Stallie... I agree completely. Anyone who has flown a wet season in the Top End isn't necessarily cut-out to fly in PNG. The vice versa is also certainly true too. Every place really does have its own issues ... I doubt if I'd know what to do if there wasn't a bloodey great mountain or smouldering volcano confronting me on take-off.
Most operators here are looking for blokes who've been round the traps before, in preference to those who haven't. Thus I can understand why
HA would want folks who've done it all before.
Mind you, there are parts of PNG that are very flat and get lots of rain on the often soft, natural surface strips that are so common throughout the country. I well remember a flight from Kiunga to Bensbach ... a helluva long way over flat, featureless terrain, at ... errm ... 500 feet. Just as well there was a river to guide me to Bensbach strip, where a very close, if somewhat abbreviated low level circuit was essential. The subsequent landing was still a slippy, slidey, slushy affair that had me wondering why acquaplaning isn't an Olympic sport! <img src="eek.gif" border="0">
