Actually Lilflyboy262...2 I quite enjoy the posts from Cactus. We need people to ask questions and bring forward relevant information even if it is sometimes a little repetitive, and maybe a little personal.

I am sure that you are aware that there are some in the business world with nefarious practices, those people should be outed and the public made aware of their sins. I am sure Campbell Newman is a worried man at present-for instance. If he has done no wrong.... well then he has nothing to worry about. After all the big end of town tried to silence Erin Brockovich, now she is a feted activist and campaigner for the little person. So think of Cactus as PPRune's version of Erin Brockovich , Mr Palmer, Labor or the Green's.


What I want to know is why is the company in a trading halt?
Why have they not released the financial report and guidance for the next year? That is akin to hiding your report card from your father when you have clearly been naughty.
Is the company up for sale?
As a listed company the shareholders have a right to know these things.
The company reports since they were listed is an interesting read and freely available on their website. Makes for interesting reading. Not one a prospective buyer or investor would be happy with that's for sure.


I have no beef with the group of companies, just want to keep the playing field level. Something that those that are not as good as they would like to think they are, don't like.


After all if you can't win by playing fair, just change the rules, 'eh boys.

An extension to APNG's trading halt.

A delay to the LINK announcement.

Interesting times to be sure.

Justa dash and socksfirst, careful, negative speak towards 'the family' won't be tolerated. Punishment for you two will be by way of you having to attend the school teachers next mumbo jumbo management course, plus you get to spend a week in solitary confinement with 'he who does not engage with other humans', the cardboard cutout, TCAS and Pinochio! Either that or you will be unceremoniously walked out the building or sacked while on annual leave, you naughty humans. And as for making humans redundant or sacking them and then re advertising their positions, that old chestnut has been used on numerous occasions. Again just an example of their caring nature towards other humans!
Hope you have your vomit bucket ready;

http://s3.amazonaws.com/cuttings/cut...5b94391927.pdf

Yep, that must be why they charge excess baggage on the northern routes out to those less fortunate communities yet the more southern western farmers routes don't get charged :=

Couldn't agree with you more socks. I wasn't saying that he shouldn't be airing this dirty laundry.

What I was getting at, was that this is beyond dirty laundry. This seems more like a personal vendetta.

fugitive
 

We seem to have got off the track slightly, here.The main problem is,what has happened to what were good companies.
The problem with both and you could say that about the main Oz airlines,AN,QF and no doubt, probably JQ.
They say that successful companies are all about the people who work at the rock face and the company will succeed if your employees are right behind management(who are are capable) and vice versa.
All of the above are good examples of that and dare I say it,Virgin is the opposite,but look at the people managing it and talk to the employees.
When management attack their workforce,there will be retaliation and there is only one way to go from there.
To bring the thug mentality into management will never work and just look at some of the nicknames that they are given.
Anyway,it hurts everyone and we are all losers,including shareholders.
Surely the people oversee management don't want to commit hari kari,so why do they sit back.
Anyway,that is the way aviation in Oz and also PNG has behaved for the last 25 or so years and it wont change.

Lilflyboy, I assume you are talking about me? Then again there are a number of people on here that seem to have been treated the same way.
Not at all. It's quite simple really, do the right thing by me and I will praise you for life, do the wrong thing and I will tell people all about it. I have said on previous occasions that there are good people in every company, APNG and Skytrans are no different. But if you read the multitude of postings from different people you will identify a particular theme very very quickly. And again as I have said before, if you do the right thing by people in life then you will go through life with pride and a reputation for being a good person/company. But treat people like the dirt beneath your feet then prepare for the backlash. It's called karma, what goes around comes around. And there is an easy fix for those whose companies treat people like ****e - Do the right thing and there will be no basis for negative comments.
So lilflyboy, what you call Vendetta others would call 'simply telling the truth'. It's your call how you want to view it, but I can assure you of this - If you haven't worked for either of these companies in recent years and been strung out to dry by them then your comments are based on assumptions only and not on fact. On the other hand there are many negative comments on here that are based on fact.

suck it up cactus and move on...maybe see a psychiatrist or something.

