Rip Gove Base - Australasian Jet

[Mike Tango Xray]

On Thursday the 29th of May 2008 i must advise that as of Sunday Evening (the 1st of June) The Australasian Jet Gove Base will officially be closed!!!

What a Sad day in Aviation. What good times were shared. From flying Phylis to Mata Mata in the C206, Customs/Aqis runs in the Barons to getting smashed at the Arno / Walkabout on the weekends, Gove was the Best thing that Ausjet had to offer in the NT.

* Great flying
* Great House (3 sava street)
* a free pub bus to take you to and from the arno
* The best meals at the Golf club (miss you heather)
* but most importantly meeting some Great people to Drink with

and most importantly a great customer relationship between the Pilots and all of the clients!!

What memories will live on forever!!!!

Anyone ever associated with the Gove Base (AUSJET / NAC) please leave your feedback below!!!!!

[Van Gough]

I was never there but it sounded like a blast!:ok:

[Jabawocky]

Did not work there

Walkabout :ok::ok::ok:

J

[Howard Hughes]

No one ever worked there by the sound of it!;)

So who is flying out of Gove these days?

[Chocks Away]

Spent many a day/night there (years ago)...:} actually started the Airnorth Galiwinku base and Gove was a regular shopping/meeting place to catch up with the Gulf, Numburindi and Nguka Air blokes.
Surf Life Saving Club and Boat Club were top spots then:ok:

What's the replacement, as there's alot of work outa there?

[Mike Tango Xray]

Nothing I believe at this stage! The Problem is the Overheads are too high in Gove so the other companys will be reluctant to Move in. $800 per week to rent a House in Nhulunbuy is a little steep:ugh:

The place has the ability to make a fortune though, Hopefully someone will take it over otherwise the Doctors and Customs/AQIS will be stranded!!!

[zendj]

Sounds like the perfect opportunity for an operator with two twins and a single to slip in and take over...tssaR! :hmm:

[Mike Tango Xray]

Good old Uncle:ok:

[PLovett]

I was only there for 2 months at the end of 2000 flying for NAC and look back on it now as one of the best times. The learning curve was nearly vertical but so much of what I did learn still applies today.:ok:

Lots of long days with short sectors. I once likened it to being like an aerial taxi service as so many trips involved 2 or 3 separate charters. Can still remember some of the fun trips getting back into Gove in the early wet. Being on downwind but not being able to see the runway due to the rain between me and it.:eek:

Back then the accommodation was in the single mens quarters but hey, that was but a short walk to the "arno" and the Walkabout. Even had a key for the pool so you could use it afterhours.:E

And then HA started having cash flow crisis and it all came to an end.:{

Surprised Australasian Jet is pulling out. I would have thought it would be one of their better NT bases for prospects. Perhaps the cost of running the remote bases and finding people to staff them is getting too much.:confused:

[RUMBEAR]

Layna air paid my wages in Gove, but that was 12 years ago now. MAF and NTAS were the only other operaters at the time. Almost forgot the aeromed B200. Good times.:O

[206greaser]

Shocked! What was the explanation for this?
Operated at the other end, and have nothing but good things to say about the Ausjet Boy's i knew. (We weren't all straighty 180's up the other end ;) )
Are they keeping Elcho?
Does that just leave Laynha outa Gove???

[206greaser]

"mata mata"

[tinpis]

The fishing,no one mentioned the fishing.

http://www.augk18.dsl.pipex.com/Smileys/fishing3.gif
http://www.augk18.dsl.pipex.com/Smileys/fish.gif

[300Series]

Was based on Elcho with another charter company, just about every friday afternoon could get a charter over to Gove, would stop there friday night, Saturday was the 7th day and friday night would be spent drinking, saturday recovering and sunday had a backcharter home back to elcho for the next 6 days. Great times, Great bunch of blokes!

[Pluto's gone]

No more Gobe :bored:...

Out of curiosity whats a litre of fuel worth out bush these days?

Haven't been to Gobe for a long time, have seen the new runway. Did seem pretty quite though, there used to be a pletohra of planes out there.

The locals still need to fly just have to find another plane and another pilet I suppose.

The tower still there?

[206greaser]

Haha, yeah the tower! It was there last time i was there. Never used i heard. It's unlocked, and you can get up into it. It's pretty sweet!

[Stationair8]

One thing that stuffs up Gove for commercial operators is that you are competing with the God owns airline company. The MAFia certainly like to play hard ball and seem to be very good at undercutting on charter quotes and seem to have their own rules compared to commercial operator's.

Nothing against the hardworking MAF pilots.

[Cloud Whisperer]

Long live the AJ bus - what a way to get around all the pubs/restaurants with the price of unleaded at 189 cpl :ooh: And those city people whinge :bored:
. . . How many pilots squeezed, my apologies rolled, into that Toyotas' back seat :)

Defnitely room for two twins and a single :E . And someone needs to be able to fly on Sundays ;)

But then didn't a Phoenix rise from the ashes.

[bushy]

Charter AOC's are meant for commercial operations, and should not be issued to "not for profit" non tax paying organisations. They should have to operate by normal commercial rules and pay award wages, if they have an AOC.
Too many use things like govt provided houses etc to avoid paying award wages, and can get the public to contribute to their operating costs.
GA will never be really healthy unless all operators operate on a sound commercial basis.
Our government is racist, and encourages distortion of the commercial system to get cheap services, while it accumulates huge surplusses. No wonder Australian GA is sick.

[Cloud Whisperer]

Do I see a bit of drift here := . . . . . Zhhhaaa

The boys in the Walkabouts' Animal Bar when the new talent arrived - it was like being in a candy store.

What about the relationship with AusJet and the GDH - their were lots of good times there ;) :p ;)

Yes the Uncle trio :) Or have they all left now?

[Mike Tango Xray]

UNCLE - how many times do i have to tell you..........its Sarrrrrr not Zhhhaaa!!!!:ugh:

[Cloud Whisperer]

:p need to be in the pub a while to get that slur just right ;)
Oh that's right, the lights are out and no one is home :eek: R.I.P.

The boys worked hard - and not just at the pub/Golfies. Everything was there for the company. Must be more to it. It is an expensive place Gove, but it is a gold mine if a smart, switched on company comes in - there's no competition to the twins.

Ah but will the Phoenix rise soon . . . .Tsssaaarrrrrr :D

Now back to AusJet and the GDH . . . . . . MTX care to add :E

[Mike Tango Xray]

I Believe it should be AIRMED and GDH more like it :ok:

The nickname DOC wasn't given for no reason :=

[Nathan L]

I worked for AJ and did a few months out of there,great place to work out of except having to deal with MAF in the position they were not in the Gove CTAF and their BN CEN calls :ugh: but good times otherwise.

[flyboy2101]

I heard Ausjets had a bit of trouble with CASA lately with the Darwin and Melbourne Bases..

I know of a few real hard working pilots who were recently fired to cover Ausjets AOC, and the rest are on the firing line for the littlest error, because of too many pilots at Darwin..I cant believe these pilots havent done anything about it yet..AFAP should have been onto this alot earlier..

Is it the headquarters in Melb thats responsible for all this??