No I bought her from the Cane farmer in Innisfail that the Wild family sold her too. But yes I do know her history...started her life brand new in PNG with Anglican World Mission in the early 60s. Ended her life in a valley in the Owen Stanley ranges with one of Ray Hanna's nephews at the controls. Not nearly as good a pilot as his uncle and not nearly as good as he thought he was. I had loaned her to his boss while his 185, P2-BAF, was in for an annual. It was the young blokes 3rd or 4th day in PNG.
BAF was my first PNG command. She was owned by Simbu Aviation when I started there in the mid 80s. A year or so after Hanna Jnr died in AWM, BAF was crashed in Chimbu Prov with Hanna junior's boss at the controls...fatally.
John Wild Jnr was a good friend...and yes without him and P2-AWM Airlines of PNG would not exist. MBA kindly agreed to maintain AWM for me when I owned her...the only outside work their engineers were allowed to do from memory. Even old John Snr used to give her an affectionate pat when he walked past her in the hangar.
Last edited by Chimbu chuckles; 2nd Aug 2008 at 05:27.