Sandline aircraft in PNG and Tindal ?

[Waghi Warrior]

What ever happened to the machines,does anyone know ? There were 2 Hinds locked up at Tindal and there was a CASA 212 and a Mixmaster stored in Port Moresby for years ? Does anyone know the fate of any of these aircraft ? I beilive the Hinds came with enough ammo to have large scale war,which I guess was the intention at the time anyway.

[tail wheel]

Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandline_affair) suggests: "The weapons including various military small arms, piston engined light aircraft and helicopter gunships were taken to Australia until the government of PNG arranged for the material to be returned to Sandline."

Chopper sale grounded (http://www.sandline.com/hotlinks/Australian_chopper-sale.html)

What would be interesting to know is how the Australian Government "encouraged" the Russian freighter aircraft to land in Australia, instead of PNG..........

[SgtBundy]

Quick google suggests the RAAF "forced" the aircraft not to arrive as intended.

Maybe they invited them out to Darwin for a piss up?

[SgtBundy]

Bah, the truth is not nearly as interesting:

Folder Contents (http://www.driftline.org/cgi-bin/archive/archive_msg.cgi?file=spoon-archives/marxism-general.archive/marxism-general_1997/97-04-02.183&msgnum=4&start=433)

See "PM confirms request on arms intercept".

Seems Sandline had the An-124 sitting in Thailand racking up lease fees by the day. As the issue had blown up PNG were unwilling to let the aircraft land in PNG for fear the military would use the equipment for a coup. Howard intervened and accepted to "hold" the kit at Tindal until it could be sorted out.

Seems the closest thing to real action was two hornets sitting ready at Tindal in case of "emergencies".

[Animalclub]

At least one Antonov (sp?) was unloaded with Sandline arms at Jacksons... I saw it from my residence at the Airways at around 0200. It was gone by breakfast time.

[Yeti Breath]

Can't help with the above mentioned ones. However a few years ago (2007ish) some shipping containers in Honiara were opened up, inside was an O2 (C-337) and a couple of Hughes 500's.

Some of the expat engineers got the 337 back into (what looked like) flying condition in there spare time over the ensuing months. I don't know if it ever flew though.

As for the 500's never saw or heard of them again.

[frigatebird]

Yeti
Those had nothing to do with Sandline. The two Cessnas with two spare engines, and the one Hughes 500 (ex confiscated drug run aircraft, I think) had been a gift from the U.S. Government before 2000, but never put together and left in the containers on the edge of the parade ground at the Police Barracks at Rove. The unlocked containers rotted in the open over the years, and the aircraft inside were vandalised by kids watching the football when the parade ground was used as a soccer pitch. Only one ex-U.S.A.F. Cessna O2A (?) (337) would have been capable of being restored, but being an ex military aircraft, and with lost log books, would have had to have been operated by a Government department. At the time of the move of the containers to Henderson, the responsibility was given to the D.C.A., some aviation technical people were prepared to give time for that, but due 'lack of funds' nothing became of it.
If they are not around still, then someone would have pocketed some money at government expense..
f.

[gav_20022002]

I was lead to believe the Antonov landed in Darwin to refuel and was then "escorted" by a couple of Hornets down to Tindal, My last visit to tindal in around 2006 the Hind was still in lock up down there in a shed/hangar

[Delta_Foxtrot]

WW,
I can confirm that the CASA 212 and the Cessna were still in the PNGDF hangar at Jacksons 2000-2002. They were neglected (covered in dust, soggy tyres etc) but didn't look too bad. At least they had been kept under cover. Not sure what happened after mid-2002.
DF

[jumby164]

I was at 1RSU during this incident - the Antanov was intercepted well North West of Darwin

[josephfeatherweight]

Thread revival maximum effort!

[Allan L]

Must be the day for it - this one wins by a few months:
http://www.pprune.org/pacific-general-aviation-questions/365957-tatty-old-raaf-planes-sit-sadly-point-cook-2.html