Air Link PNG
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Sydney,NSW,Australia
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Geeze Chuck,
Very sobering and chilling accounts indeed. <img src="frown.gif" border="0">
Another question I would like to throw at some of you PNG'ers or ex with insight is Maleria and other desieses ???? Initially in just heading to PNG for a short time i.e the job hunt, is it best to take certein precautions with Maleria (tablets, injections) and other known desieses or should basic precautions be enough?? i.e bottled H2O, Long pants , mozzie spray??
Thanking you in advance,
QA
Very sobering and chilling accounts indeed. <img src="frown.gif" border="0">
Another question I would like to throw at some of you PNG'ers or ex with insight is Maleria and other desieses ???? Initially in just heading to PNG for a short time i.e the job hunt, is it best to take certein precautions with Maleria (tablets, injections) and other known desieses or should basic precautions be enough?? i.e bottled H2O, Long pants , mozzie spray??
Thanking you in advance,
QA
Grandpa Aerotart
Malaria, like the law and order issues is something you will experience sooner or later, it is inevitable.
As far as I'm aware NOTHING will stop you getting it, only 'reduce' the severity of the attack. Somethings that you might take as a prophelactic have long term eyesight side effects. Generally what you take as a prophelactic is also what you take as a cure, so taking it all the time reduces it's punch when you actually have Malaria. Medicine is an ever changing field so who knows what they have now that might work better. Be very wary of what an Australian based GP might tell you though as it will almost certainly be based on what he has read rather than first hand experience. I went to the Hospital in BNE once when I had a recurrence while on holidays. They didn't believe me and so wouldn't give me any medication, anti malarials are a BIG deal in OZ while in PNG can be bought 'over the counter' like Panadol.
I had Vivax(normal) Malaria 4 times, Phalciparum(spelling?)(Cerebral) Malaria twice, Denghi fever once. My ex had Denghi once, Vivax once and something equally bad that I can't remember the name of once. It might have been what was once known as Blackwater Fever but I can't remember.
The longer I'm out of PNG the less I can explain why I stayed so long, other than the flying was really that good it made the other stuff 'acceptable'. <img src="confused.gif" border="0">
Chuck.
[ 24 December 2001: Message edited by: Chimbu chuckles ]</p>
As far as I'm aware NOTHING will stop you getting it, only 'reduce' the severity of the attack. Somethings that you might take as a prophelactic have long term eyesight side effects. Generally what you take as a prophelactic is also what you take as a cure, so taking it all the time reduces it's punch when you actually have Malaria. Medicine is an ever changing field so who knows what they have now that might work better. Be very wary of what an Australian based GP might tell you though as it will almost certainly be based on what he has read rather than first hand experience. I went to the Hospital in BNE once when I had a recurrence while on holidays. They didn't believe me and so wouldn't give me any medication, anti malarials are a BIG deal in OZ while in PNG can be bought 'over the counter' like Panadol.
I had Vivax(normal) Malaria 4 times, Phalciparum(spelling?)(Cerebral) Malaria twice, Denghi fever once. My ex had Denghi once, Vivax once and something equally bad that I can't remember the name of once. It might have been what was once known as Blackwater Fever but I can't remember.
The longer I'm out of PNG the less I can explain why I stayed so long, other than the flying was really that good it made the other stuff 'acceptable'. <img src="confused.gif" border="0">
Chuck.
[ 24 December 2001: Message edited by: Chimbu chuckles ]</p>
PPRuNeaholic
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I add my wholehearted support to what Chuck has said. The weirdest thing that can happen when you go to the Doc for a malaria blood test is one of the following...
(a) You really have it, but the test comes back as 'negative'; OR
(b) You DON'T have it, but the test comes back as 'positive'.
If I've seen this situation once, I've seen it a hundred times. Somewhere along the line, some idiot mixes up your blood sample with some other person's sample. I sh!t you not!
As Chuck says, you WILL get malaria. Best advice I can give you is to take the very mildest possible anti-malarial, or nothing at all. The latter option is best as it leaves plenty of scope for early recognition of symptoms and treatment. Sadly, it's not always the most practical way to go, especially because everybody is made a bit different.
Alistair... yes mate, have now received all the pics. I was going to work on them on Chrissy day, but I got a better offer from my fave ex-g/f, so have had to put your stuff on hold for a wee while.
For everyone's info, Alastair has some absolutely brilliant photos that show many facets of bush flying. The should also be a great walk down memory lane for Chuck and a few other regulars here. I am indeed privileged to be able to work on them, to make them available to everyone who's interested.
There will be a separate, clearly distinguishable thread for this, just as soon as I get the 'okay' from Alastair from his proofing of my efforts. I hope it will be less than a week from now.
(a) You really have it, but the test comes back as 'negative'; OR
(b) You DON'T have it, but the test comes back as 'positive'.
If I've seen this situation once, I've seen it a hundred times. Somewhere along the line, some idiot mixes up your blood sample with some other person's sample. I sh!t you not!
As Chuck says, you WILL get malaria. Best advice I can give you is to take the very mildest possible anti-malarial, or nothing at all. The latter option is best as it leaves plenty of scope for early recognition of symptoms and treatment. Sadly, it's not always the most practical way to go, especially because everybody is made a bit different.
Alistair... yes mate, have now received all the pics. I was going to work on them on Chrissy day, but I got a better offer from my fave ex-g/f, so have had to put your stuff on hold for a wee while.
