Unusual aviation jobs.
Just Binos
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I vividly remember a junior pilot's description of a night charter from Weipa to Cairns carrying a stiff in a body bag. He couldn't leave till the bereaved had paid their respects till they could no longer stand up, hence the night flight. Despite trying to kid himself, he reckoned he turned his head quickly to check on the "passenger" about 250 times in the 2 hour plus flight, and ANY abnormal noise, real or imagined, had his pulse pumping. Never been so glad to get off an aircraft before or since, he told me.
PPRuNeaholic
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Binos post reminds me of a few coffin charters that I've done in PNG. Trouble is, I just realised that, in the opening part of this thread, CJ restricted comment to unusual jobs in Oz and New Zealand.
Still trying to figure if that was just an oversight ... or a recognition that MOST of the flying in PNG is "unusual"...
Still trying to figure if that was just an oversight ... or a recognition that MOST of the flying in PNG is "unusual"...
Thread Starter
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Oz, I realise that the "norm" up there is far from what it is down here. 
You are right, it was an oversight on my behalf (I originally had written "our region", then I thought I'd perhaps have to actually list 'NZ' as well to maybe get a response out of some of them too - Cheers Veg ), but it might appear that they don't perhaps do strange things with aeroplanes over there?
Go for it Oz etc (and I still reckon you PNG types should get together and write a book).
[ 07 November 2001: Message edited by: 429 CJ ]
You are right, it was an oversight on my behalf (I originally had written "our region", then I thought I'd perhaps have to actually list 'NZ' as well to maybe get a response out of some of them too - Cheers Veg ), but it might appear that they don't perhaps do strange things with aeroplanes over there?Go for it Oz etc (and I still reckon you PNG types should get together and write a book).
[ 07 November 2001: Message edited by: 429 CJ ]
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Good topic 429!
Yeah Oz, pigs and hatchling chicks etc all standard fare up there eh? And ****** if those full grown pigs don't smell worse than the Kanakas. Try 23POB in a BN2, (but then that was out of kanabea so i couldn't help but get airborn
)
Considering 429 kind of opened this up a bit, mate of mine flies corporate out of Jamaica for a chain of resorts which variously come under the name of "Hedonism". And hedonism is exactly what they are all about. Oh what a hard job
Yeah Oz, pigs and hatchling chicks etc all standard fare up there eh? And ****** if those full grown pigs don't smell worse than the Kanakas. Try 23POB in a BN2, (but then that was out of kanabea so i couldn't help but get airborn
)Considering 429 kind of opened this up a bit, mate of mine flies corporate out of Jamaica for a chain of resorts which variously come under the name of "Hedonism". And hedonism is exactly what they are all about. Oh what a hard job
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429 dont do strange things with planes in NZ??
Man I think thats where it mostly all started.
How about carting ALL the building materials for a Motel (Hollicks Holiday Hovels)in a PA 18 Cub, on a half hour over water flight to an Island.
The doors were strapped to the wings struts when it was time to cart them over.
Surely someone can remember this?
(I believe ole Ted is still kicking anyone seen him?)
Man I think thats where it mostly all started.
How about carting ALL the building materials for a Motel (Hollicks Holiday Hovels)in a PA 18 Cub, on a half hour over water flight to an Island.
The doors were strapped to the wings struts when it was time to cart them over.
Surely someone can remember this?
(I believe ole Ted is still kicking anyone seen him?)
A load of dead Goannas from Maralom to Port Keats for a funeral. [The funeral was not for the Goannas, it was for an Elder. The reptiles were to be consumed at said funeral]
7 Kegs of beer to Kowanyama during the Wet.
2 Slabs of GreenCans to Stan at Bradshaw Station
NPWS charter to find a certain grass type... That was FUN!
Vets to check on and ultimatley euthenase an Indonesian Spotted Dolphin at Smith Point. The machete slitting the stomach open was a sight to behold, and the noise of the boltcutters through the ribs will be with me for a long time......
An aboriginal man to Timber Creek to pick up his dole cheque. The charter cost $20 more than his cheque. So after paying me $20 and cahsing out and giving me his dole cheque, he was stuck in town with no money and had to humbug and live in the long grass until the next payday.
As was said earlier, it is difficult to think about what is "unusual" and what is "normal" in the tropics!
And for the record, my old ops manual had exemptions allowing 10POB in a C210. The voice of incredulity from AD FS on HF as something to behold!
