Are you interested in a PNG job?

[Pressure Gradient]

Hi people. For a change, this is actually for real.

Anyone out there in the Dunnunda & Godzone area who might find themselves interested in spending some time in PNG flying RPT & charters on BN2's, C404's & EMB110's might like to take the time to email or call us asap.

The chief pilot of Airlink, Capt Emmanuel Kadiko has asked us to track down some more hardy souls to come up & join the happy crew up here in the wonderous land of the unexpected.

We are looking for pilots to spend time as FO's on the Bandits & then progress through to Islander & Titan commands & later to the left seat of the Bandits, as has been the case of recent times.

The new minimum requirements for entry into an Airlink flight crew position are as follows:

1000 hours total time
Aust Command Instrument Rating
Aust ATPL subjects completed & passed
At least 23 years of age ( Work Visa requirement )
Multi-Engine time would be nice but not essential
A sense of humour & adventure

We have an immediate requirement for at least 6 FO's & will probably require more in the not too distant future as the company continues to expand.

You can contact Capt Kadiko by phone, fax or email ;

Ph : 0011 675 852 2933
Fax : 0011 675 852 2725
Email : [email protected] or
[email protected]

Sometimes the email is a bit iffy so be persistent!

And the sooner the better!

Should you require any further info, feel free to email me on :
[email protected]

[zippyz]

Hello PG,
Could you fill in some blanks please?
What are the bases?
What is the pay? In AUD or Kina?
Do you still have Twotters?
Are you interested in experienced PNG ppl or just looking for Effohs for the Bandit initially?
Are tours out of Brisbane available?
Is there a subload travel agreement with ANG?
There are a few chaps I have spoken with and they all ask similar questions. Might be a couple of 'old lags' interested in returning to the Land of the UnExepected.

Good on you for posting this opportunity here as there can be no better place to cut your teeth in aviation than PNG. Teach blokes how to really fly :)

[Agent12]

'Tours out of Bribane' !! with Airlink!?
Keep on dreaming
A12

[Knave]

Not a bad offer. There are a hell of a lot worse places to build hours than Madang. Pilots at Nadzab have to negotiate the road to and from Lae every day, while those in ther highlands have to adapt to breathing tear gas on the weekends. Sure, the kina stopped sinking and has started digging, but the hours are invaluable.

[Pressure Gradient]

Hi again everyone.

It seems like we have some well travelled posters here so I'll do my best to fill in the blanks.

Airlink has been in a constant expansion phase for the last 12 months & is still on the go. Anyone who has been in PNG over previous years would barely recognise it these days.

Airlink now has 6 Bandits, 2 C404's & 3 Islanders on the go, along with a schedule that's constantly building. Hence the need for the new crew's.

There are basings in Madang, Lae, Port Moresby & Rabaul, but for those that love them no tours unfortunately.

The pay is what you'd expect & in Kina to make it more interesting... & I'll leave that to the imagination! Management is making an effort to constantly improve that part of it.

There is an interline agreement with PX but that does have certain restrictions with holidays etc ( 6 weeks annual leave ).

Anything else, just ask away... I'll try to furnish a reasonable answer! :)

[Zed]

While we are on the subject of Tour's. Could you tell me if or what companies employ pilots on a tour basis. Particularly B200 or B1900 endorsed drivers.

[Carrier]

Pressure Gradient, I will be very grateful if you would advise what the personal safety situation is currently like in PNG. Early this year there was an extensive thread on PPRuNe about the breakdown of law and order and the horrors of living in PNG - female chopper pilot chopped up by intruders, rapes, burglaries and muggings commonplace, etc. As it was so extensive from several posters and not challenged I have to believe it correctly outlined the situation. I had contacted some PNG companies in 2001 but did not follow up after seeing that thread. After all, there are some countries where only the young and foolish will go flying, such as Angola, Sudan, Iraq and apparently a year ago PNG! Have things improved since then? Is it as safe as Oz, UK, US, Caribbean, East Africa, etc? I will appreciate your comments on the current situation.

