Exodus from Papua New Guinea - 4 helicopters [Archive]

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Mumbai Merlin

27th Aug 2021, 00:32

I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the passing of Mal Smith, owner of Pacific Helicopters (PNG)

but .... BK-117, B206, B212, AS350 departed Daru (PNG) for Horn Island (AUS) today ....

gulliBell

27th Aug 2021, 03:21

None of those aircraft are showing on Flightradar24. All I see is P2-PHN departed Yam island and heading in the general direction of Kopi (which is where you usually refuel on your way to Goroka on a ferry flight from Australia). And he's surrounded by water, I wonder if he's wearing pop out floats? Lloyd L* RIP tried that before in an AS350 which resulted in him never being seen again.

Capt Fathom

27th Aug 2021, 04:34

None of those aircraft are showing on Flightradar24

At least three of them did.. :ok:

gulliBell

27th Aug 2021, 06:13

Dunno. Maybe they gonna park them at Redcliffe and do some maintenance on them. They must have a good reason for doing whatever it is they are doing with them because the fuel bill for ferrying four aircraft all that way non-revenue would be eye-watering.

Office Update

27th Aug 2021, 10:15

BK-117 P2-BKB, B206 P2-PBG, B212 P2-PAZ, all parked at Horn Island after flying from Goroka and Daru. FR24 does not normally record VFR flights. Squirell P2-PHN returned to Goroka from Horn Island; probably with flight crew??

Word is loose in POM that the Op might be winding down, no one in charge, no succession planning, Mal was a one man band.

gulliBell

27th Aug 2021, 10:45

What about LM and ND? They were running the show for years and had free reign to call most of the shots before Mal passed away.

gulliBell

27th Aug 2021, 11:12

..Squirell P2-PHN returned to Goroka from Horn Island; probably with flight crew??

That plan would make sense if there were immigration entry difficulties due to COVID. The crews might've just parked the aircraft at Horn Island without doing an immigration clearance and then headed back to Goroka in PHN. They'll find some pilots in Queensland to ferry the aircraft the rest of the way.

heliduck

27th Aug 2021, 22:13

Pure speculation on my part…..positioning for the fire season? Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Office Update

28th Aug 2021, 01:51

I think fire season covered. McDermott has three PNG registered Bell 214's in Australia for fire duties; I'm not sure if they repaired the one that crashed Nov 2019

Columbia Helicopters still has a P2 registered Boeing Vertol in storage at or near Scone, NSW; I think it is still there...

There has been a few civilianised ex Military BlackHawks appear lately.

Forward looking forecast is for a hot summer; Has the B737 Firebomber that ran into the hangar being repaired as yet?

Conair Dash 8-400 C-FFQE Firebomber arrived in Australia, via Guam and Cairns on 26th August.
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jimmymc

28th Aug 2021, 03:25

Is it simply a lack of work in PNG at the moment or is it busy up there?

Evil Twin

28th Aug 2021, 06:02

KiwiNedNZ

28th Aug 2021, 09:24

"Word is loose in POM that the Op might be winding down, no one in charge, no succession planning, Mal was a one man band."

What a crock of ****e. FYI Nicole is running the show and its not winding down. Those machines going to storage as no work for them currently. Why pay for maintenance on aircraft you dont use. And Mal groomed Nicole to take over when he passed on so all the crap you are spouting is just that - crap.

gulliBell

28th Aug 2021, 13:11

Yep. I speculated as much at post #6. Don't know why those aircraft would be ferried to Australia for storage. There is a perfectly good hangar in Goroka...I mean, what's the likelihood of another hangar fire and insurance claim?

Kagamuga

28th Aug 2021, 21:27

Ahhh Yes! another hangar fire at Goroka. I remember the previous "accidental" fire that took out a fleet of conveniently parked aircraft. Pacific Helicopters had the Puma helicopters at the time......

fu 24 950

29th Aug 2021, 00:08

Leasing company getting their assets out of the country, more to follow would be my guess

gulliBell

29th Aug 2021, 00:14

Pacific leasing 350, 212 and 206's? I'd be very surprised if that was the case, they usually own outright those aircraft types. It's the H145's that would be leased, and they weren't in the mix mentioned.

gulliBell

29th Aug 2021, 02:27

..I remember the previous "accidental" fire that took out a fleet of conveniently parked aircraft.....

Yeah, the serial numbers of some of the parts the loss adjuster recovered from the ashes didn't match the technical records. A lot of good bits had fortunately been uninstalled before the "accidental" fire. Or so I was told.

Office Update

29th Aug 2021, 06:27

gulibell; I know what you mean about serial numbers... I was in Singapore on a stop over for a few days and an insurance adjuster asked me to pop accross to Borneo to look at a VH registered Ag plane that was impaled on an aerodrome fence. I took about 50 pics of the damage and a few weeks later was advised that the serial numbers of some of the components I photograped did not match those later found on the recovered wreckage. So there are those whom seek to profit....

I know the two guy's whom managed to get two of the Pumas out of the hangar at Goroka. The hangar I think belonged to another party and his machines were not saved so I am told.

In general and not suggesting any operational motives at Pacific Helicopters; with three now out of the country, and the Agusta Bell 206L, P2-PBG just arrived in Cairns a few minutes ago... I'm thinking that shifting older aircraft out and disposing of same and converting into cash would be a good idea. I'm guessing that most likely more to follow.

Business in PNG is becoming more complex on a daily basis. Air Niugini/Link PNG loose money on a daily basis as does PNG Air. Probably some method in the madness of Pixie buying into PNG Air a few weeks ago. Corruption is at its highest ever level and MRDC the government super fund own most of Air Niugini and also half or more of Hevilift PNG. Therefore one can assume quite safely that any government contracts will be headed to PX or Hevilift and the "facilitation" fee (bribes/brown envelopes) passed to pollies by the companies wishing to operate in minerals/exploration is not petty cash by any means. Former PM Peter O'Neil was not known as Peter O'Steal for nothing, and the De Havilland Dash-7 purchase with late PM Okuk was an early example.

With the passing of the late Mal Smith; one has to ask where the money is going? family? trust funds? or as is common in PNG, people coming out of the bushes and making claims.

Sad to say but Pacific Helicopters probably has no real function or purpose anymore.... wind it up and pass the left over loot to the many charities and trusts that Mal set up. He did operate on a global basis!

I would suggest if you take PNG government money/ownership out of the equation; then the only two companies making a profit in PNG at present would be MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) with 10 Cessna C208 Caravans with PNG registration. One new, yet to be delivered and an older one airframe being refurbished at Mareeba. Still in their portfolio of PNG assets is two Twin Otters and two GA-8 Airvans, also parked at Mareeba and looking for new owners. Looking around POM airport, the only other mob making a quid would be Tropicair, because if they don't make budget every month I'm sure questions would be asked.

Tough times ahead for PNG operators. Mal's untimely passing is more far reaching for Pacific Helicopters than one might think...
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