Cape York Mail Run

[Mick.B]

Who has the contract these days. My elderly father is going up to cairns for some R & R at the end of July and want to go on the run again. He did it with Danny from Cape York Air a couple of times in the 90s and loved it. Any suggestion. Even any of you guys up there with a spare seat give me a PM.

[bushy]

Are mail runs permitted to carry paying pax again? Are they RPT services? Or have they got sensible and allowed mail runs to carry pax without being an RPT service, like we used to do? Or is it a "closed charter". Or can ordinary charters sell seats to paying pax, as they should?.
There is a wierd, unexplainable history around mail runs.
Rubbery rules.

[Torres]

"...Danny from Cape York Air..."

I wonder where Danny is now? Danny, if you're reading this, get in touch! :ok:

[Mick.B]

Gave Aero-tropics a call and they confirmed they have lost the contract therefore taking no pax. Bloke didnt know (or wouldnt say ) who has got the contract in the future.

[Alice Kiwican]

Does that mean Westwing will be putting a plane or 2 in Cairns? Be interesting to see a be58 into some of those strips up in the Cape! Good luck to them, rumour has it that Troppo's were trying to stop doing the runs for the last 6 months!

[the wizard of auz]

Tropo's won't be doing anything anymore apparently. No AOC = No flying.

[northern.flyer]

Uncle Arthur might appreciate a call......:E

http://www.capeyorkair.com.au

[Alice Kiwican]

I think you'll find that Uncle Arthur and Cape York Air are long gone as Troppo's have been doing the mail runs for the last 2 years I think. Could it be the mail runs play a part in the demise of operators in Cairns? Just putting it out there..........

[LeanRod737]

From what i understand the mail run was a great contract to have. CYA was in trouble when hevilift stopped sinking money into it. Uncle Arthur at the helm with mummy pulling the strings was just nails in the coffin. A substandard service was delivered with a consequent loss of the contract to AT.

RIP CYA

[Torres]

CYA was in trouble when hevilift stopped sinking money into it.

Not correct.

How about: CYA found it difficult after the parent company took out a $700K "dividend"?

[Alice Kiwican]

Any news on whether the mail runs have been happening so far this week? Be a few disgruntled and probably very confused people around the Cape wondering when they will get their next mail bag!

[Two_dogs]

Westwing have been awarded a two month interim contract to service the Cape York mail run. Reported on Channel 9 News tonight.

[Mainframe]

Alice,

CYA and Arthur are still operating, on a much smaller scale. They still own the hangar and lease it at present.
You can contact them if you're interested.

Torres,

Despite the swindle that happened, CYA / Williams was financially very viable,

and demonstrated that they were able to sit out the CASA misconduct for months, yet still able to pay their bills on time, a rarity in GA at any time.

When the full facts of the CASA misconduct are exposed to daylight you may be very surprised at the players involved and the game being played.

This was a very sordid and probably criminal game.

And remember, when the Mail Run was let to tender, qualified and compliant operators were overlooked in that process, including Hland and SKT.

Likewise with the Aussar contract.

There is much much more to all of this than fence sitters can see.
Lets hope it does get to see daylight for everyone's benefit.

By co incidence, there has been a steady stream of offenders farewelled, who maybe should have faced the judiciary instead.

[Alice Kiwican]

It seems that the C402 that Westwing were doing the mail runs in got damaged on one of the runs and they had to use a C182 for the rest of the week. I wonder when the last time was that a piston single did any of the Cape York mail runs? Maybe they should find a C210 for these runs they seem to work for ChartAir in the Territory! Wouldn't be able to carry pax though.......

Having said that it's the nature of the beast that things go wrong and I don't think that some of those strips would be very good for somthing like a C402.

[404 Titan]

Alice Kiwican

I use to fly C402’s etc all around Cape York without any problems. Cape York Air use to use PA31’s on the mail run. Maybe the pilots they have are a little green behind the ears?

[Black Maria]

A guy by the name of Glenville Pike wrote a book about the Cape York mail runs, "WINGS OVER THE CAPE - The word's Longest Mail Runs"

Wasn't a bad read, although maybe a little contempory now. Not sure if it is still about, but the ISBN number is (was?) 1-875375-07-4

I'd say that there are many other great CYA mail runs stories that should have been published ....(and then again perhaps some not!!).

Have to say though, that the CYA FNQ postie job was one great job.

BTW, gidday to "Caravan Dan"

[Torres]

"Have to say though, that the CYA FNQ postie job was one great job."

You should know! :E :E

And it gave many pilots a start on very successful careers! Even Wal ended up with a front row seat in a big burner! :} :}