Some Of The Crew Back In 1992-1993.

[airsupport]

Just going through some old photos and came across these ones, some of the Aussies on an overseas contract back in 1992-1993.

I will NOT mention any names in case they don't want to, however very curious if any are still around, and maybe even here on PPRuNe?

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/IMG_0002.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/IMG_0003.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/IMG_0004.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/IMG_0005.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/IMG_0001.jpg

[RHLMcG]

Several faces from the past.

Last ran into Geoff at the '89 20 year gathering down at Maribyrnong if my recollection is correct. No idea if he frequents Pprune.

[airsupport]

Great guy, as they all were, he was actually promoted to Captain while we were there. :ok:

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/IMG_0008.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/IMG_0009.jpg

[mcgrath50]

What are all those things with dials in the cockpit shots? :}

[teresa green]

Oh dear, I could name most, but I won't. The day Hawkie dies we will have a reunion, a pissup never to be forgotten, until then.................

[Jack Ranga]

And when you have that p!ssup, save all your urine for his grave! A greater scumbag or hippocrite you will not find in this country.

[Karunch]

I think your FO in the first photo (RA) is now an A330 Captain at Air China.

[airsupport]

I think your FO in the first photo (RA) is now an A330 Captain at Air China.

Assuming RA are his initials? then you have the wrong guy, his are BS, unless he has changed his name.

This is him again, with the Chief Pilot (MK) walking passed the ''Hanoi Hilton''.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/IMG_0007.jpg

Those things with dials are what REAL aircraft have........... ;)

Yes they are all ''dispute'' Pilots and all great guys, but PLEASE do not say too much about that or the thread will get locked or deleted. :(

HT who we were talking about on another thread the other day, true Gentleman, is in the photos of Geoff's ''party'', cannot find any of him on the aircraft.

[Captain Dart]

A very, very few of us still left in Cathay Pacific, most joined during 1990, some later via Malaysian and Swissair; some are CX sim instructors (mainly ex-TAA, and thorough gentlemen they are too) and a handful of ex-AN still on the line, but the numbers are thinning further with retirements.

Who'd 'a thunk it some twenty-plus years ago?

I for one am greatly looking forward to the gathering alluded to above, hopefully it will be sooner rather than later (oh uh, I just mentioned the war, but I think I got away with it).

[RHLMcG]

Henry, as always, with a grin from ear to ear. (I presume this was on the Vietnam contract ?)

A wonderful mentor and passer on of knowledge and how things ought to be done. I think my first flight with him was as a very raw FO on the Dogwhistle when he was still in the Supt Command and Intake Training chair (I'm still amazed that he took pity on me and gave me a job) .. up to Cooma and back, if I recall. We had some trivial systems problem (so important I can't recall what it was) and I launched into action (as young chaps are wont to do), pulling out books here and there, flicking over to this and that page in the QRH .. and, eventually, I was READY.

The Great Man, on the other hand, was only concerned with the adequacy of his cigar's ignition. After about (what seemed to be) twenty minutes and 400 attempts to get the thing lit properly and to his satisfaction he relaxed back in his seat, took several obviously very satisfied sucks on the cigar and then, eventually, turned to me and said "now, young fellow, vat seems to be ze problem ?"

Learnt a lesson from that exchange, I did.

[rjtjrt]

It's interesting how the aforementioned poli is also remembered with more than distaste by Vietnam veterans (something to do with supply ships to troops and union bans whilst he was ACTU president).
Possibly a long queue to visit his grave.

[airsupport]

I for one am greatly looking forward to the gathering alluded to above, hopefully it will be sooner rather than later (oh uh, I just mentioned the war, but I think I got away with it).

I understand how you guys feel, I also despise the man, but would you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE refrain from ruining my thread or worse getting it locked or deleted.

THANK YOU...................... :ok:

[airsupport]

Henry, as always, with a grin from ear to ear. (I presume this was on the Vietnam contract ?)

Yes, Henry was the Training Captain in Vietnam, as well as being a Line Captain, fantastic bloke and Pilot of course. :ok:

Never heard him say a bad word about anyone, always so cheerful, he cheered me up a couple of times there when I was feeling very homesick.

I also had a bit to do with him at Southern Cross (Compass 2) where he was one of two Chief Pilots, true Gentleman if ever there was one. :ok:

[Captain Dart]

Point taken, airsupport, but thanks for highlighting my comment!

I second the comments about Henry. But I did find it strange that AN F/O's read checklists while manipulating the aircraft, weren't allowed to start engines or taxi and had their hand slapped away if they touched the 'ALT select' knob!

We weren't that bad were we?

[Aye Ess]

Excellent thread Airsupport. I wholeheartedly agree,please no one bring 'that date' or political agendas in here. Let us oldies post all our piccys from our times back then, as many of us know those familiar faces.

Is the Capt in piccy one,RL by any chance?

[airsupport]

The Captain in picture 1 is the guy we were talking about before, Geoff R, by stories he told up there he was an RAAF Hercules Pilot, the First Officer with him is BS, ex AN and an ex Aircraft Engineer/Apprentice with AN.

Picture 2 is who my kids used to call ''Uncle Bill'' because he used to bring things back here to them for me from Vietnam, BR. In that photo he looks a little tired, in his defence it was about half way through a 12 hour Moscow to Hanoi flight.

Picture 3 is First Officer RH, on same flight, maybe sunnies help.

Picture 4 is the lovely Simone B, ex Compass, not sure where from before that.

Picture 5 is the lovely Simone again suddenly putting her arm around Captain PMcC in flight................

[Jack Ranga]

Now that I've vented my spleen (:E) I'm the generation that followed you guys. I met quite a few of you fellows who went back to GA on my 'hour building tours'.

Nothing but respect for the stories you told and the experiences you went through :ok:

The current generation could learn a thing or two from yours :ok:

[airsupport]

During that time we had several Vietnamese Pilots flying with us as First Officers, one of them Captain Truang (spelling from memory) was one of the National Heroes of Vietnam, although we all thought he was a Traitor.

He was a Colonel in the South Vietnamese Air Force and towards the end of the War he took off from Saigon and dropped his bombs on the South Vietnamese Presidential Palace and hightailed it up to Hanoi.

He later became very high up in Vietnam Airlines, but I believe he has retired now.

You should have heard what Geoff thought of him, as apparently Geoff was on the ground in Saigon in an RAAF Hercules when he dropped the bombs just down the road......... :eek:

He was a handy guy to have with you though, I remember coming into Hanoi one day, ATC was messing us around favouring all the locals, Truang got on the radio and said a few words in Vietnamese and then it was you are cleared for immediate priority approach. :ok:

[SgtBundy]

Just had to google that - interesting story....

Vietnam Passage. The Stories: Trung | PBS (http://www.pbs.org/vietnampassage/Stories/stories.trung.02.html)

[airsupport]

Yes, I just read that link you posted, that is the guy, sorry about my spelling.

He was quite a nice guy, just it was hard for us to accept him after what he had done, but to most Vietnamese he was a hero.

