PNG Ples Bilong Tok Tok

[Callmebede]

VH/P2-FRB, P2-PNX, P2-BOX, VH-LIW. Helio Courier

Further to that written by 2Dogs:
"VH-FRB Helio H-250 Courier MkII, c/n 2540 ex N6330V. Crashed 28.05.1976 at Mount Hagen."
On behalf of PNG Aviation [Yorky M.], I Field Repaired it after the ground loop incident and flew it from Mt Hagen to POM on the 23MAY77. By this stage, for a reason unknow to me, it had been removed from the PNG Register. The ferry flight to POM was conducted on a Permit to Fly, as it was know then, using the Callsign P2-PNX. At the time, I was employed as a LAME by AirNiugini Engineering, but Yorky was aware that I had salvaged the aircraft some years previous, after it had an engine failure and forced landing into a river bed near Tadji.
The pilot was, if I recall correctly, L.R. [later, PX Aircrew] and I must add, he did a mighty skilled job of getting it through the canopy and onto the river bed with minimal damage and nil injuries. On that occasion, I hired a Heli-Trans Lama, which happened to be passing by on it's way to Sentani, to lift it out in two loads to an awaiting Bristol Freighter at Tadji. Normally, on a salvage like this, I would have hired a line of labourers to carry the dismantled aircraft out.
FRB was Airfreighted in the Air Express Bristol Airfreighter from Tadji to Archerfield and repaired by Air Express Holdings.
After the ferry flight for Yorky in MAY77, I lost track of the aircraft until I saw it as VH-LIW in NQ somewhere, may have been Charters Towers - early 2000's. Hew was refuelling there from memory, on his way back North to wherever he had retired. [Near Mt Garnet, I think]
I still have several B&W photographs of the salvage at Tadji.
Cheers.....BD.