All this Islander/Trislander talk inspired me to produce this painting of BN3 VH-BPB operated by BPA (Bushies) in a colour scheme of the early 1980s.The painting is 30cm x 60cm acrylic on stretched canvas.
The airstrip is Palm Island off Townsville & at that time the surface was 'natural'. That means naturally boggy in the wet season & naturally dirt & dust in the dry season.
The island is an indigenous community & during the dry season when the strip was dry chaff the indigens would set fire to the runway (Why? Beats me).
Anyhoo,the fire would take about a week to smoulder from one end to the other. Didn't stop a/c movements, as the flame front was only a few millimetres high, but did create a sooty cloud behind departing aeroplanes.