Binos - your junior pilot friend was lucky. Ever heard the tales of noises dead bodies make with the change in pressure? As you get higher gasses expand and escape in all manner of horrid sounds.
[ 08 November 2001: Message edited by: compressor stall ]
[ 08 November 2001: Message edited by: compressor stall ]
7 Kegs of beer to Kowanyama during the Wet.
2 Slabs of GreenCans to Stan at Bradshaw Station
NPWS charter to find a certain grass type... That was FUN!
Vets to check on and ultimatley euthenase an Indonesian Spotted Dolphin at Smith Point. The machete slitting the stomach open was a sight to behold, and the noise of the boltcutters through the ribs will be with me for a long time......
An aboriginal man to Timber Creek to pick up his dole cheque. The charter cost $20 more than his cheque. So after paying me $20 and cahsing out and giving me his dole cheque, he was stuck in town with no money and had to humbug and live in the long grass until the next payday.
As was said earlier, it is difficult to think about what is "unusual" and what is "normal" in the tropics!
And for the record, my old ops manual had exemptions allowing 10POB in a C210.
The voice of incredulity from AD FS on HF as something to behold!Binos - your junior pilot friend was lucky. Ever heard the tales of noises dead bodies make with the change in pressure? As you get higher gasses expand and escape in all manner of horrid sounds.
[ 08 November 2001: Message edited by: compressor stall ]
[ 08 November 2001: Message edited by: compressor stall ]
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Pa 31 load of crocks erm-cs "gear up, flap up storm window open head half out"
Cash charter for Brit embassy, six huge guys on a day long tour of aerodromes in Cape York sas/sasr types "yeah mate we can tell ya what we're doin, then well have to slot ya" ha ha
Muta big bongo (bn2) loads of angry, football playing, beer swilling badu islanders and their garbage bags full of dugong, turtle and buckets of blood (literally buckets). balus hosed clean of blood. Not to mention the Saibi mud crabs tied up with grass (brilliant) escaping onto the floor of the Partenavia.
he he I could go on all day.
"confirm heads chopped off?"
"afirm, heads chopped off"
Cash charter for Brit embassy, six huge guys on a day long tour of aerodromes in Cape York sas/sasr types "yeah mate we can tell ya what we're doin, then well have to slot ya"
ha ha Muta big bongo (bn2) loads of angry, football playing, beer swilling badu islanders and their garbage bags full of dugong, turtle and buckets of blood (literally buckets). balus hosed clean of blood. Not to mention the Saibi mud crabs tied up with grass (brilliant) escaping onto the floor of the Partenavia.
he he I could go on all day.
"confirm heads chopped off?"
"afirm, heads chopped off"
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Skin Chim, similar story to yours.
Charter to a community 25mins away. Picked up 5 young locals and took $350.00 off them for the ride to Broome. After arriving at Broome they asked me the latest they could go back to which I replied about an hour. About 20mins later they showed up at the office and handed over another $350.00 to go back to the community. We loaded two blocks (slabs for you eastern staters) and a few packets of chips on to the aircraft and flew back. I asked them what they were doing. They went to Broome to buy some stuff for there mates 21st. Don't know about you guys but when I was young I wouldn't have thought twice about spending $700.00 to fly to the shops for just a few things.
Speaking off stiffs. Had a mate who got a phone call at 0430 in the morning to go and pick up a stiff from another community. They have rules that the body has to go within 8hrs or its cursed. By the time he got there the body was about 7 1/2 hrs old and been sitting outside during the wetseason in the humidity. He came back relatively high so on descent the worst smelling gases you can imagine started soming out of it.He had never felt so sick before in his life. From then on he learnt to fly home at 500'.
Charter to a community 25mins away. Picked up 5 young locals and took $350.00 off them for the ride to Broome. After arriving at Broome they asked me the latest they could go back to which I replied about an hour. About 20mins later they showed up at the office and handed over another $350.00 to go back to the community. We loaded two blocks (slabs for you eastern staters) and a few packets of chips on to the aircraft and flew back. I asked them what they were doing. They went to Broome to buy some stuff for there mates 21st. Don't know about you guys but when I was young I wouldn't have thought twice about spending $700.00 to fly to the shops for just a few things.