He told us many of his war stories, like chasing away Chinese fighters from some of the outlying islands etc.

Very handy guy to have with you as far as getting things done. :ok:

[Jabawocky]

Hey airsupport

I bet the lovely blonde in those pics did not get a sexual harassment charge either....:ok:

[airsupport]

I certainly hope not, she was a lovely Lady as were all our Pursers.

I think she startled Paul in that photo. ;)

We had Aussie Pursers (as they were called in those days) but the rest of the Cabin Crew were Vietnamese.

[mcgrath50]

Hey airsupport,

Can you give those of us too young to know a bit of background, what was the contract for? Why the aussie purser/vietnamese cc? What was the ratio of Aussie to local pilots? And anything else you think is worth us younguns knowing!

[airsupport]

Can you give those of us too young to know a bit of background, what was the contract for? Why the aussie purser/vietnamese cc? What was the ratio of Aussie to local pilots? And anything else you think is worth us younguns knowing!

Sure if you are seriously interested.

I was there personally from the start of the contract in 1992 through 1993, however I am not sure exactly how long it went on after that.

Vietnam Airlines were looking to expand dramatically, at the time they only had Russian made aircraft and only operated domestically and to a few very close Countries.

They wet leased a B767-200ER (VH-RMA) from AWAS, and the Pilots, Pursers, Engineers and Station Manager come as part of the wet lease along with things like insurances etc.

Once we were there we operated to all sorts of places for Vietnam Airlines, mainly several overnights a week in Taipei, where all the scheduled maintenance was done, also Moscow and back to Sydney and Melbourne.

The Cabin Crew, except for the Pursers were local Vietnamese, and we had some of the local Mechanics and some of their Pilots with us too. While I was there the Vietnamese were only First Officers on board our aircraft, even the famous Mr Trung.

It was made more difficult, but also interesting, because of the American Embargo, the aircraft was not initially allowed to display the Vietnamese name or flag, was not supposed to ever overnight in Vietnam, but we often did, and it was impossible to get any technical support from ANY American Company, but us Aussies found ways around all of that. ;)

[mcgrath50]

Sure if you are seriously interested.

Most definitely, thanks for taking the time to explain! A nice little part of Australian Aviation history and probably some great stories came out of it.

[airsupport]

probably some great stories came out of it.

Yes, and probably some may be better left untold. :E

All the people we worked with were very nice people, some still had no time for Yanks, but they all were happy with Aussies. :ok:

One of the main potential problems were as I said before they were only used to these really old Russian aircraft.

The first check we did in Saigon one of the local Mechanics went to do as they did on all their Russian aircraft, pull out the overwing exit and walk out on the wing, I just managed to stop him before he did so and deployed the escape slide etc. :uhoh:

Another time on a flight up to Taipei for an overnight I went up to the buffet to get myself a cup of tea, and the Vietnamese Ladies (CC) were having a discussion about safety things. They had apparently discussed the idea that IF there was an emergency landing they could open the cabin doors on touch down or even just before touch down in order to speed up the evacuation. :uhoh:

I suggested to them that they may want to discuss this with the Purser, as the Captain would be very angry IF they did this and sent evacuation slides down his engines.

Great people all of them, just they were NOT used to the technology of a Boeing 767.

[airsupport]

probably some great stories came out of it.

I guess you guys would rather hear about operational stories.

As I said before our wet lease was the first Western aircraft to operate in Vietnam and the only Western Crews too, not counting the War of course.

ATC in Saigon was not too bad, they had dealt for years with Western Military aircraft and Crews, however Hanoi not so much, it was primarily there for the Vietnamese Air Force and the local Vietnam Airlines Crews in their Russian lead sleds as we called them. They were okay but you never really knew what they thought or whether you could rely on them.

Anyway we were returning to Hanoi one day from Moscow, very long flight of some 12 hours, just wanted to get down safely ASAP, overcast day with limited visibility and Hanoi ATC were keen to talk us down.

When they asked us to report ''field in sight'' the Crew did so, Hanoi asked for confirmation and it was given, we could see some fields at the time, mainly rice fields. ;)

Anyway a normal uneventful approach and landing followed without ATC assistance.

When we turned off the runway there was a ''follow me'' car waiting for us, had never seen them use one before that day or after it.

As we were taxiing in behind this car ATC said please confirm you can see the follow me car (with laughter too), just letting us know that he knew we were not really visual when we said we were, and proving he did actually have a sense of humour. :ok:

[mates rates]

I was also on the AWAS contract.Jumped in a cab in HCMC one day and the cab driver spoke perfect english I asked him where he learnt his english.He said, America during the war, where he was trained as an air traffic controller.I asked the obvious question,why aren't you a controller now? He said, because the north won the war and they did not trust those from the south with such a security type job.:ugh:

[airsupport]

This is our aircraft on turnround Hanoi, with an Aeroflot aircraft behind it.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/hanoi1.jpg

And a photo I just found of some of the local Vietnamese Cabin Crew.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/hanoi2.jpg

[Jack Ranga]

I guess you guys would rather hear about operational stories.


Nup, all of them :ok:

[airsupport]

I was also on the AWAS contract

At that same time, early on, or later?

[airsupport]

Just going through the photos again, found a few more that may, or may not, be of interest. :ok:

This is the only other one I can find of a different Crew Member, First Officer CC enjoying a break at the Dragon Inn in Saigon.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/viet001.jpg

This aircraft WAS retired from service, but only just before we arrived, from memory I think it is an AN-2.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/viet002.jpg

These were the main aircraft used domestically when we arrived, AN-24s, and that was our driver Mr Ming waving to you.................

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/viet003.jpg

Now this photo I am sure many of you will think is silly, but I was so pleased to get it and that it worked this well. It is on final approach with clearance to land runway 25L Tan Son Nhat International (Saigon) through the windsreen of our B767.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/viet004.jpg

This was a VERY rare visitor to Saigon, an enemy aircraft, there for talks about lifting the embargo.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/viet005.jpg

[troppo]

Nice thread and a welcome change to the usual diatribe on here.

[RHLMcG]

Young Colin. Haven't seen him in years. Is he still floating about the countryside ?

[airsupport]

Couple more of the local workers, cleaning our 767 in Saigon.

While a few of them do have hard hats on, they had no real safety gear like harnesses or anything, and none of those hi vis vests.

Can you imagine this happening in OZ.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/767g.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/767h.jpg

[mates rates]

air support

I was later, 1996.

[airsupport]

I was later, 1996.

Okay, I guess things had changed quite a bit by then.

[coco-nuts]

Young Col passed away a couple of years ago. He came to us in the islands after the AWAS contract then went to VB, late 90's early noughties?

cheers

coco

[airsupport]

Young Col passed away a couple of years ago.

So sorry to hear that :( but thank you for the news.

[clotted]

our wet lease was the first Western aircraft to operate in Vietnam
Airsupport,
Within trying to be picky, Qantas operated the first of many B767 charter flights in to Ho Chi Minh City on January 6th 1992 so unless the AWAS contract started between Jan 1 and Jan 5 1992 .............

