APNG Twin Otters

[StudentPilot479]

My current contract is coming due in a while and I'm looking into some other possibilities before my employer asks what I'll be doing afterward. One of these is to go to PNG which has led to APNG. Looking at their route map it looks like almost all their scheduled Twin Otter flights are in the southern lowlands. I have an older route map from a couple years ago, and it looks like they have reduced Twin Otter scheduled service since then, is this the case or did they just not want to clutter up their current route map with all sorts of short Twin Otter legs?

Since I read they operate to about 120 destinations, I assume APNG flies into the mountains on chartered flights with their Twin Otters.

Are planes and pilots permanently based in Mendi/Mt Hagen/Goroka/Lae for charter flights from any of these towns?

Does APNG regularly have Twin Otters flying along the north coast (originating from Vanimo/Wewak/Madang)? If they do, do they tend to be along the coast and lowlands, head south to the highlands, or a mixture of both?

Does APNG fly Twin Otters in New Britain/New Ireland/Bougainville frequently?

Assuming they base Twin Otters away from Port Moresby, is it generally you're in Mendi to fly for customer X all day everyday (or fly and then sit and wait); or while you are there to fly for customer X, you will also pick up flight for customers Y and Z when customer X doesn't require the plane?

[Night Beetle]

Not sure why you need to know all that chaff?

Need a job, apply. It is not Syd or BNE but the experience can very well set you up for something bigger,like the 100's who have gone before you.

Usually only contract work based away from POM,nothing wrong with that either,cheaper living. No grog if that is your thing.

Apply and see and leave the rostering and scheduling to someone else.

Pilot first.

[pcx]

Beetle
Seems to me that the questions are reasonable.
The guy has a job and is just looking into other possibilities. To do this he needs to find answers to questions he may have. He is being reaponsible as if the answers to his questions mean that APNG is not for him he has not wasted his and APNG's time applying for a job that he will not accept.
There may be other ways to have his questions answered but with all of the experienced PNG pilots here on PPrune this is also certainly a reasonable place to explore.

[Night Beetle]

Of course how silly of me no answers in my reply :rolleyes:

[Killer Loop]

APNG have cut down on their RPT routes in the last year or so and have increased dramatically the number of contracts they have. If you are a new captain you normally build hours on type doing the RPT Gulf runs. There are also RPT runs to Tufi and places such as Tapini. Otherwise it's contract stuff mostly which I agree has many benefits such as free food and cheap living. Normally go out to somewhere like Gobe for a 6 day stint servicing places such as Tabubil, Tari, Mendi, Moro, Hagen etc. Other contracts obviously have different destinations. Contracts out of Hagen can have you flying north to Lae and Madang but there is no RPT along the north coast anymore. All in all a very good gig with tours and good T&C's. If you have command time on the DHC-6 I recommend you send in a resume, nothing to lose.

[StudentPilot479]

Sorry Night Beetle, PCX is dead on. I'd like to find out if APNG is along the lines of what I am interested in doing or not from people who are freely volunteering their time and information before I start corresponding with people who probably have better things to do during their day.

Thanks for your reply Killer Loop. Everywhere you mentioned and most of the places with scheduled service (everywhere except Obo according the list I have, ignoring obstacles/terrain) is a reasonably long strip for a Twin Otter. Does APNG take their Twin Otters into short mountain strips?

[Night Beetle]

Hevilift or www.regionalaviation.com (http://www.regionalaviation.com) have some good gigs going try them.
Not the size of APNG, they have just got back into above 5700 kgs.

[Killer Loop]

APNG and Hevilift do not generally go into strips shorter than 600 m anymore. To ignore weather and terrain here would be very difficult, Tabubil on a sh1tty day is more than enough fun for me. To shorten it to under 600 m as well would be just too much excitement for one day. I have done Teken and the rest and am glad those days are over. I think I remember Chimbu Chuckles once writing that he felt lucky he had got away with it once it was all over....I felt the same waybut perhaps I'm just getting old. Have you been up here Student? Mendi may look long in the book but on a very bad day it can't look long enough.

[StudentPilot479]

I was up there a few years ago. I happened to meet a pilot while I was there and got invited along on a flight one day but I lucked out and had great weather to see the area. I suppose when you have cloud, rain, and/or tailwinds 600m could get quite short for a Twin Otter.

What's happened to the shorter strips? Do most of them get service from MAF, SIL, and the likes or are many no longer used?

Thanks for the link to Regional Aviation, Night Beetle. I remember seeing their website awhile back, but couldn't find it (or remember their name) once I started looking for it.

[Waghi Warrior]

Not to sure what you are exactly looking for however if I was given a choice I'd go to Hevilift.

MAF and the other mission operators still service most of the shorter strips,and seem to be doing a good and safe job at it,given the conditions that they are faced with on a day to day basis.

The APNG Kokoda Twin Otter accident report is going to be made public next week,it will be interesting to see what the fallout from this will be,not only for APNG but the industry in general.