[2daddies]

Zed,
Mate, only a few companies in PNG offer tours. MBA (they call themselves APNG these days) have Dash-8, B1900 and Twotter Captains on tours, but they've only recently made three of their flight crew redundant (ring any bells? :rolleyes: ) and with the value of the Kina dropping by the day I doubt that recruitment is big on their list of things to do.

Fubilan Air Transport (FAT) operates Dash-8s out of Tabubil Airport on behalf of National Jet, servicing the Ok Tedi Mine. Both Captains and FOs are on tours.

That's about it for tours as far as I'm aware, except I think that Hevilift base pilots out of Cairns on the Brasilia and the B200 and of course Air Niugini F-28 crew are all Cairns based. I can give you the contact details for each of the companies when I speak to you next, if you like.

Just remember, we can't get "pulsed" anymore. Now we're all just getting "linked"! :D

[Zed]

Thanks 2daddies. I'll give you a call.

[RedHeadedRatRooter]

Try contacting quietales .
Hes currently flying a bongo in Lae and if the SP doesnt kill him he'll be fine.
Dont think about goin' near the place if youre even vaguely pussy.

[OzExpat]

Carrier... murders still occur there but usually only involve an expat as revenge for a perceived or actual wrong-doing. I've been in PNG a very long time now and not even come close to a death threat yet - except maybe on the roads!

If you're thinking of the place as maybe being suitable for the wife and kids, forget it. You'll be beside yourself the whole of every day, worrying about the possibility of rape or, worse, pack rape - the latter having almost achieved olympic sport status, by virtue of the amount of practice that goes on.

Burglaries remain a fact of life. Secure compounds help to minimise this, but are not a guarantee. Mugging and car-jacking is COMMON.

You will need to be a bit adventurous and have the ability to see all 360 degrees around you, just while shopping at the local market. But, then, there's all of life's other little inconveniences to deal with too, like :-

Unreliability of electricity supply.
Unreliability of water supply.
Unreliability of stock in supermarkets.
Very poor quality dunny paper.
Phone lines that just stop working.
Even ISPs fall over a bit.
Most reasonable accommodation venues have backup power and water, but this might have limited availability. I've only just skimmed the surface so far, but, if you reckon that you're up to all of that, you'll probably have the massive sort of sense of humour that is needed there.

If you get a job in PNG, the flying will be the most challenging that you are ever likely to find anywhere. The scenery is breathtaking on clear days - and even more breathtaking on sh!tty days... :eek:

I hope this helps you and wish you all the best.

[Gravox]

What is the progression like from RHS bandit to the BN2 C404, and then LHS Bandit? What is a typical days flying? How many hours per week/month/year?

Do the pilots have to sign a contract, if so how long is it for?
Your advice will be muchly appreciated

[Pressure Gradient]

With thanks to OzExpat for saving me a fair bit of time in describing the situation up here; I second all that he wrote.

For me personally, I haven't yet felt endangered in the time that I've been up here, but then again I don't usually hang out at places where the nasty stuff tends to happen. I guess to live up here, it depends on what sort of life experience you already have & how much you depend on modern conveniences for your happiness...

Usually you wind up spending 6 to 12 months in the RHS of a Bandit & depending on your experience level, you do get to progress through the BN2, Titans & ultimately to the LHS of the Bandit... sometimes flying them all on a given week! Officially you need 3000 hrs total for the Bandit command plus a healthy whack of Multi-command & in-country time. There is a history of a case by case flexibility but not one that you should count on.

The standard contract is for 2 years & there is a ( fairly reasonably priced ) bond on the Bandit Endorsement.

Worth a look if anyone is chasing them multi & turbine hours...

[Chimbu chuckles]

PG Back in the good ol' days...ie Talair and, after it shut down, Airlink pre volcano we often flew all types in a single day!!!:eek:

And you WILL experience life threatening crime sooner or later no matter how carefull you are...it's just a matter of time.