So let me get this straight....all of this is Cactus's problem? He is just posting about a collection of sphincters in the public interest. It is probably cathartic for him to do so. Let the man vent. Think of it as a restaurant review: we are all, in one way or another, consumers of whatever shiite managements dish up. Diner, passenger or pilot, I want to know what is going on behind the scenes.

Fugitive
 

I agree Cactus,this forum is open to all. The type of people you are talking about are not capable of fixing things or logical discussion.their response is always to shoot the messenger.
Just remember,they are the downside of aviation and they will never get the message.:ugh:

Cactus I enjoy your posts. Don't worry you are far from needing a Psychiatrist, (I know you weren't worried), it's the people that this company end up with in management roles that need the professional help.
I know they watch this site so do yourselves a favour guys.
Clearly from your insight and large data base of information it is obvious that you have been burnt by this organisation. Also by your eloquent writing style and good grammar that you are quite intelligent, so keep up the good work mate. There are many in a similar position. It would be good to see the management, aka Pinocchio, BBoy and TCAS despatched to the history books. The skies would certainly be a safer place.
No Wild ass guesses there.

Keep up the good work cactus, I enjoy reading your posts. Many current and former employees of both companies would thoroughly agree as well. :ok:

What Australopithecus, fugitive, WagnerPrincipal and 777tinpis said...:ok:

Myself likewise.

I worked very briefly for the former MBA:ooh: another lifetime ago, and am totally bewildered as to how things have changed over the years.:sad:

Pinky, there are a few punters out there who worked for MBA at some stage in their career, and it was a more people friendly environment. Same applies for the earlier version of APNG and particularly Skytrans before the Rothschild wannabe's took it over and turned it into what it is today.

Cactus you are so close to the truth it is scarey. I wanna have a beer with you.

Any day mate, my shout :ok:
Plus we could have a giggle about their most recent antics such as them dreaming about starting a ground handling company, outsourcing their I.T department and having it also provide services for other companies, plus the fact that the lease is up on the head office and they want to ditch the building to save money!!! Then there is the even funnier stories about TCAS taking off with a load of Mine workers but with no F/A onboard (CASA toasted him over that one), and once again TCAS allowing for and planning and conducting flights to a port not listed on their AOC (another CASA pineapple for that one), and of course Pinocchio and Bentley Boy supporting their loyal CP the entire way :=
But just like the Demtel add "but wait there's more" and the list continues, but continue over some beers it shall.

I can't wait. If I didn't have first hand knowledge and know them I would have said you're kidding. Premium beer for you old chap.

Fugitive
 

Ret, are you dyslectic,every time I read your posts it would seem so.How well do you know them?:=

Cactus, that's amazing forgetting an F/A planning to ports not on the AOC, if it was not who I think you are talking about I would have said NAH not possible.
I wonder if there was an angry outburst associated with the events.
CHEers

Head office relocation
 

Relocating to the airport is the most positive move the revitalised management team have made since assuming the reins.
Management of GA or Regional companies need to have a sleeves up, ties off and supportive approach.
Demountable buildings may not be as flash as the city and will likely see some jump (please be HR)but will serve to galvanise those that remain.
Maybe a good time to drop the corporate image focus and put the clients on the pedestal and return to being commercially driven. After all this approach worked back in the day!

Tardiness indeed
 

Yep, tardiness alright. Twin Otter crash at Kokoda, Dash 8 crash at Madang, and runway incursions in Australia. Flights operated without a flight attendant, advertised flights into Oakey which at the time was not on their AOC (CASA had screendumps from their website and caught out TCAS and Pinochio lying :=) and the list goes on. And that's the public stuff already out there. I haven't (and won't) start on all the other stuff!

CASA and the CAA doing a wonderful job I might add. Nothing the Regulator needs to see here, next operator please........

Dejapoo,

Just to set you straight - as your comment shows you have misjudged and maligned another, who was adversely affected by this company...

You are correct that "another PPRuNe poster" was CP delegate on the day of the "flight attendant-less flight" but to set the matter straight - he was NOT aware that this decision had been made before the aircraft was operated and he certainly DID NOT approve it.

The flight was dispatched on the order of the commercial manager while the CP delegate was away on another task. There were some words exchanged in the McClown St office once he found out that his delegation had been exercised inappropriately by another. Certainly, some would have everyone believe that the CP stand-in was responsible - after all, he couldn't defend himself in the organisation once given the boot!

