before reading your revelations, I had enjoyed this thread.
Good one Laikim Liklik :ok:
Keep the stories coming.

[Animalclub]

Do I remember Greasey Blackman (I presume same as Larry) as a ground engineer in Lae in the 60's before he became a pilot? You're right the C.R.A.F.T. disease is a pest.

[chimbu]

Ah Tiger, the memories,

“Greasy” Blackman was a legendary type, never a ground engineer. Berlin airlift was in his CV. We F/O’s never referred to him as “Low level”. Cowboy he was not. Merely preferring VFR to IFR at all times, even in the Fokker.

A typical Moresby Lae afternoon flight in the DC3 would have Grease departing up the backbeam trying for the Kudgeru- Wau- Bulolo- Snake- Markham valley. If this was blocked, he would return SE looking all the time for a hole. If the Kikoda gap was blocked he would proceed SE towards Mt Brown. If this were blocked (a bad day) he would turn to the F/O and say “ tell em (FSU) proceeding VFR via the cape, shag”. Was he kidding? (adding about 3 hours to the trip time) As a sprog F/O I was unsure. Which cape?, Endemaire?

SBW was indeed Montgomery’s personal transport, presented to him in North Africa by Eisenhower in ’43. She had large viewing windows and, luxury, electric fuel boost pumps. For the F/O this meant no more wobble pumping during start.

Memories include four DC3’s taxying out for the 6am depart at Madang; all four lined astern doing their mag run up checks. In the afternoon with a sea breeze, they would turn to be at 45 degrees facing into wind.

I worked for Ansett MAL (“warfs” what a ratbag !@#*ing show) before being accepted into TAA. (TAA pilots had a 3 or 5 year posting in NG whereas MAL were permanent). The only two pilots who could regularly three point the DC3 were Dick Walshe (MAL) and Grease (TAA). Later the safer wheeler type landing was preferred.

The Transair Lodge in Lae, a marvellous place, with 4 person dongas scattered around a central mess block and bar on a landscaped hillside. Single pilots had two dongas, ground engineers, traffic staff another etc, and (best part) hosties on 6 month rotation from “down south” their own. Ah the flitting from donga to donga in the small hours. In those days before our politically correct times, hosties were weightckecked every 6 months and naturally had to resign before marriage. 6 months was a perfect length of time fot the average relationship, if you get my meaning. In about ’72 one such (KC) arrived at the pool wearing a string crochet bikini. God had blessed this aparition with all the attributes and had the lads doing handsprings. Sadly her charms were not for the likes of a lowly F/O. I saw her years later in Melbourne, and she was plain and boring. Bit like flying in Australia really.

Malheuresement, all came to a sudden halt in ’73. The only longstanding TAA types electing to remain in (what we now realise) Paradise were you guessed it, Grease and Gary Honour.

But that’s another story.
:O

[Fris B. Fairing]

Lik Lik

Not uncommon for DC-3s to swap wings. I understand that Ansett had a pool of overhauled wings ready for fitment to the next DC-3 that came in for overhaul.

David Thollar is living here in Brisbane. I have alerted him to this thread.

Cheers

[tinpis]

Just a query how did Ansett MAL/Patair blokes end up in Ansett south?
Was it because of 1975 events and the "ANG Task force"?

[chimbu]

With the coming of independence for PNG, naturally both Ozzie domestic carriers had to sever their ties, starting in '73. APNG offered employment to existing staff from both airlines. Ansett took pilots who elected to leave, into the mainline, at the bottom. Some went to BNE as Fokker F/O's, some to MEL on jets.

TAA and Ansett did much for the development of the Territory in the 12 years they were there (commencing in '61 when Qantas pulled out) and their story needs telling. MAL's Caribou story is particulary interesting, being as how it was the version of the DHC 4A to fly in civilian colours, and how the Department of Civil Aviation would not recognise it's STOL capabilities for the ANO27 certification.