Having said that the flying CANNOT be beat and there are MANY positive aspects to life in PNG... the scuba diving being just one, the Great Barrier Reef is a sick joke by comparison.

It's all a cost/reward continuim...do the costs outweigh the benefits...as with all things that's an individual choice.

It took me 13 years to get to the point where the cost I 'paid' for an hours fun in an Air Niugini F28 got too high to pay.

Those years I spent working my way from C185 through BN2/C402/C404/DH6/E110 etc were and remain priceless.

Mind you we flew the DH6/E110 Single Pilot...what DOES an F/O do in a Twotter:D.

Chuckles of the Chimbus

PS. And to wet your young appetites a Airlink 404 the day we ran away from the Volcanoes....one of the nicer schemes you'll see painted on an aircraft.

Airlink C404 @ Tokua Sept 19, 1994. (http://www.fototime.com/{94A0CA18-14EC-4989-9D6C-61BA142147ED}/picture.JPG)

[captain69]

Yeah right,
Thats why every compound has 2 or 3 panga (Machete) wielding guards at the front gate, and almost 2300 people are killed by ploice every year, 800+ are killed every year on the roads, you can hire an AK-47 with a full mag(47 rounds) for 50 US, not to mention the night fighters left right and cente, geez mate where in East Africa do you come from.
The 69er

I meant to spell, Police and centre.

[Checkerboard]

PG, so are Airlink offering a 2 year contract? and what are the accommodation arrangements? Do you have to source your own accommodation or does Airlink give you a hand?:confused:

[nungry]

Does it still take six months for a work visa to come through???

[Push it real good]

Just something to consider.


In the early 90's 2 good friends and co-workers won a position in PNG flying a Bandit & Otter respectively. The flying was great and exacting, alas Malaria bit both of them and cost them the opportunity of major airlines. At least twice a year they are grounded due to a bout of the bug and on numerous occassions have lamented going there. The rest of us managed to progress upward.

There are some very very professional Pilots in PNG and it is a tragedy that medical issues prevent them from progressing.

Consider all angles before accepting a position in PNG and always go with the gut instinct, it is there to guide you!!

PIRG

[Chimbu chuckles]

PiRG,

I would suggest to you that there are hundreds of thousands of pilots worldwide who have suffered from Malaria and are airline pilots/ hold Class 1 medicals...many 100s from being in PNG including yours truly...not to mention just about every PX pilot who ever worked for that company.

If they are suffering recurring Malaria all they have to do is take a course of Fansidar and it will be erradicated from there system for ever...or until bitten by another Anophelese mossy.

I have had both strains of malaria but have not had an attack since 1995 when I was prescribed Fansidar after suffering falsiprum (sp?), which is the strain that, left untreated, can become cerebral and kill you.

Many pilots don't make it to the airlines for many reasons, most of all just plain old bad luck. If these two choose to blame Malaria then I would suggest they are deluding themselves.

Chuck.

[OzExpat]

Well said Chuck, you've debunked that myth very well! :)

[Push it real good]

chimbu

Well I guess fortune smiles on many as you are correct fansidar is a marvel... providing you can actually be administered it. The issue here is a thing called anaphylactic shock.

A bit like catching an STD and not being able to take penecillin or the miriad of mycin tablets to cure the ill quickly.

I guess 100's of thousands of pilots have had the clap and hold prominent airline positions also, however prevention is always better than cure.

Oh by the way one of them has also developed an allergy to peanuts...