[airsupport]

Quote:
our wet lease was the first Western aircraft to operate in Vietnam

Airsupport,
Within trying to be picky, Qantas operated the first of many B767 charter flights in to Ho Chi Minh City on January 6th 1992 so unless the AWAS contract started between Jan 1 and Jan 5 1992 .............

Never ceases to amaze me how some people can read what they want into anything. :ugh:

Although it says you are in Canberra, so maybe you are used to twisting everything. ;)

Qantas may have operated IN TO AND OUT OF SAIGON then, I believe they also ferried troops to Vietnam during the War, however we were the first to operate a Western aircraft IN Vietnam, that is based in Vietnam and flying IN Vietnam FOR Vietnam Airlines, not just popping in for a quick turnround. :rolleyes:

[sixtiesrelic]

Another group, another airline, another country.

Six went up to introduce the 737 to the airline.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/Bouraqemblem.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/imiddaycrewchange.jpg
Midday crew change at Surabaya.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/isurabaysde-briefinga.jpg
Debriefing after new discoveries. Sadly cancer got two of them.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/GregKeithPete.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/palulineup2.jpg
2PM line up at Palu.

[Jack Ranga]

Nearly fell over.......I thought it said Bourat :D:D

Keep em coming :D

[sixtiesrelic]

More Bourag 1992 1993

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/WillyVillaKeith.jpg
We carried Boeing trained Philippino engineers everywhere as there were no 737 engineers at out ports.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/i5PMSurabaya-1.jpg
First time scary.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/map.jpg
At the minimum poking around strato cu and looking into the sun. About thirty seconds to spot the runway or you missed out.
Next leg from Jogjakarta to Jakarta in the dark, lots of torrential rain then sudden ice and spectacular St Elmo's fire. Adventure!

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/gunsincockpit-1.jpg
Police aboard.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/dengun.jpg
Next time make sure my coffee's HOT!

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/headingtoPalu.jpg Destination Palu is behind the rainshower. The way in is to get into the 30 mile 'fijord' where the cloud isn't on the hills.
Cu on the 7000 foot hills at the end of the fijord style bay sucked the cool air up to 50,000ft and there were low buildups on the mountains on each bank.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/finalujungaftermonsoon.jpg
No not floods in our terms. Just the end of the wet season.

[Aye Ess]

Hey Sixties,

4th photo,guy on the left....is that GH?

[sixtiesrelic]

Ay Ess ... Affirm

and Jack! in jest lies truth... hadn't thought about the experience in your first take, but it should have been Bourat.
Great adventure all the same. Having PNG experience would have helped.

[john_tullamarine]

.. and, next to him, the well known vigneron. Peter is no longer with us ?

[Jabawocky]

I recognise that bloke with a gun pointed at the F/E :uhoh:

And here I am thinking he would love to have a drive of the Retard vehicle one day :eek:

Now I think I will have to give him the TSA security check.....and that is not something I am keen on either :ooh:

I note he did not have much hair back then either :E

[sixtiesrelic]

P.S. Stomach cancer in the nineties

[sixtiesrelic]

Jabba! just when is it you work? you are poppin' up here all the time.

I'll tell the gunman what you've said and come along too when the weather is finer.
The hairline... yes moderately unchanged just greyer now.

[Jabawocky]

:}

its often logged in and when i get a minute...while on the phone or inbetween other things its easy to poke around here and be a nuisance :).

Whats wrong with the weather? have been avearging 185hrs/yr all year so far! ;)

[Jack Ranga]

Four bars and in the right seat? Or was that just for the photo opportunity?

[megle2]

keep it coming
RR and GH
RR was my mbf afap rep and gh a fellow student

[sixtiesrelic]

Jack
Captains were flying together to start with.

[Jack Ranga]

Got it :ok: ta.

[sixtiesrelic]

Aeroplanes we saw

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/Admiralsf27.jpg
An admiral's F27. Armed guards all around it in a 200 yard perimeter. I hid behind these blokes so the guards wouldn't see me taking the photo.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/AirfastDC-3.jpg
Airfast's DC-3. Another day it took off in front of us as we landed at Ujung Pandang and forty five minutes later as we departed, it set finally heading at LSA.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/Airforce2.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/fighterand707.jpg
The 707 we gave 'em.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zmandalla.jpg

The opposition.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zpelheeerc.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zpelitherc.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zsingasuper7.jpg
A singaporean super 737 that was kept parked at Bali

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zConcord.jpg

[sixtiesrelic]

More.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/afternoonlineupatUjung.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/DHC6ujung.jpg
Where did the TAA Twotters go? Is this one?

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zlinebalik.jpg
Pelita (Nearest two aircraft) had 103 fixed wing aircraft... they were a helicopter operator. We thought Oz had large fleets. We'd never heard of Pelita.


http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zarrivalstone.jpg
Each time an aircraft arrived to increase the fleet there'd be a huge ceremony involving dozens of influential people a feast and a blessing of the new aircraft.
Indonesia is pretty fair religion wise so there were three clerics to bless the aircraft.
Muslim, Christian and Hindu. Each tried to out pray the other coves and we'd all be standing out in the hot sun while they went on and on and on.
Musta worked. I didn't hear of a 737 prang. Plenty of others tho.

[The Chaser]

Great thread :D

Keep em' coming :ok:

[sixtiesrelic]

Random shots

Bouraq had a fleet of Electras...none flying when we got there, Viscounts, HS 748s and Casas.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zBouraqsleetManado.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zmtmerapismaller.jpg
Mount Merapi which still often pops and bangs and drives the villagers away was the nigger in the woodpile in the
afternoon flight from Surabaya to Jogjakarta inside the black sky.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zwetseason.jpg
Looks like Brisbane recently but is normal. I went back for a holiday two years ago to examine places like this
from the ground. Visited these limestone hills in the dry season and climbed two volcanos. Magic holiday.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/baliklineviscount.jpg
Balikpapan new tarmac. They were working on lengthening and WIDENING the runway.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zKeithatBalikpapan.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zlandbalik.jpg
Balikpapan was 1981 m long but very narrow which gave the impresson of being long so the F.Os were comfy landing there BUT Banjamarsin (also on Kalimantan ... Borneo) was same length but incredibly wide so it looked very short and the F.Os were very edgy.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zlatecom.jpg
The next wave of Aussies. After them Yanks and a Canadian were employed because our Chinese boss worried we might get troublesome if there were too many Aussies.
To make sure we didn't run away, they told us immigration needed to see our passports again and then kept them for months saying not yet when we asked for them back.
There isn't a word for NO in Indonesian and it is regarded as bad manners to be definite in the negative, so 'soon', 'not yet' are used which had us reckoning they were lying to us.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/batusby.jpg
At Surabaya. One of the tower controllers was a mother who sometimes took her kids to work with her and they'd ride their dinkies around the top veranda.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/chickmagnet.jpg

Chick magnets.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zDenhosteses.jpg
They were old style Hostesses, charming and knew their job.