Maybe that's what led to him being terminated, or maybe it was because he wouldn't "pencil-whip" checks in the sim to save costs, or because he questioned certain practices...

Regardless, there was no "counselling" of him from CASA - and he has been the CP of another operator for a few years now...

How long is a piece of string?
 

Said commercial manager was always actioning non compliant activities all in the name of profits! I also recall Skytrans operating emergency evac flights for a number of years without that being approved on their AOC either. They made good money from those 'charters' and CASA never caught on. No surprises in that. I also recall TCAS being pissed off with having to wait on ramp at CNS one morning so he quite simply commenced taxiing without ATC approval, and he knew it! Of course he got caught at the holding point and when questioned by ATC he claimed 'radio interference'. He did manage to jump the queue and save a couple of bucks fuel := Of course it was an RPT flight but hey he never got busted. Safety, what safety?

Dejapoo, to set the matter straight I can assure you that flying bear was an innocent party in said incident, and he was unjustifiably pineappled and despatched in a cowardly and spineless manner, all the while being innocent. This group of companies has a history of screwing the good people while looking after the lawbreakers. Good people have principals and ethics and that (in the companies eyes) costs them profits at times when they are told 'sorry, we can't do that, it's illegal'. The lawbreakers just say 'ok, in the name of profits let's just do it'. The history and evidence of who has been rogered and who hasn't speaks for itself. The companies are in deep strife and karma has caught up finally, sad but true. They are reaping what they have sowed, sad for all the good people, but that's a fact.

No worries, Dejapoo, no offence taken...

That period was a dark time for me and I struggled to deal with the constant politics and back room games - at the same time as trying to manage my obligations to training and checking and maintaining a high flying load. The decade previous to that I spent in an organisation full of honorable people and I guess that meant I took the integrity of others (ie managers) for granted. Mistakenly...

In retrospect, my coming to their company was because AS was on a CASA direction to divulge himself of the HOTC role. So, why me? I had CAR 217 management experience, sure, but nothing on Dash 8 and I'm sure there were plenty of others to choose from? I reckon they wanted an ignorant, ex-military "yes man", which they soon learnt wasn't me! So, at the first underhanded opportunity, out I go!

Re NB from CASA, after all was done and dusted - I had a good chat with him and I think some things were resolved.

Certainly took me a while to get over it and gain perspective - but from it all I learnt a lot and I hope my colleagues are now the beneficiaries of it.

As for CJ's part in this, his mutual pain / frustration has helped me understand that there were other things in play other than my dynamic.

All the best!

Fugitive
 

It looks like the shareholders have been dudded again.By the way, I got a bridge in Sydney for sale if there is any cash left in the kitty.
Whatever,the APNG Titanic is still headed for the iceberg with that crew in charge.

Fugitive, probably the only sensible thing the school teacher has ever done is advise her 'no eye contact husband' not to make Pinochio CEO in Australia. Of course he didn't listen and the place turned to ****e. But don't let that stand in the way of anything, let's ship him off to PNG and give him another shot at being a CEO - oh dear, another epic fail! But never mind, TCAS gets to fly up there every week with Pinocchio and hold hands in the back seat of the plane.

And boys, as for the subject of CASA and NB. The problem was that TCAS was caught red handed being a naughty boy and didn't like it. Then he cried like a baby and made a complaint to the ICC! Ha, what a fool. He should've known better, and that complaint sealed his fate. Of course he and Pinocchio felt so hard done by, but the truth of the matter, as can be seen clearly, was that CASA held every right not to feel comfortable with TCAS as CP or Pinocchio as CEO. Oh how the truth is always revealed :ok:

Thanks Flying Bear, Cactus and Dejapoo, it makes things a lot clearer from my perspective. What a disaster they are. I really feel for the staff at APNG. There is not the same regulative environment up there to keep Cowboys such as TCAS in check. I think tho' that the people up there ie "punters" realise it and have voted with their feet. Time will tell. TCAS was always at pains to say how the travelling public percieved the airline as dangerous, I almost chocked when he said that. I hope the perception can be changed, but I feel it will require a change of management and a bucket load of money to do it. Perhaps selling it off will work out for the best.
Ret
Ps Fugitive I am not dyslexic. Just a very naughty boy.