[king oath]

Tiger!!!!! Gidday buddy. Long time no see.

Jedda. Hope you are well & fit. No sense of humor up there in Lae just because you were having a swim at 1am.

[tinpis]

MAL's Caribou story is particulary interesting, being as how it was the version of the DHC 4A to fly in civilian colours,

Some nice home movies of the Caribou taken by a welll known Madang captain.
Hope he has been able to save them in digital format.

[chimbu]

Could someone (whose greymatter is more intact than mine) remember the first four items of the DC3 shutdown recalls>

TAA's was: Throttle mixture feather pitch

whereas

Ansett's was: Throttle feather mixture pitch

Don't worry if you can't reemember after 35 years, you won't fail the check

[Laikim Liklik Susu]

Well, I have the TAA Pilot Training Manual (green folder) right besie me, including the QANTAS manual as well - darned things should have gone back in 1989. What a shame.

Not going to chime in here, as I have the cheat notes. :p

[tinpis]

http://www.douglasdc3.com/dc3pics/dc3throt.jpg

[Al E. Vator]

Any chance of any of you good folk posting pictures (esp colour) of any (or all!) of the following aircraft in TAA livery:
DHC3 Otter
DH82
C180
Bristol Freighter
Catalina
Queen Air
Grumman Mallard/Goose
Aztec
and any other exotic types you may have in your vast collections?
I've got all those great shots from www.airliners.net but the types above aren't well represented.
Thanks...


Ummmm, Al, much as it would be great to see the pictures here, I don't think he who must be obeyed would appreciate the extra band width.........

If any number of pictures (JPG <90 kb) are to be posted please email or PM me first so I can check with the boss. It's not that it can't be done - just best to ask first.

The other better alternate would be to upload the pictures to a free web hosting site and post the link only in PPRuNe.

Woomera

[tiger_maynard]

chimbu,

Sorry to sound argumentative, but the TAA shut-down procedure was Feather, Mixture, Throttle, Pitch. It reminds me of the 'flukiest' event of my flying career, and also a merge of two nostalgic themes running here, New Guinea DC3s and Larry (Greasy) Blackman. On a Base Check out over the Huon Gulf, the 'Shag' instructs me to shut down the #2 engine. With my finger in mid flight, still 6 inches from the Feathering button, the engine stopped dead. It seemed logical and appropriate to continue, so pressed the Feathering Button, cut the Mixture, closed the Throttle, and pulled the Pitch to full coarse. Turning to each other, we simultaneously said "How the f***k did you do that?". After lots of "I did nuthin" between us, it was decided to re-start #2. It started perfectly and continued to run perfectly.

Another Greasy recollection - My line check, on cruise in Auto Lean, #2 CHT approaching the 232° limit. On suggesting that Auto Rich might be a good idea, says "Nah, wastes too much fuel", and proceeds to shuffle through the sauce bottles and newspapers in his nav bag and produces a set of small screw drivers. Leans over, gives the CHT calibrating screw a tweak down to 200° CHT, and triumphantly announces "See shag, nothing wrong, you worry too much!".

chimbu, our friend with a passion for small boobs may be able to adjudicate upon our recollections of the feathering drills, he claims to still possess un-returned TAA DC3 manuals. Shame on you LLS, why didn't I think of that?

These ARE the good old days (but the old days were better).

Tiger (Ken) Maynard

[Animalclub]

Don't want this thread to fade away.

[tinpis]

Who were some of the PATAIR DC3 legends ? And where are they now?

[Animalclub]

Last spoke to Ailsa Chandler in SYD about three years ago. Her daughter, Ruth Dicker, is CEO of Niugini Holidays in SYD.

