Ah Hanoi!
November 25 1974, DC3 VH- SBB.
Self and a bright new F/O Mike
Pr....ton, flew 26 Students from Puget Sounds Uni along with their leader, from Madang-Wewak then on to Djayapura. On contacting Sentani Tower I was asked if I had a clearance. I confirmed with the leader that all their paperwork, entry visa etc was in order and advised the twr all was ok and proceeded on and landed.
Still up front finishing off my paperwork, I noticed that no-one was deplaning and shortly afterwards was advised by the Uni leader my presence was required at the door.
A bemedalled Indon opened the conversation with the statement. " You can not land here as you have not been cleared, you are under arrest and no one is allowed off the aircraft!" I think that I mumbled some sort of apology and then started to extract all from the mire.
PX operated fortnightly QF flights to Djayapura and all necessary clearances etc was carried out by both airlines. BUT in this instance, this flight was on an 'off-fortnight' and nobody had sought the appropiate diplomatic clearances. The students had the correct visas etc and in fact held hotel bookings and a hotel bus was at the airport to take them to town. Their onward Garuda bookings had also been confirmed for the following day..
The Indons knew all about their arrival, but no clearance to arrive had been given.
The Indons left us all onboard the aircraft saying that they would possibly have to put us all up in the town jail until the matter was resolved.
While they went back to the terminal, I managed to contact CAA Madang advising them of the problem requesting that they advise PX Moresby to contact me on HF for the details and to get on to Canberra to sort things out there.
After an hour or so, the Indons let us off the aircraft but could not go anywhere else. The passengers bus and reception group was still waiting.
After a further long wait, the odd radio call to POM, the Indons attitude seemed to slowly improve. I was very glad that HF radio comms were excellent that day.
Having been over the border on many occasions, I was aware of their pleasure in getting feelthie pictures, I carried a number of playboy, Penthouse and whatever else I could scrounge of the guys around POM on this flight. I never actually 'gave' them the mags, I just left them by the rear door and advised them that they were there along with a couple of cartons of good old SP for their use. The mags, beer and unused food quickly disappeared!
After another long wait, the word was that the correct documentation had been provided, the passengers were allowed entry and SBB was allowed to depart. I think that we got back to Wewak just befor last light after a rather long day.
Good old Hugh Hefner, he saved us from sleeping in less than salubrious quarters that night.