[sixtiesrelic]

We heard the stories of what our mates were up to in the early nineties. Some took photos some didn't.
It's nice to see their adventures twenty years later.
I'm waiting for some others to bung photos up of the big wide world.

[Jabawocky]

Chick magnets

They were old style Hostesses, charming and knew their job.



I see you pulled 50% more than your competitor......nice work :ok:

Keep them coming 60's...........I am sure there are plenty of us enjoying the memoires

[sixtiesrelic]

Jakarta 1992 1993.

We lived in a good pub but being Aussies, befriended some of the locals who weren't so well off.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/walktopostoffice4.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zferry1-1.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zferry6.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zferry2.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zferry4.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zhairdressers.jpg
DD decided he needed a haircut and climbed some rickety stairs to a hair salon in the seedy end of town we lived near and found this team. Each had a duty in the process of washing, drying, massaging, cutting, annointing the head and another massage.
Nani's hair salon went up in the local estimation when a bunch of white guys had regular haircuts. AND for those with dirty minds our wives and kids got exactly the same treatment when they came up on holidays.

[Jack Ranga]

Sixties, the photos are great but the stories are better :ok:

[Stikybeke]

This thread is A Grade. Thanks guys:D

Stiky
:ok:

[baron_beeza]

And the price of a haircut ?

Well with that team working on it, as they do.....

I think possibly 3000 Rupiah.

I know that from Darwin it is almost cheaper to fly to Indonesia or Vietnam to have a haircut....

I did say almost..... ;)

Great stories, keep them coming guys.

[airsupport]

I did post some of these photos a while back on the F27 thread, some may not have seen them there.

Some photos of the 3 AN Captains on an F27 Ferry Flight from Melbourne to Norwich (England) back in 1988.

The 3 Captains as we were about to leave OZ at Broome.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/f2713.jpg

The same 3 shopping in Bahrain on a day off..........

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/f2714.jpg

And riding camels at the Pyramids.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/f274.jpg

Finalling leaving VH-FNR with AIR UK in Norwich.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/f272.jpg

[sixtiesrelic]

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g32/sixtiesrelic/zarrival.jpg

The day we arrived in Jakarta, after the arrival ceremony and prayers (We weren’t part of the feasting … luckily because we hadn’t learned that they’re not little shrivelled green beans in the food, they’re dynamite and we’d have made fools of ourselves cryin’ with gushing snotty noses) we were told by the chief pilot we would go down to DGAC and sit the air legislation exam.
We said we hadn’t sighted the book to study it.
“What need a book! You pilots aren’t you?”
We won and got a day or two to read the book.
It was a beauty. Something left over from the Dutch days.
It had diagrams in it.
The most modern planes depicted were DC-3 ish sort of plane for heavies and a Procter for lighties.
Most of the info was what we already knew but a newie for me was, “If you’re aground in your flying boat you should fire shots at thirty second intervals to indicate your plight.
Somewhere else it announced that pilots weren’t to be packin’ pistols in planes so I guess you’d sit on the wing of your sinking machine and yell, “Bang” at thirty second intervals and some cove in a canoe might paddle across, but betchya he’d be comin’ over to see what he could snaffle rather than knowing the signal.
We got fingerprinted that first day.
A fingerprinting technician with his assistant importantly arrived and set up the equipment.
A glass louver, a small bottle of biro ink and a roller.
The technician got handed the opened ink bottle and poured a dollop on the glass then with smooth sweeps or the roller, artistically spread the ink into a thin film. Looked like an operatin' theatre scene with doctor and assistant.
We were grabbed and about three sets of multiple pages of prints were taken. Thumbs, all fingers and palm prints.
Some pages wanted everything; other pages had little boxes for specified digits.
Each of us got done over and was left with outstretched black hands. The ink dried slowly till someone handed us some tissues.
When done, the assistant withdrew some sheets of news paper from his boss’s satchel and carefully cleaned the glass and wrapped it up in other sheets and stowed them.
Off they went, Techo first, followed by the brief case lugging assistant and we headed for the dunny to try and clean out hands.
Needed a few trips as you can only hold your breath for so long.

[Chadzat]

Terrific thread! Keep the stories and photo's coming guys! :D

[airsupport]

Meantime, back in Vietnam, 1992.

As I said before all the people that we worked with were great, but the Authorities were very suspicious of any Foreigners, hopefully it is better now, but very bad in 1992.

We had a couple of offices at the Airport, as we were basically part of Vietnam Airlines, but we had no phone lines at first, not allowed a fax machine or mobiles of course. Had to send any faxes from the business centre in our Hotel (The Rex) and receive them there too, which were all censored.

The things like Maintenance Manuals that were sent up there for us we never did receive, the Vietnamese censors were still trying to read them in case there was something derogatory in them about Vietnam or Communists. :rolleyes:

We ended up getting another set which we just left on the aircraft.

Our aircraft of course had in flight movies, however we were not allowed to show any until their censors had checked them. I went in to the aircraft when it was idle in Saigon one day with these censors to check them out.

They were okay with violence, the more graphic the better, mild sex scenes were okay, guess what movies were banned?

Any, which is quite a lot, that showed large advertisements like on billboards for Coke, Maccas or anything American.

Each week (or fortnight sometimes) when the aircraft went down to Sydney and Melbourne and return, some of the guys there used to put Aussie newspapers and magazines on board for us, IF the Vietnamese Customs saw them they confiscated them, worried locals may get to see real news.

One thing that really infuriated our Company, was the Vietnamese Authorities insisted on seeing the originals of the aircraft documentaion, the registration and ownership papers etc. They would not accept photo copies, and even an offer from our Company to send copies certified by a High Court Judge. They ended up having to send them hand held with a courier.

[sixtiesrelic]

Airsupport, these are the things that we never heard of. People think everything was pretty much the same as good old Oz or the USA.
My kids went to Vietnam last year and reckoned there's still a bit of anger towards whitey there.
Screw him for all you can get seems to be the go.
How were you treated at destinations?
Did you walk down the streets in the dark?
Could you open a bank account?
How did the street vendors and taxi drivers treat you?
Could you get Satelite TV in the pub or were you treated to local only?
Pickpockets?
Beggars?

Tell us more.

[airsupport]

Tell us more.

Certainly if you want to know.

Just I will do shortly, quite a bit to answer and not enough time right now.

[Jack Ranga]

My kids went to Vietnam last year and reckoned there's still a bit of anger towards whitey there.


Went there a couple of years ago. Locals appear very suspicious and they still go on with all the war propoganda. The bullsh!t they tell their own citizens is full on.

Air Vietnam on the way over was a local pilot, expat (Aussie) on the way back. Cabin Crew, they weren't the same as your day sixties, these were the sourest lot I've had the mis-fortune to share a cabin with. You had to protect yourself when the meals came out, they'd literally throw them at you!

Stunning country, great experience and cheap, you fellas must have had a ball over there. Would have been even cheaper when you were there?

