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.