FB
 

I vouch 100% for Flying Bears version of the non FA trip to ABM. At the time the book keeper was on leave and said commercial manager acting took a very liberal interpretation of the sub 19 seat exemption they held. FB was not contacted during this process. Think the CM may still have held the AOC delegation at the time as hangover from GM in QRA merge. He didn't have a lot of regard for rules perhaps being another PNG product but did have an uncanny ability to build relationships and win work, kept under control suspect that he would have been very welcome there by all bar the teacher at the moment. Surprised he didn't turn up at APNG.

*Fire-sale on now*
 

I'm still wanting to know why 'he who is too scared to look into the eyes of other humans' and the school teacher have flogged all the Dash 8's they owned, sold the Bentley, the house and now the business interests in Townsville?? I certainly hope that if any of their airlines fail the offloaded asset monies are returned or distributed to the rightful creditors :=

Justa dash, the CM won't be welcome back in PNG. He is a snake oil salesman and left a bad taste in a few mouths so don't expect him to show up any time soon. He also didn't get along with the school teacher, and when she came onboard it was time for him to go. The school teacher also got rid of the karate kicking ginger ninja as well, depleting Commercial to what is now left - the part time Gladstone checkin agent/wannabe Manager. How farcical. Anyway, keep watching the skyline folks as the TMR contracts should've been released to the successful bidders by now, to be released by the government publicly in January I believe, and what I have heard from a well placed source in Sydney, there may be more SAAB's than dinosaur Dash 8's gracing the Queensland skies soon :ok:

Oh well with bills mounting, creditors owed, company being sued, runway incursions and crashes in PNG they must have lots to chat about over a cup of Jamaica Blue every Saturday :E

Hey CJ just read your article in post 129, I almost threw up well I did actually. That rag is a freebie and I have never seen it say anything negative about people who pay for advertising. Maybe they can get TCAS's son to write a nice article for them in the Cairns Post, that bastion of journalistic excellence.
The thing that really irked me was the pretence of them being charitable folk, bloody hell!!! True philanthropists don't blow their own trumpets. Of course they give money to the Catholic church, after all it bailed out MBA in the early years. Wonder who will bail them out next? Probably the PNG government.
It is the anniversary of MCJ on Monday. Just so they don't forget.
One positive since they have pissed off the Taipans are performing defeated Adelaide today.

Very true. And a true philanthropist wouldn't charge excess baggage on the northern routes that include indigenous towns while waiving excess on the western routes :=
As for the Taipans, do you know if the Skytrans blimp is still being flown at local games in Cairns? I thought it was the best aircraft in their fleet, certainly was the youngest!!!

*Defence* *Defence* *Defence*

Article from yesterday's "The National".

Major shareholders of Airlines PNG said they wanted new shares to increase there stake in the airline firm.

Airlines PNG confirmed receiving requests from Ok Tedi Landowners, Fly River provincial government, Mineral Resources Development Company and NASFUND to increase their respective shareholdings.....

.......As an integral part of the overall restructuring of the airlines ownership, the company's founder and major shareholder Sir a John Wild has agreed to the majority of his shares in the airline being cancelled, thereby making way for the increased shareholding by institutional shareholders.

Sir John said: "In order to ensure the long term substainability of Airlines PNG and facilitate further capital raising by the company I am happy to gift a significant portion of my shares back to the airline. This fulfils a dream of mine to see the airline majority owned for the people of PNG and strongly positioned to carry on its service to the country."


Not the full article but gives the main thrust

But what about the 'S' word?
 

I always thought SAFETY is the cornerstone of an airline? Once again I didn't see the 'S' word mentioned in this latest blurb from Pinocchio.

Definitely not a wordsmith
 

You better explain to the little fella what one is first! Or perhaps TCAS (who probably invented the 'beta gate skip manoeuvre') can explain it to Pinocchio when they fly up to PNG this week for their 3 day work week? As for the articles wording, it definitely wasn't Pinocchio's words, have you ever read his emails or reports? I recall one occasion where he wrote to CASA and the CASA unnamed Manager (off the record of course) then asked a few of us whether 'Pinocchio ever graduated from school' as he was the most 'dense and illiterate' CEO the CASA manager had ever had the displeasure of dealing with! Priceless!! Well, that was until Slippery Steve came along and the word 'dense' took on a whole new meaning!