[HANOI]

Towards the end of the TAA days , DC3 SBI was donated to the Lae Tech school . The wings were removed and , early on a quiet Sunday morning the aircraft was towed down Huon Rd with a tinted gentleman protruding from the cockpit hatch with a stick to lift the overhead electricity wires up to allow the aircraft to pass underneath. A number of assorted PMV's and other orly driven vehicles ended up in barrets as they rounded corners to be suddenly confronted with the balus . Scared the sh***er out of them to the point they thought they were melting.

Hey Tiger Maynard , have you given up the gaspers ?. I thought they were leading you to an early demise.

I used to live next door to Greasy in Ninth St , ( with Mace Denheld of the "Wynyard approach" fame on the other side ).
It was not unusual , at 0700 on a quiet Sunday morning , to hear the knock on the bedroom louvres and his voice..."Care for a fourex Shags" ?.

Had a call the other nite from Carmel Smith , wife of AL Smith , Al has had two hip replacements but I informed her that Geoff Clem has now had 3 hips replacements.
One of Al's claims to fame was that during an airdrop of bags of rice from the single engined Otter at Kabwum he managed to demolish the airport toilet , luckily unoccupied at the time.
Keep the stories coming....luv 'em

From memory , talking of the Patair machines , not the people........

DC3 PNM ( Mt Murray ) ended up as the fire drill aircraft at Madang.
DC3 PNB ended up half submerged in Madang harbour after hydraulic problems. ( Cpt Geoff Bennet / F/O Chris Pennycuick ).
Much much earlier a Piaggio went missing in the Owen Stanleys ex POM, the aircraft was never located but the search aircraft found six WW11 wrecks.

[Animalclub]

I believe Al was endorsed on all aircraft types in the TAA fleet in PNG from C185 to the F27 (which, I know, used to come from Brisbane through Cairns and head for Honiara). Was everyone?

Honiara and Dalrymple-Hay... ring any bells? Always had a good looking lady on hand despite his size and immobility? Dennis Godfrey told me that Hay charged more for crew bookings at the Mendana than for bookings off the street. What the.....? Mind you where else could you stay in those days?

[HANOI]

Aaahh , the Gilbertese dancers at the Mendana on Friday nites following a few 'apres-skis' at the Guadalcanal Club . One of course kept an eye open in the 'G' club in case Sir Dennis drove his car into the bar again.


Junior wasn't on his own that night. CBG and one other were passengers.

Woomera

[Woomera]

Tiger

"The last ever TAA / Australian Airlines propeller flight was a Jetstream 31 ferry flown by John Cleary and Dick Kennedy from Townsville to Brisbane on May 31st, 1987. I operated the last ever TAA / Australian Airlines propeller PASSENGER flight on the same day from Charleville to Brisbane."

Technical point of order! The ARAQ Twin Otter operation ex Townsville post dated the last TAA J31 service and I understand ARAQ operated the Otters on TAA's AOC, ARAQ being only a business name?

I could be wrong......?? :ugh:

Of course, the three J31's soldiered on with Eastern, however at that time it was not a wholy TAA owned subsidiary and operated on it's own AOC (as did Sunstate).

I saw the last J31 service arrive on May 31, 1987. One of the pollies on board is still a Member of the Queensland Parliament. I was also present at the first Flight West service at 6.00 am the next day.

Woomera

[tiger_maynard]

Jeez Woomera, you've shattered all my illusions. I'm no longer a legend in my own mind.

I guess that in the end, it does get down to a matter of definition, was ARAQ considered to be Australian Airlines, or was it not?

Still struggling to retain the "Legend in my own mind" status, after a short holiday on the Diesel 9, was attached to Eastern to introduce the J31, and did my last flight there (as an Australian Airlines pilot in the Australian Airlines uniform) on 26 August 1988. Does that count? It doesn't matter really, I just liked the idea of being the last.

HANOI, I read somewhere that an increased dose of toxins can increase your immunity, so I simply doubled the dose of the "gaspers". It seems to have worked so far.

Best Wishes,

Tiger (Ken) Maynard

[Animalclub]

I heard the story that RDB drove past the reception into the bar at the Mendana Hotel not the G club. Let me know - I hate telling story lies!!!