[airsupport]

Airsupport, these are the things that we never heard of. People think everything was pretty much the same as good old Oz or the USA.
My kids went to Vietnam last year and reckoned there's still a bit of anger towards whitey there.
Screw him for all you can get seems to be the go.
How were you treated at destinations?
Did you walk down the streets in the dark?
Could you open a bank account?
How did the street vendors and taxi drivers treat you?
Could you get Satelite TV in the pub or were you treated to local only?
Pickpockets?
Beggars?

Tell us more.

Where to begin.............

Firstly I have not been back there since 1993 so to be fair I am sure things have changed a lot since then, but this is how things were in 1992/3.

As I said before all the people we worked with were great, no problems, we met many people who still did NOT have any time for Americans but were perfectly okay with Aussies.

Funny you mentioned whitey, I never once heard anyone call us that, what they did call us used to make me laugh because IF you said the reverse of that in OZ or the US you would be branded a racist, guess what it was?

They used to call us the ''round eyes'', as in some people (NOT me) would refer to them as say ''slant eyes", I don't think they were really being nasty or racist it was just the biggest obvious difference.

Things were much different too between Saigon as we called it and Hanoi, Hanoi was much more hardlined, when staying overnight in Hanoi you used to get all the Communist propaganda over loudspeakers in the morning, nothing like that (thank God) in Saigon where we were mainly, had permanent rooms there at The Rex, which I believe is where the American Officers stayed during the War.

Because of the way our aircraft was used we only went to Saigon and Hanoi inside Vietnam, then of course all over the place outside of Vietnam, so on duty at least we were always okay.

Were always treated okay by taxi drivers and street vendors, just you had to hang on to your wallet.

Went to a local bank a couple of times, however they would only give out Vietnamese Dongs, some 10,000 (from memory) to $US1.

Will continue this following........................... :ok:

[airsupport]

Airsupport, these are the things that we never heard of. People think everything was pretty much the same as good old Oz or the USA.
My kids went to Vietnam last year and reckoned there's still a bit of anger towards whitey there.
Screw him for all you can get seems to be the go.
How were you treated at destinations?
Did you walk down the streets in the dark?
Could you open a bank account?
How did the street vendors and taxi drivers treat you?
Could you get Satelite TV in the pub or were you treated to local only?
Pickpockets?
Beggars?

Tell us more.

Things were very cheap there, and the locals even though on pathetic wages lived okay.

We were on some $US60 a night for expenses, standard at the time in the Company, which they cut back to $US50 a night when they found out how cheap it was there. :rolleyes:

Still the people we worked with at Vietnam Airlines, Ground Crews etc, although some of the highest paid people in Vietnam, earnt LESS than that a MONTH.

Some of our people walked around at night, however I only ever went out at night with the group for meals etc, not worried so much about being killed or even mugged, just so many beggars and pickpockets.

One night when we arrived back at the hotel quite late from a flight about 2AM, there were these Women at the Hotel front door holding babies and begging for money, I jokingly said talk about rent a baby. Turned out it was TRUE. These Women paid an orphanage to hire the babies for night to help them with the begging.

I always tried to be careful about pickpockets, however one day (yes in the day) very near our Hotel I was walking to the markets (must tell you about them later too) and this young teenage girl bumped into me, she had one of those pointed hats they all wore (tell you later too WHY they wore them), anyway I gently moved her hat to one side and there was a younger boy with his hand in my shirt pocket, luckily they got nothing and ran off.

We had no TV at first, later on we did and included some foreign TV, but ONLY at the Hotels NOT for the locals, this was when they finally stopped censoring as much the faxes etc.

I think that answers all your questions.

More tales from Vietnam later............... :ok:

[airsupport]

Just to clarify the couple of things I mentioned before...............

Most Vietnamese Females (not at Vietnam Airlines but the general public) wore these cone shaped hats, obviously I guess in part for protection from the sun, but guess what one of their primary uses was???

For modesty............................

There were virtually NO public toilets anywhere in Vietnam (in 1992/3 anyway) and people just went in the streets, you quickly learnt to avoid any green patches or wet patches on the footpath or sides of buldings etc, anyway when a Female just had to go in the street they used these hats for some modesty. :sad:

Ah yes, the markets, there were several markets in Saigon (in those days) some very good, some not so good.

The most disgusting was the animal markets, so sad, you could buy just about any animals there including all kinds of birds, snakes, dogs and even bears, mainly bought and sold for FOOD.

One or two of our Pursers used to sometimes buy some of the animals and release them, but sadly I think they were wasting their time.

Eventually while we were there this disgusting place was closed down by the Authorities.

There were several other good markets where you could buy all sorts of local goods including food etc IF you were game to eat it.

Probably the most interesting, apart from the animal market, was what they called the American market.

You could browse there for hours as I did many times, all sorts of things left behind by the Americans when the got out of Saigon, many great things including tools etc.

As I said before we were the first to operate IN Vietnam for Vietnam Airlines, however during this time 2 others began ops there, Regionair with an Airbus A310 and TEA of Switzerland with a couple of B737s.

Well one of the TEA 737s was grounded in Saigon after two portable fire extinguishers went ''missing'' from onboard, and they didn't have enough spares.

Guess what......................

They found two ''IDENTICAL'' ones at the American market the next day. ;)

Only thing like that we had was we lost a lot of baggage/cargo containers for our B767, Vietnam Airlines went chasing them for us, found most of them not far from the airport, with families living in them. :(

Needless to say we left them there as they obviously needed them more than we did.

[airsupport]

As I said I have no more photos of the Crews, or even the aircraft, but I am hoping some of these will be of interest, or I am wasting a lot of time.

This is the main market in Saigon, NOT the Animal or American ones but the Ben Thanh Market.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/v001.jpg

This one is the Kim Thanh Grocery Store at 64 Ham Nghi Street HCMC where most of us bought our groceries.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/v002.jpg

Also you will see in that photo and the next few that are street stalls etc around there the hats I was talking about before.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/v003.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/v004.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/v005.jpg

Another thing I forgot until I saw these photos again, the Authorities there were very hit and miss, these stallholders you can see in these photos are (were) all over Saigon and they are just little family businesses, their only income usually, they are left alone mostly, however sometimes without any warning, I saw it myself 4 or 5 times, Army trucks come around and with no warning or any time to salvage anything confiscate all these stalls and take them away in their trucks. :(

[airsupport]

This is another street scene in Saigon, you can see (I hope) the white cabinet on wheels near the centre of the photo. This is Saigon's equivalent of ''Mr Whippy", would you buy an ice cream from him? I certainly did NOT.

You also can see in this photo one of the very famous ''cyclos'', these are usually (were then) operated by ex South Vietnam Military people who can not now (then) get any normal jobs.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/v006.jpg

Public transport in Saigon. NO I did not use them, would you?