School Teachers spouses
 

CJ we may well have had a beer together at the dero club in the past, your info is right on the money.

The Garbo from Gladstone, ex bag snatcher from POM was determined to run Dash8s to YPAM, despite good advise to the contrary "if you build it they will come" and go they did, to the competition and soon more competition sprang up. :ok:

Undeterred the genius came up with another "organic growth opportunity" and decided it would be a good idea to sell pizza and beer (beer inbound TSV only as Palm was dry by then) on the 8 minute sectors :D

As for pilots working check in, ramp, traffic, etc all been done before in TSV.
"flight and duty times.......???" :ugh:

My favourite memory of Thick Miney is when he got up at the monthly back slap and compared himself to Richard Branson with respect to the challenges of building an airline :D:D:D a few of us got a kick out of that one....

Keep up the good work the truth is out there...........
And would you believe his ex wife is a School Teacher....:D

TMR
 

CJ,

Unsure of your 'source' in Sydney regarding the renewal of the TMR contracts. However I find it hard to believe REX if they stand by their 'all or nothing threat' would be participating in any of the QLD runs. Let alone the lack of equipment to operate on such runs..

Everyone is eagarly waiting the announcement but with the crunch line coming close, with the new contracts commencing Jan 1st 2015- I wouldn't be surprised if runs stay with the current operators. Cairns is looking fairly stable however Brissy and Townsville could see some movement.

Air North is a possibility to enter the market but again, lack of aircraft and maintenance facilities would be difficult given the timeline.

Jetgo, Corporate Air?? Unsure if these guys are in for a chance but understand they did apply.

Be Happy,
Fuji

Recycle the Garbo
 

Great post beached az, you are accurate in your commentary and yes the dero club and Cactusjack's has been hammered by me on numerous occasions! I'm wondering if you are the guy that played blackjack with me in the nude at 0500 one morning???? Anyway the Gladstone Garbo fits the management mould perfectly - a bully, incompetent, arrogant and absolutely full of it. Naturally he managed to pull the wool over the eyes of the school teacher and 'he who is afraid to interact with other humans with eye contact'. But that isn't too hard to do!

Don't let compliance with flight duty times get in the way of making a couple of bucks! I'm sure that Slippery Steves legacy, the half a million dollar pile of ****e Merlo, will handle monitoring those hours accurately! Then again ol Slippery introduced similar systems at Skywest and Maroomba and cost those companies dearly. Of course at Skytrans Pinocchio yet again was fooled by the snake oil salesman and fell for the system hook, line and stinker! Perhaps Pinocchio has taken it to APNG and uses it to run TCAS SIM?

Maisk,

MT is one and the same...

Integrity? MT was not alone in being devoid of this. The other colourful characters described herein were also very challenged on the integrity front.

TMR
 

TMR will decide based on price despite all the assurances of diligence etc. it will be Rex and Skytrans in the race as Airnorth apparently withdrew from the race. They should retain what they had as operationally crews and engineers etc have done very well in a tuff operating environment.
TM was very much the player as was evident if you ever attended the FA grad parties or spoke to half of the back office.
Pinnacle was an evening with the CASA FA rep during an audit, eventually all was revealed and some disappeared quietly. Credit where it's due he, Ninja and GB did bring in the work. Company grew from 1-10 aircraft in 5 years with "audited"profit statements. Story was they were the only senior staff to go of there own volition in the SMT clean out

Sounds like a fun place to work!!! But isn't aviation like that in general.
Sounds like Skytrans are in a bit of a pickle indeed. Question- selling off the fathers shareholding in the PNG side of things, will that mean that the family have no more interest in the company? I wonder how much they got for it? Will this now be used to refinance Skytrans? bigger newer aircraft etc.
Who will own Airlines of PNG in the future and will they be getting new aircraft? Rumours of ATR's but nothing seen or heard as of yet.
Are PX still anting to have an interest?