PIRG

[perceval]

Hi , I am looking into PNG as a future possible move (From may next year as I have some contract to finish in EA and an ATP to wingle ) .
The Life seems business as usual but I am not taking lighter than necessary (and yeah I have that sense of humour) .
Do you really need that aussie ATP and IR to work at airlink (or anywhere else for that matters ) or an other one (two actually) with a decent amount of experience (3500 TT,3300PIC,700ME,300TUR) would do ???
And East Africa , to me , is only dangerous to the people with gates , askaris , apparent excessive wealth ...Not as such .Been in Nairobi for five years and the worse that happened was an attempted mugging that costed me 50 australian cent ...four years ago .It is all down to you at the end .

[VBitter]

Recently a very experienced PNG pilot who rates with the best of them was given a start by Airlink. :D

After he reorganized his affairs he without notice found out the job offer had dissapeared. :mad:

I would advise any prospective job seeker with Airlink to be very careful in dealing with them. If you are desperate enough to work for this shonky operator, get everything in writing or you could be spived too. rolleyes:

Long live Whitegrass :cool:

[Warhawk]

Yup nothings perfect in this world.

Air Link often has to replace crew, who leave I believe - mainly because they have no tour system (unlike most other turbine ops up there) and allegedly the poorest pay in PNG for this kind of work (barring maybe MAF!).

There have been rumours about dodgy dealings over contracts (see post above) and that some of the training leaves something to be desired.

But hey be realistic - its PNG (long taim post independence), its still a good place to see some interesting countryside and get Multi time and endorsements with relatively low hours.

Just remember, you won't see the same stds you may be used to from back home. And DCA don't seem to bother stopping offenders either! (no money in the kitty I hear?).

Problem blong yu!

[Capt Vegemite]

Let me tell ya Dennis Buchanan was a saint compared to your average Aussie GA shyster.
At least most of his aircraft where half airworthy and he paid honest money.
I cant say about the local operators but it would surprise me if they tried to screw you as well as asking you to live in a society full of totally hambak drunken dangerous psychopaths.
As the boys are sayin dont take the girlfriend(heaven forbid dont take the boyfriend).
The satisfaction of havin a beer with the boys after dodgin yer way home thru ( pooey) weather will never be equalled, not ever by wankin yer way around lookin at magenta lines on a TV screen.

[captain69]

Well Said Vbitter, poetry in motion.

When it happens again, and it will, they will be wishing they chose a tried and proven operator rather than a wannabe.
He is destined for bigger and better things anyway.

" A chianti and fafa beans thanks"

[Johhny Utah]

I have to agree entirely with VBitter and Captain69 - the treatment that was dished out by certain management types was nothing short of appalling. :mad:

To all those who are thinking about taking the plunge & going up to PNG, this incident should serve as a bit of a "heads up" - it is exactly the sort of management you will have to deal with on a daily basis. :( Something else also worth considering is the high turnover of staff - not just line pilots, but also the rapid revolving door that is the deputy chief pilots position...:confused:

You'll also have to get by on pay that was pretty low by any standards as of 12 months ago - prior to the huge drop in the value of the kina. :( Not to mention the fact that your whole lifestyle will be sacrificed, and your basic personal security will be constantly under threat. Believe me - you DON'T want to be based in Lae & have to do the hell-drive (i.e. just getting to & from work) 5 or 6 days a week, week in, week out. :(

Some of the other suggestions made by others on this thread about training standards should also be carefully considered. PNG is a dangerous place to be flying aircraft of any description. :eek: The possible outcome(s) are very scary indeed, and should not be discounted - many highly experienced aviators have come unstuck in PNG due to seemingly minute errors, and unfortunately some of them are no longer with us today.:(

Food for thought - make of it what you will.... If you decide to go for it, then good luck - you're sure going to need it...:eek:

Capt Vege - I'll take relaxing in Sydney, downing aussie beers, eating seafood & being with family & friends, after having come back from a sector or two of wankin yer way around lookin at magenta lines on a TV screen over any numbers of beers with the boys in PNG anyday, anytime. :)
Not having ...the satisfaction of havin a beer with the boys after dodgin yer way home thru (let's just say crap instead) weather is more than made up for by the satisfaction of being on home soil & actually having some personal security once again...

