Great to know P2-Tac is back in the air. She was my first ship in PNG and a good one, got me out of the odd spot.
Got pushed up to the mighty Islander and when doing the rating the circuits were interrupted by TAC forced landing on the road at Bomana. Within about a minute it seemed hundreds of fine local people were on the scene, to assist no doubt. And hundreds more converging from all directions. We circled at low level to let them know someone was watching and provide moral support for a very sheepish senior Talair Twin Otter Pilot who shall remain nameless. With my instructer a CAA accident investigater we landed and proceeded by road. By then the fire boys had the 185 in tow and all was well. The affair was laid to rest at the Dero over a few beers, all caused by fingers.
Not long before I had been lining her up for a deadstick out at Brown river bridge for the same reason, fuel selectors and parking on a slope! Couple of years after the Frog abandoned her at Nadzab I think where she picked up corrosion.
MFX I just took to Kerema and back for Mack one day, a fine ship.
Those figures Chuckles and Chimbu used are about right and probably conservative. Fits with recent NZ rebuilds its mostly just hundreds of hours of labour. 800 sq ft or so of aluminium to deal to. I finished CGG 5 years ago and on a very good day would almost get back the cost of the rebuild. But she owed me nothing at the start and the job would be $50 to $100G NZ more now. For eg labour was $45 now $75 an hour. To replace her would be around $350G NZ which of course is totally uneconomic. Incredible that the totaly knackered ones go for around $100G and the done up ones between $200 and $250, go figure. Then i realised a 185 rebuild is about the same cost as a 2200 hr overhaul on a R22 helicopter which then has a 12 year life, the 185 will see me out and in good condition too if looked after.
I saw MFX in Cairns in the mid 90s. It was more than a prop strike. She was in about 10 000 bits in the back of the hangar and the centre fusalage completely rebuilt at great cost as an insurance job, not far off a write off. So if the corrosion has been kind the hull might still be in very good order. The paint was reasonable in the late 90s might have held up and kept the salt out. The interior was stuffed even in 92, so nothing to lose there. And the radios and panel Ok but maybe gone missing. Be a job for someone with a passion for flying them as a keeper and a healthy bank account (at first).
Hey Chuck off down South next week, Wanaka and the odd wee strip in the bush-coming?