[robroy]

And why not some A.MAL & AAPNG Balus's

Peter and Jan Iredell, are living in Bris., will contact him and advise him of this thread, not sure if he has a computor. Will phone him tonight.

Apinun,

robroy

[chimbu warrior]

RDB's expedition in the Moke was definitely at the G Club. I was with him on a subsequent visit (in the 80's), and he took great delight in showing me where they had to rebuild the entrance.

He also related the story of another visit to the G Club where he was trying to get to the bar to buy a round, but the crowd was about three deep. At slightly-below-eye-level he spied a very pleasant looking n!pple accompanied by another and only barely restrained with a crocheted top. Curiosity got the better of him, so he "tweaked" it. The reaction from the owner of said n!pple was immediate, as was the arrival of very large (and rather unimpressed) boyfriend.

RDB spent the rest of the night buying them rounds of drinks as penance!

[john_tullamarine]

Amongst the many things which I never got around to doing ... I number not flying in PNG .. although Centaurus very nearly got me there for a trip in the F27 in the early 70s ..

Sometimes I wonder whether we should start a mainland reminisce thread ..... but dismiss the idea as being much too close to a lot of homes ...

Love the tales in the these PNG threads ... and filling in some of the obvious gaps in the discourse ...

.. and I never knew that Ken M was such a credentialled celebrity.



ah, John my fellow Moderator, you are a far too nice person to mix it with the missfits, deviates, alcoholics and multiple divorcees that constitutes the majority of the PNG aviation industry in the 1960's to 1980's.

:E

Woomera

[sixtiesrelic]

The Ansett DC3 feather drill was:- Throttle, feather, mixture, pitch, undercarriage hydraulics.
Most of the Patair pilots in 1969 were:-
Ken Jarrold … chief pilot.
Forgy... Bill Forgan-Smith … ops manager. Ex Qantas DH96 and DC4 pilot. He was the most ham fisted stick and rudder man most of us ever saw.
Captain Drama... John MacDermott. Ex TAA and would have been No 1 if he hadn’t been expelled by the good old ex-airforce boys in the fifties when it was discovered he like gents more than ladies.
Captain Trembles… John “Trowewe hand” Keene.
Baldy Bill… Bill Baldwin.
Rene Joggi … the last DC3 captain trained before the Ansett takeover.
Wally Scott
Charlie Long
Dave Barnett
MaxMacRae
Leigh Teasdale.
Mincon Peni
Aria Bou
Dennis Gray
Brian Soapy O’Loughlan
Peter Hauritz
Sharpie
Ian Young
Bruce Whiley.
There were others… I can’t rake them up from memory… I’m away from home on holidays.
Sixties.

[tinpis]

lo sixtiesrelic..whatsa holiday?

Frank Kollar was he in there somewhere?

Frank got the girl to take a photo of us on his last F27 trip standing beside the beast.
Im 6' 1" and he said "Dont look so tall ! "
So I took my shoes off an knelt on them.The FA nearly dropped the camera laffin.
I think I was still taller


I bet he still driving the Jap junker with the Mercedes badge.


LOL Soapy was he the bloke got all the soap up in PNG?
Reckoned he would make a fortune if he only figure out how to get these bastards to eat it.

[Animalclub]

Used to have a TAA bloke based in USA in the late 60's who stole everything out of his hotel rooms (he did a lot of "Duty Travel") soap, packets of sugar... you name it. We gave him another name!!

[sixtiesrelic]

No Tin, he was Ansett and we don't talk to him. He was another who took all the complimentaries from his room including the toilet paper.
Last time I spotted it was in the most clapped out heap with glued together tail lights.
Soapy might have done better if he hadn't propped up so may bars.