[Chimbu chuckles]

Such a shame...was a time not so long ago when the 'PNG standards' of companies like Talair, PX and Airlink far exceeded anything seen in Oz.

Chuck.

[2daddies]

I'll back you up on that one, Johhny. During my short stint in secure and stable airline employment in Australia (back in the days before the world fell to pieces!) I can't once remember landing at Brisbane after a 4 sector day, driving to the Hammo to meet friends for a beer and maybe dinner at Ginos and then saying to anyone; "Gee. I really miss downing a few SPs with the boys after a hard day of hoping I wouldn't either plough into a hill or be shot at 4 mile." :D

Having said that, PNG was a unique and memorable time in my life and with the state of the aviation industry and my place in it (after Impulse, I haven't got a place in it anymore!) I wouldn't mind giving it another go. If someone will have me.........

[Capt Vegemite]

Me post was intended to be very past tense.Not having had an edjamacation shows sometimes.



:(How do I set my laser printer to stun?

[Pressure Gradient]

Well guys,

I see that there are plenty of opinions still floating around out there, probably some right & some not so. The pay levels & ( lack of ) tour options have been discussed & are well noted. No ken change!

I'd be the first to admit that things aren't perfect at Airlink, however there seems to be a bit of an difference between what some of the posters have described here recently & what I've experienced personally with the company over the last 18 months.

Firstly, I'm not in any management position - just an average line pilot, so I can agree that sometimes dealing with them is like banging your head against the proverbial brick wall - including some problems with contracts in the past.

However I do take to task the comments by VBitter ( good name it seems? ) that Airlink are a proverbial "shonky" operator.

In the last 12 months alone, Airlink has had numerous checks by the PNG DCA
( despite that lack of funds that someone mentioned ) & has came out OK. There are plenty of other operators in PNG that can't lay claim to that. We have the usual number of Lik Lik snags on the A/C but at least they do get fixed pretty quickly by a reasonably professional engineering dept.

As far as the training goes; given the incredible amounts of training that the company undertakes by offering positions such as the one's on this post , I can't see how anyone that has actually flown with Airlink since it went to multi-crew operations could make an assertion that the training is so sadly lacking. Especially if you haven't been there & experienced it personally?

I also can't speak for any problems that some experienced individuals may have had in gaining a spot with Airlink, as that's none of my business. Though maybe there is more to those stories than meets the eye?

Funny that Airlink can be seen in such a bad light by some & then to see that it's one of the few operators going ahead against the current negative trends in PNG aviation.... and by the way, 2 deputy chief pilots in over 2 years hardly constitutes a "revolving door".

Good luck to anyone who has applied for the positions offered. Maybe those that get a spot can make their own judgements here on Pprune at a later date?

Cheers & Merry Christmas to you all.

[OzExpat]

Yeah PG... a certain amount of the venom and vitriol on this thread seems to have been regurgitated from the NCA thread of a few months ago. Some people need to face the fact that, anywhere in GA, a pilot is likely to get screwed over for something. It's a fact of life.

And, yes, Airlink really has lifted its' game. I can't comment on pay or living conditions but the rest of the stuff is a character building experience. Security IS an issue right throughout the country and some people can't handle that. It's a good idea to go in there with your eyes open, really WIDE!

But I have to say that I know of some pilots who failed to live up to the high standards required in PNG, just to stay alive. The country and its' aviation industry is undoubtedly better off without them. It's only the thinking, professional pilot who will go the distance in PNG.

[Windshear]

OzExpat

- It's only the thinking, professional pilot who will go the distance in PNG. -

Maybe its time to return ............

Happy New Year 2003,

Rgds,
Windy :D

[OzExpat]

Hey Windy... the carbon paper really DOES turn white after a while, so ya might be right! :eek: :D

Have a happy, safe and profitable '03 mate :)

[Johhny Utah]

Here's some food for thought from the ABC website:eek: Latest news reports indicate that he was beaten to death with a car wheel jack - after it had been used to force open the security bars on a door/window, thereby gaining the rascals access to otherwise secure premises.:(
Yet another sad indictment on the value of life in PNG today...