In the second one you can see the driver climbing back in after loading yet more bicycles and baskets aboard.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/v007.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/v008.jpg

This one, taken from a moving vehicle so please excuse quality, is obviouly I guess roadworks, Saigon style though. Not only all done by hand, NO machinery at all, but unlike in OZ no barriers for their protection, no stop and go men, no warning signs, hi vis vests etc etc................

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/v009.jpg

This one, also not great quality and also from a moving vehicle, I thought may be of interest. It is in Hanoi, not Saigon, a whole street of nothing at all but hairdressers/barbers.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/v012.jpg

[airsupport]

Okay, last one, for now anyway.

This is one of the best and most interesting things I/we saw in Vietnam, IF you are ever there you should go and see it, if you can still now.

Mind you IF I had known anyone that fought in the War, which I didn't, I don't think I could have stomached the guides graphic stories about what the VC did to these invaders.

It is the underground tunnels at Cu Chi.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/v010.jpg

That photo is our guide before the tour pointing out the details. The pink area he is pointing to is Cu Chi Province, the red lines in it are the tunnels. The blue area in front of his belt with white lines on it is Saigon Airport, the 4 or 5 other blue areas are where the US bases were during the War.

This photo is the guide showing one of the highly camoflaged entrances to the tunnels.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/v011.jpg

They also have (had) a rifle range there where you can shoot with all sorts of weapons from the War, only $US1 per shot.

I won't tell you some of the stories he bragged about, what they did to the US invaders, but if you ever get a chance check the place out. :ok:

[Jack Ranga]

Went down the tunnels at cu chi, I'm not claustrophobic but it was THE scariest stuff I've done, couldn't get out quick enough! Visiting there will confirm to you why the Americans were NEVER going to win a war in Vietnam. Shooting the AK47 at a dollar a bullet more than made up for it though!

Beer Hoi is running at around 70 cents I think.

mmmm Beer Hoi :ok::ok::ok:

[airsupport]

Went down the tunnels at cu chi, I'm not claustrophobic but it was THE scariest stuff I've done, couldn't get out quick enough! Visiting there will confirm to you why the Americans were NEVER going to win a war in Vietnam. Shooting the AK47 at a dollar a bullet more than made up for it though!

Did you go right down?

Apparently there are (were) several different levels, the higher levels have been enlarged greatly for tourists, the lower level is the real thing.

NOT having a dig at you, I did NOT go right down, scary enough on the higher levels. :eek:

[Jack Ranga]

Did you go right down?


No way! The first level was bad enough!


Apparently there are (were) several different levels, the higher levels have been enlarged greatly for tourists, the lower level is the real thing.


Enlarged! Good God, I barely fit in the enlarged bit.

The booby traps they set were something to behold :ouch:

[peuce]

Went there recently .... unfortunately, claustrophobia won on the day, however, my wife saved the family name.:{

Shot off some AK47 ... no hits :O

And, those buses in HCMC haven't changed :eek:

[airsupport]

Enlarged! Good God, I barely fit in the enlarged bit.

The booby traps they set were something to behold

Yes, apparently that first level was greatly enlarged for us tourists.

One of our group went down to the next level, but it was a very quick trip, he was only gone for a minute or so. :rolleyes:

From what we were told the actual tunnels shrink in size (on purpose) the further you go in, the idea as our guide so happily told us was that as the VC (NOT a term he used, they hated that term) go further in they can get through but the American Invaders (his terms) get stuck.

Also as you mentioned lots of booby traps, as our guide very graphically explained, like at the bottom of those vertical entrances there was like a trap door, the VC dodge them but the Americans stood on them and fall through onto these very sharp bamboo poles piercing them shockingly where it really hurts. The guide also explained that the VC counted on the stupid Americans (his terms) stopping to help their severely injured buddies, as would most people, while the VC got away.

It was a very clever system of tunnels, the VC hid there for years with the Americans sometimes right above them, they even cooked etc underground with pipes taking the smoke miles away from where they really were. Apparently (according to our guide) the Americans even built some kind of barracks over part of the tunnels at one stage, then they couldn't work out why their sentries were killed during the night without anyone breaching their fortified fences.

[airsupport]

Went there recently .... unfortunately, claustrophobia won on the day, however, my wife saved the family name.

Shot off some AK47 ... no hits

And, those buses in HCMC haven't changed

Glad you enjoyed it, and sounds like nothing has changed that much. :ok:

[kblackburn]

What an excellent thread...this is one of the reasons I visit PPRuNe; to read about places (and escapades therein :ok:) that many of us will never visit.

Keep those memories coming please folks :)

[airsupport]

Just a quickie, so as to speak, I finally found the photo of the other aircraft type (Tupolev) that was Vietnam Airlines front line aircraft until our B767 began ops IN Vietnam.

You can also see in this photo the 2 hangars behind the aircraft, these were the biggest hangars (then anyway) in Saigon, which is why we had to have virtually all our scheduled maintenance done in Taipei, and because of the American embargo, IF we had of observed that. :rolleyes:

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/tupolev.jpg

[tinpis]

We were on some $US60 a night for expenses, standard at the time in the Company, which they cut back to $US50 a night when they found out how cheap it was there.

Bean counters

[airsupport]

Bean counters

Exactly. :ugh:

We didn't really mind, things were so cheap there at the time, just it was the standard per diem at the time, and you can bet what they saved from us they did NOT give to anyone else who was working for them somewhere it was dearer to stay. :rolleyes:

[Wiley]

I'm looking forward to someone telling some of the MAS stories. It was to MAS that quite possibly the largest group of Ozmates went, as early as late ‘89.

One that immediately comes to mind was the origin of "Ozmate".

“Shakin' Stephens”, a very keen (and very good) golfer, was one of the early arrivals there, and in short order, with all the time he spent out on the golf course, was as suntanned – if not moreso – as any local. He was also possessed of one very broad Awstrawyan accent, and like too many of us in those early days, he didn’t appreciate just how baffling our use of slang was to most of the Malaysians we worked with.

Shakin’ was a particularly bad offender in the use of Strine slang.

One morning, he was in the milling throng at sign on – not helping his captain with the flight plan, but showing some local captain how to improve his golfing grip – when another senior Malaysian captain approached one of the Australian captains.

He gestured towards Shakin’. “Bill,” he said, “Where does (Shakin’) come from?”

“Australia, like the rest of us, Rizwan.”

“No, no, he doesn’t,” replied the captain. “I asked him yesterday and he said he comes from some place called Ozmate. Where is that?”

And so Ozmate it became.



The other MAS story resulted in its main character being invited for morning tea with the redoubtable (and I think virtually everyone who went there would agree, much respected) Captain Ooi, the “Manager, Narrow Body”.

The FO involved found himself on an overnight at BKI in East Malaysia, an overnight that began at around lunch time. The Purser, (who was quite senior - which, it turns out, became an important part of the story, for ‘face’ became involved), and he agreed that a bit of up close and personal time might be the order of the day to while away the early afternoon hours, after which the FO returned to his room.