Speaking off stiffs. Had a mate who got a phone call at 0430 in the morning to go and pick up a stiff from another community. They have rules that the body has to go within 8hrs or its cursed. By the time he got there the body was about 7 1/2 hrs old and been sitting outside during the wetseason in the humidity. He came back relatively high so on descent the worst smelling gases you can imagine started soming out of it.He had never felt so sick before in his life. From then on he learnt to fly home at 500'.
PPRuNeaholic
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First coffin charter I ever did was in a C206, out of Moresby to a place whose name I can't recall offhand, but it was about an hour's flying (ie not all that far in a 206!) east of Port Morbid. The funeral group arrived quite late, amid lots of weeping and wailing. By this time, the weather had turned decidedly for the worse, but decided to go for it.
Got into the area but so much cloud around that I began to fear I might join the bloke in the coffin. Back to Moresby and body went into the comapny's storage freezer over night.
Next morning was bright and clear for a very early departure. I expected tensions to be running a bit high at the village airstrip as the body was expected the previous day. Anyway, landed around 0730 to a huge throng of villagers ... and a complete silence. It was innerving!
I opened the rear double doors and superintended the unloading of the coffin. Then all hell broke lose ... weeping and wailing and painted faces atop painted bodies carrying bloody huge axes and spears that were being waved viciously in the air, uncomfortably close to a wing of the plane.
Needless to say, I didn't bother to hang around after the delivery was complete.
The thing about delivering a body back to a village is you never know how the villagers will react. Often it's just the weeping and wailing ... lots and lots of wailing BTW. But, just sometimes, the folks are angry about the circumstances of the death and decide, somewhat irrationally, to take out their anger on the pilot and/or aeroplane.
While I had a pretty easy time of my first coffin charter, there was one, a few years later, where there was just too much scope for trouble. I'll post that one tomorrow night, rather than hog the thread right now.
Oh yeah ... had to fly pretty high on that first trip coz of the odd few big rocks on the route. Had all air vents open, plus a window!
Got into the area but so much cloud around that I began to fear I might join the bloke in the coffin. Back to Moresby and body went into the comapny's storage freezer over night.
Next morning was bright and clear for a very early departure. I expected tensions to be running a bit high at the village airstrip as the body was expected the previous day. Anyway, landed around 0730 to a huge throng of villagers ... and a complete silence. It was innerving!
I opened the rear double doors and superintended the unloading of the coffin. Then all hell broke lose ... weeping and wailing and painted faces atop painted bodies carrying bloody huge axes and spears that were being waved viciously in the air, uncomfortably close to a wing of the plane.
Needless to say, I didn't bother to hang around after the delivery was complete.
The thing about delivering a body back to a village is you never know how the villagers will react. Often it's just the weeping and wailing ... lots and lots of wailing BTW. But, just sometimes, the folks are angry about the circumstances of the death and decide, somewhat irrationally, to take out their anger on the pilot and/or aeroplane.
While I had a pretty easy time of my first coffin charter, there was one, a few years later, where there was just too much scope for trouble. I'll post that one tomorrow night, rather than hog the thread right now.
Oh yeah ... had to fly pretty high on that first trip coz of the odd few big rocks on the route. Had all air vents open, plus a window!
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Monkeys from Muaritius to Houston....300 Alpacas from Chile to Japan. All on a DC8.
Talking of day old chickens...how about 8 pallets full from CDG to Casablanca - not easy on the W&B.
We always knew we had money on board after arrival in Africa when we were surrounded by the local military.....all their weapons were pointed outwards from the aircraft.
Talking of day old chickens...how about 8 pallets full from CDG to Casablanca - not easy on the W&B.
We always knew we had money on board after arrival in Africa when we were surrounded by the local military.....all their weapons were pointed outwards from the aircraft.
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Monkeys from Mauritius to Houston....300 Alpacas from Chile to Japan.....Iceland ponies from, of course Iceland, to Europe. All on a DC8.
Talking of day old chickens...how about 8 pallets full from CDG to Casablanca - not easy on the W&B. Also the trick is to keep them from dying from overheating...5000 chickens in one pallet creates a lot of heat.
We always knew we had money on board after arrival in Africa when we were surrounded by the local military.....all their weapons were pointed outwards.
Talking of day old chickens...how about 8 pallets full from CDG to Casablanca - not easy on the W&B. Also the trick is to keep them from dying from overheating...5000 chickens in one pallet creates a lot of heat.
