Instrument Rating for PNG?

[Lake Evil]

Just like to hear from anyone in PNG or anyone who has been there on whether you require an instrument rating to fly there or to progress on to the twins.

Cheers

[Chimbu chuckles]

I'd say your best bet is to have one before going up there.

Outside of MAF/North Coast Aviation it seems most companies in PNG operate fleets of turbo/turbine twins so you'll need an IR even if you only use it from the rhs of a Twin Otter/Bandit for the first 6 months or so.

Even if you score a job on a VFR Islander flying into mountain airstrips first up an IR will be usefull from time to time...even if you don't use it in anger you will have plenty of opportunities to do practice approaches if you're based in somewhere half civilised and keep current until you fly something properly IFR later on.

Even if you score a job on a VFR Cessna 206 (rare these days and even rarer to spend long on them) to begin with you will find your progress onto twins hampered by having to wait for your next leave to go south and get an IR.

Best of luck...and remember...surviving to get drunk at the club that night is the goal of every flight in PNG.

I lost quite a few mates there on sunny days so don't let your guard down just because it's a beautiful day.

Most of all have fun...they will be the most exciting years of your career, or life for that matter:D

Chuck.

[Pinky the pilot]

When I was there in '90 and '92 one of the requirements for employment was a valid Australian M/E command IFR rating but you could not fly IFR unless you had the PNG rating which involved a written exam plus a flight test.
All operations I flew were VFR anyway. Even when I went on to C402's.
Ozexpat; would be able to give you more up to date info.

[TIMMEEEE]

Dr Evil - very sound advice from Chuckles.
BTW how are you Chucky old boy????

When I was up there in the mid-late eighties I just happened to do an IR renewal with a CASA examiner in Oz and as such my PNG IR was handed over without any problem.

I dont know whether that is still the system.

The other choice is to do a renewal or an issue with one of the PNG examiners.

If Wally B is still there he is a true professional and thorough gentleman.

Good luck Dr Evil and safe flying.

[OzExpat]

LE ... the advice from Chuck is the best you'll ever get. The key is, as pointed out by TIMMEEEE, if you do the rating in Oz with a CASA Inspector, you won't have to do a test here. You'll have to do a PNG "differences" exam before exercising IR privileges, but nobody seems to have too much difficulty with that.

And, yes, Wally B is here. He left us in 1997 to go into quiet retirement back in Austria but, what can I tell you...? Can't keep a good man down!