On the same crew, overnighting with the Purser and the FO, there was also a-very-new,-on-one-of-her-first-flights,-fresh-out-of-training-school-flight-attendant (you get the picture?) who was comely in the extreme (as, I’m sure few would disagree, were soooo many of the ladies we flew with at MAS).

On his way back to his room after his visit with the Purser, the FO met the young lady described above, and without going into too many details, it was agreed that she should come back to his room for some up close and personal time. Perhaps not surprisingly, this up close and personal time was longer lasting than the earlier tryst with the Purser, and while he and the fresh from training school young lady were lying back and having the proverbial cigarette whilst catching their collective breaths, the phone rang.

The phone was on the young lady’s side of the bed and so she picked it up and handed it across to the FO, unfortunately, (oh, how very unfortunately!) giving away her presence, perhaps even her identity, to the caller, who unfortunately was the Purser, ringing to see if the FO was interested in ‘seconds’.

Much loss of face for senior Purser (and, I imagine, some interesting crew dynamics on the multiple sectors they had to fly the next morning before returning to KL).

... and, as I mentioned, a visit to Captain Ooi’s office, where the FO was gently informed that there were some cultural lines that were best left uncrossed, and some young ladies best left unbedded.

[tinpis]

Ahh..Shakin' me little brother,RIP mate.
Described Malaysia as "Shes all fcuked mate" Once told me he was in a shopping centre and spotting a pizza joint rocked up to the counter to order. The kind man explained they only took phone orders he could dial-a-pizza. After Shakin' had finished describing what the pizza man could do in broadest strine, he spotted a public telephone across the mall and duly rang the pizza joint and watched the bloke take his order.
Most Shakin' stories are unprintable.:ok:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/tinpis/ANSETT737CREWENGLAND-1.jpg
Shakin' white shoes (he did have a red pair) in Pommyland. Where are the rest now?

[Waynesawa]

Looks like quite a number of dispute pilots lurkin' round in here and quite a few from BNE. Even though not exactly relating to the thread, was wondering any of you guys know Tony? He had a stroke sometime betweem mid to late 90's while with MAS in BKI. Paddy (his wife) brought him back to BNE and we lost contact.
Coincidently I am with EK now on a layover in BNE at the time I'm writing this note. If there is anyone who knows him here, can you give me and update or contact for him or his wife. I heard he passed away but there is no way I can confirm this. If it is true, I would love to pay my respects since I am in town.
Thanks in advance.

[airsupport]

Dora-9,

I had an email earlier to say you had sent a PM, however the PM is not here now on site?

Okay IF you deleted it, just did NOT want you to think I was rude and didn't answer.

airsupport.

[Dora-9]

Airsupport - another try at a PM....

[airsupport]

another try at a PM....

Got it this time. :ok:

[airsupport]

Your mentioning of familiar voices on the radio reminded me of some other odd radio things on those Vietnam Airlines flights.

On many flights, but especially Hanoi-Moscow-Hanoi when various ATCs wanted us to confirm our Airline and registration, many needed it to be transmitted several times, especially India for some reason, they had a lot of trouble believing that Vietnam Airlines had a registration of VH-RMA. :rolleyes:

Then there were the long haul Qantas guys operating from Europe to OZ who heard these Aussies voices heading for either Hanoi or Moscow and were not sure what they hearing was correct either. ;)

[Dora-9]

Tinpis:

“shakin’…RIP little brother”.

Are you sure? I saw him a few months ago if it’s who I think it is (see later).

Back Row, L to R:
Brian W****r, nice guy (I became a great fan when he threw an FOI off the jumpseat in Canberra one morning, not for nothing was his nick-name “Tiger”), went back to Ansett.
Mark R*******r still with Cathay.
Greg M****r, was a B777 captain with Cathay, now with V-Australia.
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown Front row, L to R:
Roger H*****d – I don’t know where he went.
Unknown
Ken J*****d, became ill shortly afterwards although the last time I saw him (2/3 months ago?) he seemed much improved.
4. Phil J****s, top bloke, was an Airbus captain with Cathay, then MFS and now DFO of Alliance in Brisbane.

[tinpis]

Back Row, L to R:

* Brian W****r, nice guy (I became a great fan when he threw an FOI off the jumpseat in Canberra one morning, not for nothing was his nick-name “Tiger”), went back to Ansett.
* Mark R*******r still with Cathay.

er... thats Shakin' (Steve F*****m) actually. Passed several years ago

[Dora-9]

Err, well it sure looked like KJ to me. But I'd be glad to be wrong, I hope he's still with us though.

What's your point with the BW and MR identification?

[WTFIGO]

Dora-9, I think the point Tinpis is making is that you have the wrong pair of white shoes and the guy you think is Mark R is actually Steve F. I'm intrigued as to how all these guys were together in the UK though.

[tinpis]

I'm intrigued as to how all these guys were together in the UK though.
733 SIM was flat out so they sent us to the YOOKAY for sim

Enroute Shakin' decides to have a quiet six in the Cathay lounge Chinee get all cats bum face because we on staff travel.. drink more, tell Chinee rude word
Shakin' manages to jack up a root but doesnt have the time....

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/tinpis/family/meandshakin88.jpg?t=1296051131

[Dora-9]

Doh! I've just realized that there are two pairs of white shoes in the picture.

I stand corrected about the gent in the back row - it is KJ in the front row however.

[F111]

Phil J is still a top bloke and an asset to Aliiance.

[Dora-9]

I concur totally - I first met him in Port Headland in 1968, and he’s never changed!

[tinpis]

He was on my 733 sim , concur, top man :ok:
I think Brian Weiler was along for the ride with CASA hat at that time ?

[airsupport]

The recent bomb at a Moscow Airport brought back some memories of our Hanoi-Moscow-Hanoi flights (back in 1992/93).

Each direct flight out of Hanoi for Moscow was always full, with Russians returning from their holidays in Vietnam. Very nice people mainly, however especially when compared to the Vietnamese they were mainly shall we say of much larger build. This combined with the need to take on as much fuel as possible due to the flight time meant we were usually at maximum takeoff weight out of Hanoi and often used every inch of the runway length.

What was a real battle every time, and something I will never forget, is that these Russians used to walk out to board the 767 carrying just about everything they owned, they would not check anything in. They said it was because they did NOT trust their things to be available for them in Moscow IF they let them out of their sight, this was because (they said) the Russian Mob ran the Airport in Moscow.

Anyway every flight used to be late out, something we didn't need with such a long flight, because of this and all of the Crew used to have to stand on the mobile steps (no aerobridges) and stop these people boarding and try to explain why they could not take all this stuff into the cabin, especially with a full flight.

I managed to convince some of them many times, the ones that could speak English, by saying things like IF in the unlikely event something were to go wrong on takeoff with all this stuff in the cabin you would NOT be able to get out, that convinced many and WAS of course true.

As I said, I will never forget as long as I live, some of these people like Henry T physically preventing these pax from boarding and trying to explain why they couldn't take mountains of gear with the in the cabin.