ABC Online

ABC Australia News - 04/01/03 : Suspect detained over murder of Aust man in PNG
Sat, Jan 4 2003 6:20 PM AEDT

Suspect detained over murder of Aust man in PNG
Papua New Guinea (PNG) police have detained a suspect in the murder of an Australian man in the city of Lae.

The man was beaten to death in his own home after apparently disturbing burglars.

62-year-old Peter Hall, a former resident of Brisbane, had been in PNG for more than a decade, working as supply manager in Lae for the Porgera Gold Mine.

Police believe he was attacked by a group of burglars who had defeated razor wire, a patrol guard and security bars to break into his home early on Friday morning local time.

Neighbours fired a flare gun to raise the alarm after hearing screams.

An Australian High Commission official has confirmed the death and says funeral arrangements mr Hall are being handled by his employer.

Mr Hall is the second Australian to be murdered in Lae in three months.

In October, the manager of a local supermarket was stabbed to death in an attack outside his home.

[OzExpat]

The crims were obviously VERY determined. This is not your average garden variety burglary... I suspect they had a contract on him.

[Checkerboard]

PG, any idea when people will be contacted re the positions?
I have tried to contact the Cp but had no luck, he has been to busy. I sent my resume before xmas and have heard nothing:confused:

[Pressure Gradient]

As Checkerboard & no doubt others are interested;

The response to the Airlink advert has been HUGE, with EK literally being buried in emails, faxes & phone calls - To the point that he was giving me a few nasty looks the first time he saw me again!

He's asked me to pass on his thanks to all who who been in contact over the last few weeks & to let everyone know that he has made a short list of those that he has received CV's from.

If you don't happen to hear anything from him over the next couple of weeks then I'm sorry to say that you've missed out this time around.

He will be retaining all of the details that he's received & he will no doubt have another look at them in a few months time when there is another need for recruiting.

By the way, as a small personal tip to those that are still keen...

It never hurts to take a trip up here & have a look for yourself. Arriving in PNG in person is a sure way to get EK's attention & you will get to meet a lot of the people that you may end up working with. ( Just a thought )

And Mr Utah ( Davo, me mate ) you're not helping me here!
:D
How's life in Oz these days?

All the best,
PG

[bigfella5]

OK guys,
There's been a lot of conjecture as to who the good, the bad, and the ugly are in PNG.
Quick question....... who is worth looking at to work for up there?
I'm going there in a few weeks to have a look around and a heads up would be appreciated.
On top of that, I've only 1300 hrs total, all s/e piston time.
Any replies would be much appreciated.
Ta

[OzExpat]

bigfella5... your current experience severely limits your options in PNG. I can't see too many operators scrambling to offer you your first twin endorsement and there aren't a lot of s/e ops these days. The largest s/e operators are MAF, New Tribes Mission, SIL and the SDAs - and you need to be just about a lay preacher to even get a look in with them.

All the other s/e ops are either private or at most two-aircraft companies. The chances that they'll need pilots is pretty remote. North Coast Aviation, at Lae (Nadzab Airport), used to have two 206s but I don't know if they still have them. They might be worth a try and probably best if you visit them to deliver your CV in person.

[Bagot_Community_Locator]

Hey Bigfella 5

Try "Nortcoast Aviation" in Lae.

They have at least 1 C206, 2 BN's and 1 C402.

Your hours sound just right for them.

Give them a visit in Lae.

Cheers.

[herman]

anyone know wot geoffs current preference for pilots is?
i mean apart from the minimum hours thing....

[bigfella5]

Thanks for the answers guys....... Spoken to a couple of operators who seem to have reinterated everything I've seen posted on PNG.
Looks like I'm in with half a chance.]
Ta