[sixtiesrelic]

No Hanoi! PNM went to Cairns with Bushies.
PNA was found to have massive corrosion in the tail and remained as the fire plaything at Madang. Maybe that was a good thing as Forgie would probably have torn it off with his boot when his dopey F/O couldn't work out which two clouds to steer between when there were half a dozen to chose from and Forg's hand waving (which HE reckoned was pointing) was too flamboyant ... he didn't allow for paralex error, to work out which hole he meant.
The old bugger used to stick cabin attendants to the wall regularly when he rammed a rudder pedal forward.
PNB .. there a couple of photos on http://www.pngaa.net/Photo_Gallery/Grays_Aviation_PNG/grays_aviation_index.htm
of PNB's demise. The murder of PNB occured when the grader tried pulling it back onto the strip and the undercarriage caught on the rock wall below the water surface. When the driver put his foot down he kept it there and stretched the airframe. Can't remember what TAA did with the corpse.

Tinpis holidays is what I'm having in June for a coupla days and will find you and have a few drinks and remember all sorts of things that didn't really happen.

[Woomera]

Chimbu. Then I guess Junior was telling fibs! He told me that he, Bryan Grey and the M@cair Manager drove into the Medana in an Avis Moke, past the Lions Club meeting at that time being addressed by the Governor or Administrator, thence up to the bar for a drink.

Tiger. You probably get the record. I think the ARAQ Twotters were in TAA colour scheme, but don't recall what airline name was written on them.

I was just thinking that the Queensland coastal route certainly has some bones in the closet! From Tommy McDonald in the 1920's, there was (in no particular order) Bushies/Air Queensland; QAL/Queensland Air Lines; Sunnies/QantasLink; Norfolk Island Airlines; ANA; at least two wannabes with the Nord 262/Mohawk 298; Sunshine Express; Flight West Airlines; Ansett; TAA; Qantas; Virgin...........

I'm sure others will remember many more.

Woomera

[Fris B. Fairing]

Woomera

There was also Queensland Pacific Airways, a DC-3 operator who were taken over by Bushies.

The Mohawk 298 operators in chronological order were:
Lloyd Air (Queensland)
Queensland Pacific Airlines (part of NIA group)
Southern Pacific Regional Airlines
Majestic Airways

Of the 4 Mohawks, 2 were sunk off Bundaberg as an artificial reef, one was scrapped in Bundy and VH-HIX survives at the Queensland Air Museum in QPA livery.

Cheers

[Laikim Liklik Susu]

Geez guys, keep 'em coming! Loving this thread even more than "Low Act".

I scoured through the TAA DC-3 AOM, and damned if I can find the feathering drill! I'll keep looking. I do have the cabin layout diagrammes for TAK, SBA, SBI, SBW, SBO, SBB, SBD, SBG, and SBL.

I'll keep checking!

[Animalclub]

There used to be a DC3 with rectangular windows, I think we called it the Tourliner... we used to use it for the Travaire Tours. I always thought it was VH-AEQ but I was recently informed that this wasn't so. What registration was it?

[tiger_maynard]

Animalclub,

The big window DC3 was VH-TAK. It's other peculiarity was that the empty aircraft had a well aft C of G, and was in my opinion, the only DC3 in which a 3 point landing was easily achievable. The most I could get out of the others, if empty, was a "Tail Down Wheeler".

VH-AEQ served TAA in it's Queensland services. It may have had a New Guinea history that I'm unaware of, if so was probably re-registered to the SB* series.

Happy flying,

Ken

[tinpis]

What year was it TAA and AN ceased DC3 ops in the Mainalnd?

[tiger_maynard]

For TAA it was 1968 (or thereabouts). Of course, VH-AES which became VH-SBA which became VH-AES again, later flew again for TAA/Australian Airlines, but as the "museum" aircraft.