[tinpis]

He was on my 733 sim , concur, top man

Which would have worked out at about $3million in todays money :rolleyes:

[airsupport]

Seems this thread is coming to an end, or certainly slowing down in interest. :(

Anyway a few more things I was just remembering about the Hanoi-Moscow-Hanoi runs back in 1992/93.

Not sure exactly when Communism finished in Russia, but during that time we operated there it was still around and some very odd things, and of course Vietnam was and still is Communist.

During out turnrounds in Moscow there were several armed guards on the aircraft, and it is the only place I had ever seen (there may be others?) where any locals that came aboard had to leave their ID cards with one of these guards at the front door and collect it again as they left the aircraft, to prevent anyone trying to escape I guess, mind you why on Earth they would want to go to Vietnam.

I was passengering back on one of the flights and these two huge Russians wearing hats and trench coats came aboard, they were exactly like the ones that you used to see in those spy vs spy magazines. They had a parcel for the Russian Embassy in Hanoi that they wanted us to take with us but safe hands in the cabin NOT downstairs, they said when I asked them what is was that it was machine parts. :rolleyes:

Anyway I went and told the Captain and he was reluctant to accept it, which pleased me. However after some communications way above our heads the Captain agreed to take it. I generally enjoy flying, but that was one of the most nervous flights I have ever had, 12 hours with this :mad: box under MY seat.

Anyway we made it safely and it was collected in Hanoi by two Russians who bypassed Customs etc, must have been some machine parts. :eek:

[sixtiesrelic]

In '92 when we six arrived in Indonesia there were three or four ex MMA blokes flying F28s for Merpati.
One was a good mate of one of our blokes so we could go and pick their brains about local conditions and better still get a photo copy of the latest letdown chatrs that they had.

We were employed by a new Singaporean company and wet leased to Bouraq.
Our principals were just business men who spotted a buck to be made but had no operational aviation background.

While in Singapore signing contracts and waiting for the ex Malaysian 737s to be painted we were able to meet up with some Silk Air mates and question them and score their old Jep charts to get some idea of what we were going into. They operated into a couple of the ports we were going to.

There was a faded Turkish 737 at the paintshop that we couldn't believe actually was still flying. It looked like something you see on the side of an aerodrome in Oz with much of the paint peeling off, bits missing from it and the grass growing luxuriously all around it.
We noted it's rego.

After our aircraft came out of the paintshop, we headed off to Jakarta with the Indonesian DGAC type specialist checking the first of us on the way.
Over the next couple of days we took turns to fly with "The Brown Snake" who wore fingerless driving gloves and smoked continuously as the 'new 737' did proving flights to the first places we were going to operate to.

Between us we had one cap, two ties, a collection of old wings and uniforms that weren't too tatty. Those uniforms were 'stolen'; according to a certain small, nasty little man, when talking to reporters a couple of years before.

At each stop, whoever was the captain, got a tie and the hat for walking down the steps to be greeted by the airport manager at the pomp and ceremonial welcome.

We had a load of hosties on board, having their turns at operating and they'd sweep down the steps first and make a guard of honour at the bottom before a poor Aussie embarassedly marched down the stairs to the clapping and cheering of the ground staff and officials.
The other five sauntered down when the speeches were being made and got close to the feast to get in early.
The Brown Snake didn't take part in all the hullabooloo. He wasn't Bouraq and didn't want to stop smoking.

It was a good thing the Brown Snake was in the right seat and the Chief Pilot was in the jumpseat, because we couldn't understand what the controllers were saying.
The ATIS was in a different order and we needed to listen to it half a dozen times at first to decipher what all the numbers meant.

It was a steep learning curve.

By the end of the first day of four legs from Jakarta to Surabaya, Banjarmassin and back to JKT we were all stuffed and sticky.
We'd found we were most welcome (No racial discrimination) and the chicks were like back in the olden days... charming and respectful.

The latter years of out time in Oz there'd been a distinct change in the chick's attitude towards the pilots.
There was one who got an earfull after addressing the FO with, "Listen sonny I've been flying a lot longer than YOU. I've been flying seventeen years".

I think it was part of the build up to deregulation by the Fatman and the ex Aussie Media Mogul ... get a wedge in between the different aircrew.

By the end of day one we'd learned really important things like, "Watch out for the little red bits in the food... they burn" and " those little shrivelled green beans aren't... they're red hot coals in fancy dress.

[tinpis]

What about some tales from Ponom Pen ?:E

[training wheels]

Quite interesting accounts from sixtiesrelic ... thanks for sharing. Indonesia is currently experiencing unprecedented growth in air travel which have open up opportunities for a few Australian pilots to work there again. Some have already gone through the license conversion process and have been type rated and ready to start line training soon.

The photo below might be of interest to sixtiesrelic ... we taxied past PK-IJM some weeks back, which still sits parked on a taxi way outside the old terminal building at Surabaya.

http://i51.tinypic.com/wrdelx.jpg

[airsupport]

Cannot find any more photos of the Crews, or even the aircraft, on that wet lease IN Vietnam in 1992/93.

However just found these couple that may, or may not, be of interest, not of the Crews as it was difficult to take photos there, but in Brunei.

We were there intially for some training, and then later when these photos were taken our aircraft was ferried there for a major check that was due during the wet lease.

The first one is just a Royal Brunei B767-300 at the terminal in Brunei.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/brunei1.jpg

The second one is (hopefully) more intersting, aircraft of the Sultan's Private Fleet.

The small jet is one of many in his fleet (at the time), the tail is of one of several Airbus A310s in his fleet, and the Airbus A340 although in the colours of the Airline was (in those days anyway) basically his too.

He was (then) the only person that had an A340 except for Lufthansa, and he had Lufthansa people in Brunei looking after it.

The day this photo was taken the A340 had been taken from Airline service over to the Royal Hangars for the Sultan to do some circuits and bumps.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i474/airsupport/brunei2.jpg

[Jack Ranga]

Good stuff support, ta. :ok:

[john_tullamarine]

couldn't take mountains of gear with the in the cabin.

One got used to that in Indonesia.

During the 90s I was involved in a number of audits there (although I would far have rathered a guernsey on the Bouraq contract with the boys). On one such sojourn, we found ourselves out in the boonies looking at a strip on Halmahera and then needing a lift from Gorontalo to Ambon.

As I recall we were supposed to travel on Merpati .. which just didn't turn up .. day in, day out. We would go out to the airport, wait around for a couple of hours and then go back to the pub and get some more local culture for the evening.

Eventually even the system appeared to get embarassed and, on the final day, we waited and then observed a tatty old G1 trundle onto the apron .. you guessed it. So out to the bird a total of about 18 or so pax ambled with more junk under their collective arms than you could poke a stick at. To cut a long story short, my colleague and I ended up in about the second back row with the overhead (old railway carriage style) open racks and centre aisle filled to capacity with junk.

Then, to make matters worse, Ambon wx resulted in some holding and a diversion back to Gorontalo. We then won second prize .. which was another trip on the G1 back to Ambon later that day.

Loved Indonesia .. great country and absolutely beautiful once you got out of the cities.