We always knew we had money on board after arrival in Africa when we were surrounded by the local military.....all their weapons were pointed outwards.
Oz, those POB were quoted with seats in the aircraft and are within the last 20 years. I was on one of the flights.
But I think it was Bobby Gibbes who told me about the all time record before the need for seats. Around 120 plantation labourers in a DC3, seated on the floor and covered with a cargo net.
But I think it was Bobby Gibbes who told me about the all time record before the need for seats. Around 120 plantation labourers in a DC3, seated on the floor and covered with a cargo net.
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Ive had to do a couple of 'stiff' charters before. At one stage it seemed like I was the company undertaker.
'...whats that?.... you've got a coffin that needs to get to Kalumburu?, hang on.... Somebody get Pretzal for me....We've got a job for him!" Luckily it was the C207, so going high wasnt an option, plus being 'blessed' with a below average sense of smell was a bonus
'...whats that?.... you've got a coffin that needs to get to Kalumburu?, hang on.... Somebody get Pretzal for me....We've got a job for him!" Luckily it was the C207, so going high wasnt an option, plus being 'blessed' with a below average sense of smell was a bonus
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Silly engineer on a Moresby-Kiunga-Tabubil flight in a C206. Just me, the pilot and a load of dynamite. Pete the driver put the fuses under his seat!
Said "We'd be the first to know if it went off!"
This was usually a twin charter, but for some reason one was not available on the day they just HAD to have the stuff at the site.
I was very attentative to all noises emanating from said Continental till we did the final touchdown.
Said "We'd be the first to know if it went off!"
This was usually a twin charter, but for some reason one was not available on the day they just HAD to have the stuff at the site.
I was very attentative to all noises emanating from said Continental till we did the final touchdown.
Bugsmasherdriverandjediknite
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I did a charter once that involved following cliff faces at about 50ft out and about 60kts so the guy in the right seat could look for an endangered plant that grows in banded ironstone cliffs........all this on one of those awfull windy hot and unstable days............I didnt see any plants either.
I also had the misfortune to fly one leg of a trip with a guy that I believe to be mentaly unstable sitting in the right hand seat..........only the first leg though, he quickly got sent to seat six. He later proved to be a bit strange by stealing that same aircraft and crashing it, al without the appropriate licenses and approvals. (R.I.P. Grasshopper)
I also had the misfortune to fly one leg of a trip with a guy that I believe to be mentaly unstable sitting in the right hand seat..........only the first leg though, he quickly got sent to seat six. He later proved to be a bit strange by stealing that same aircraft and crashing it, al without the appropriate licenses and approvals. (R.I.P. Grasshopper)
Don Quixote Impersonator
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As a manufacturer sponsor, drew the short straw and got to fly Miss WA and Miss Oz around the RFDS in Oz traps for a week or three every year or so.
mrs gaunty, cunning she devil that she is, insisted on having them around to arvo tea before we left whilst displaying the cutesy (make you wanna vomit) gaunty curtain climbers and arranging next door neighbours kids to come see the "princesses" as well, all in the name of "raising funds" and as a side effect lowering gauntys libido.
It's a bit hard to sustain the "rampant pilot stud" bit with curtain climbers and adoring neighbours kids all hangin off you.
Will never forget the fund raising "cocktail parties" at Mona's in Kal with the 'Misses' and entourage being entertained and served really top champagne by the best hookers in the world run by the nicest and most generous madam in town. Halfway through one, a regular came banging on the door insisting on 'service' as he was going on shift in half an hour, he was accomodated and gone without a hint of breaking rythmn in the party.
True professionals.
Nice ladies too
mrs gaunty, cunning she devil that she is, insisted on having them around to arvo tea before we left whilst displaying the cutesy (make you wanna vomit) gaunty curtain climbers and arranging next door neighbours kids to come see the "princesses" as well, all in the name of "raising funds" and as a side effect lowering gauntys libido.
It's a bit hard to sustain the "rampant pilot stud" bit with curtain climbers and adoring neighbours kids all hangin off you.
Will never forget the fund raising "cocktail parties" at Mona's in Kal with the 'Misses' and entourage being entertained and served really top champagne by the best hookers in the world run by the nicest and most generous madam in town. Halfway through one, a regular came banging on the door insisting on 'service' as he was going on shift in half an hour, he was accomodated and gone without a hint of breaking rythmn in the party.
True professionals.
Nice ladies too