Ken

[Fris B. Fairing]

Guys

If you want to know about extant DC-3s in Australia and NZ check out my website:

www.dc3.adastron.com (http://www.dc3.adastron.com)

The enlarged windows were usually known as the "Viewmaster" mod. TAA conversions were VH-AEQ and VH-TAK. AEQ still clings to life but TAK gave up her life for that dreadful movie "Sky Pirates", although her battered nose survives. The most notable Viewmaster survivor is VH-ANR, Australia's oldest DC-3 which is on display at the Queensland Air Museum, Caloundra.

www.vh-anr.adastron.com (http://www.vh-anr.adastron.com)

Cheers

[Laikim Liklik Susu]

Trying a new image hosting site. Here is a page out of the TAA DC-3 engineering manual - not the best, but you get the idea...

Propeller feathering:




http://photos7.flickr.com/11114465_d6faedb86d_o.jpg

[tinpis]

small bosoms.... try http://www.photobucket.com/

Seem to be ok for free.

Did Qantas still have a DC3 in the early seventies????? for training?

[Laikim Liklik Susu]

I see the photo fine - maybe reload the page Tinpis?

The Qaintarse DC-3 Ops Manual (that TAA also used) I have is dated September 21, 1964.

I spose they want that back too! :} THEY AIN'T GETTIN' 'EM!

[Fris B. Fairing]

tinpis

Qantas had two DC-3s in the early seventies, VH-EDC and VH-EDD.

Both were sold to Queensland Pacific Airways which was taken over (with the a/c) by Bushies. EDD ended her days on the Cairns fire dump and EDC was bound for Botany Bay.

Cheers

[Laikim Liklik Susu]

What was the DC-3 that sat at kingaroy till fairly recently until some mob (probably DC-3 Australia) salvaged it and flew it out?

I seem to recall VH-AGU or something???

Both EDC and EDD are the only two DC-3\'s mentioned in the 1964 Qantas manual BTW. And both QUITE different aeroplanes!

[Fris B. Fairing]

LLS

It was VH-AGU at Kingaroy. Now with Jeff Trappett.

Cheers

[sixtiesrelic]

Cor a DC3 engineering manual... never saw one!
In Patair, we read the ops manual for a week, learned to draw the systems diagrams by heart and fronted up at DCA in Moresby to sit an exam. we'd usually fail the load sheet as we'd never seen the type they provided or that cabin layout. We'd practise a few more loadsheets and front up for the re-exam of that bit and pass.
Next; the word would go out that new F/Os were getting an endorsement and all the aeroclub members would cart chairs outside near the threshold and witness the aerobatic display over a couple of afternoons as we thought we were doing circuits.
After we were endorsed, off we went as first officers.... no training at all. Ah thems were the days

[tinpis]

and all the aeroclub members would cart chairs outside near the threshold and witness the aerobatic display over a couple of afternoons as we thought we were doing circuits.


Seeing as most of the pilots under training were Dero instructors :}

[sixtiesrelic]

ANSETT - M.A.L. SECTION 5
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
DC-3 OPERATING MANUAL PAGE 3

5.1.5 ENGINE FAILURE IN FLIGHT:

P “A” CONTROL
H IDENTIFICATION . . . . . . . . . . PORT OR STARBOARD
A
S THROTTLE . . . . . . . . . . . . CLOSED
E FEATHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHECKED (ACTION)
MIXTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . IDLE CUT OUT
U/CARRIAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . UP/ AS REQUIRED
1 HYDRAULICS . . . . . . . . . . . . TO REAR (“BOTH”)

P (IN THE EVENT OF FIRE)
H
A X/FEED OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . CHECK
S PROP FEATHERED . . . . . . . . . CHECKED (BUTTON OUT)
E SHUT OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . OFF
EXTINGUISHER . . . . . . . . . . SELECTED, FIRE 1 FIRE 2.
2
P POWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RATED/ AS REQ’D (Refer to
H Section 7 for max. range S/E)
A
S FUEL SELECTOR . . . . . . . . . OFF
E IGNITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . OFF
GENERATOR . . . . . . . . . . . OFF
3