For everyone's info, Alastair has some absolutely brilliant photos that show many facets of bush flying. The should also be a great walk down memory lane for Chuck and a few other regulars here. I am indeed privileged to be able to work on them, to make them available to everyone who's interested.
There will be a separate, clearly distinguishable thread for this, just as soon as I get the 'okay' from Alastair from his proofing of my efforts. I hope it will be less than a week from now.
Join Date: Jul 2001
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With the malaria thing, as CC and Ozexpat said, if you are going to get it you are going to get it. Out of the dozen or so blokes I worked with, none of us took any preventative and one caught it and suffered twice whilst I was there with him. Mostly you aren't around people who have it at sunrise and sunset and during the day you are mostly above 4000 feet, were the mossies are few 
The best anti malarial I ever took was SP, plenty of it and often. The cure was often worse than the disease (particularly from the av med side of things.What are the recommendations as far as anti malarials and flying? They have all sorts of side effects)
PS Merry Christmas everyone, only a couple of hours now in the Northern hemisphere
The best anti malarial I ever took was SP, plenty of it and often. The cure was often worse than the disease (particularly from the av med side of things.What are the recommendations as far as anti malarials and flying? They have all sorts of side effects)
PS Merry Christmas everyone, only a couple of hours now in the Northern hemisphere
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Gday Chuck and Ho Ho Ho,
Further on the topic of Malaria, it was mentioned to me that if authorities testing for HIV use a low cost test unit (a broad spectrum test of which I have forgotten the name) then there is a possibility of a false positive indication being given. Once this happens then legally a second sample is "supposed" to be sent to the nearest World Health Organisation office whereby they use a more specific test which will give a correct result.
I cannot verify the accuracy of this conversation but it always stuck in my head....anyone with a medical background care to comment.
I nursed our mutual friend "The Flying male nurse and resident mad professor" back to health from the big M once in Rabaul....a particularly bad dose....washing sheets 3 times a day...place stunk real bad.
Doctor told me I would have relapses when I went from Rabaul to the UK winter climate but never eventuated....warm pommie beer I think did the trick although best relief I ever got from a dose was a shot of quinnine .... bloody horse needle...my butt hurt for a month but it started cleaning me up after about 6 hours.
Hardon, if you love your misses then leave her at home. Straight up mate, it is no place for a white woman nowdays....it used to be different once but that was before my time. You can blame Gough Whitlam for that one.
[ 24 December 2001: Message edited by: fire wall ]</p>
Further on the topic of Malaria, it was mentioned to me that if authorities testing for HIV use a low cost test unit (a broad spectrum test of which I have forgotten the name) then there is a possibility of a false positive indication being given. Once this happens then legally a second sample is "supposed" to be sent to the nearest World Health Organisation office whereby they use a more specific test which will give a correct result.
I cannot verify the accuracy of this conversation but it always stuck in my head....anyone with a medical background care to comment.
I nursed our mutual friend "The Flying male nurse and resident mad professor" back to health from the big M once in Rabaul....a particularly bad dose....washing sheets 3 times a day...place stunk real bad.
Doctor told me I would have relapses when I went from Rabaul to the UK winter climate but never eventuated....warm pommie beer I think did the trick although best relief I ever got from a dose was a shot of quinnine .... bloody horse needle...my butt hurt for a month but it started cleaning me up after about 6 hours.
Hardon, if you love your misses then leave her at home. Straight up mate, it is no place for a white woman nowdays....it used to be different once but that was before my time. You can blame Gough Whitlam for that one.
[ 24 December 2001: Message edited by: fire wall ]</p>
Join Date: Oct 2001
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I'm in Canada, did most flying in the Caribbean, and started a new self-service called "Worldwide Pilot Adventure Reports". And I'm looiking for a job myself, of course...
I filled in the first one after an expensive fiasco in Turks & Caicos (can't put in all the details for legal reasons), but it sounds like there are similar stories to be told here.
Please check out my page/s, and if you have a comment or contribution about ANY location feel free to follow my guide or do your own thing. Photos would be welcomed - I thought mine was a little sparse on images, but anything would be welcomed.
<a href="http://www.caribbeanavenue.com/reports/" target="_blank">http://www.caribbeanavenue.com/reports/</a>
I filled in the first one after an expensive fiasco in Turks & Caicos (can't put in all the details for legal reasons), but it sounds like there are similar stories to be told here.
Please check out my page/s, and if you have a comment or contribution about ANY location feel free to follow my guide or do your own thing. Photos would be welcomed - I thought mine was a little sparse on images, but anything would be welcomed.
<a href="http://www.caribbeanavenue.com/reports/" target="_blank">http://www.caribbeanavenue.com/reports/</a>
PPRuNeaholic
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Hey Chuck, do you have any piccies to add to the collection? I haven't yet heard back from Alastair, but suspect he's getting a few more photos scanned... <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
[ 26 December 2001: Message edited by: OzExpat ]</p>
[ 26 December 2001: Message edited by: OzExpat ]</p>
PPRuNeaholic
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Thanks Chuck, that's a good start. I've created a new thread for the link. See the topic "PNG : Photos by Chimbu Chuckles", or just click <a href="http://www.pprune.org/cgibin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=12&t=008281&p=" target="_blank">here</a> to go straight to the topic.
Hope I've done justice to them for ya! <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
Hope I've done justice to them for ya! <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
