Unknown PNG Airstrips? Part the Twooth

[OzExpat]

Chuck is right about the WACs, except that my information is that it happened twice! Ya see, at Independence, it seems that there were two complete sets of chart plates. One was left in PNG and the other went to Oz for "safe keeping".

The way the story goes is this ...

When PNG's set of plates ended up either broken or ... errrm ... misplaced (!!), Oz was asked to send up the other set, so that a production run could be completed. There was a fair bit of humming and harring about that but Oz finally caved in and sent them up.

This second and final set of plates was, I'm fairly reliably led to believe, badly mishandled and broken by the time the shipment was opened. And that, as they say, was that!

Now then, in response to a question that Chuck asked a while ago, Alistair has sent me photos of P2-GKB, taken around 1998 or 99. I've added them to those in his gallery and they are the last 3 photos in the collection. However, I've also got direct URLs for all 3.

The relevant URLs for everything is as follows...

Alistair's Gallery

First view of P2-GKB

Second view of P2-GKB

Third view of P2-GKB

Very sad, innit?

[Chimbu chuckles]

If they can't eat it, wear it or fark it..........they will steal it, break it and lose it

Chuck.

[Eggman]

Good one lurch. The Aviation Safety Network data seems to match OzExpat's East New Britain strip.
The strip is named there as "Billi". The photo is also shown on the PNG Message Board Aviation Forum which mentions "Billie".
Anyone seen this place to confirm?
Compare:
Bili - Slope: 4%, Length: 600m, Elev: 2600'. Surface: grassed brown sandy clay. Caution: Stay on runway centreline!
Nutuve - Slope: 1.6%, Length: 590m, Elev: 1240'.

[Capt Vegemite]

No one ever did post any of the Whitney Houston look-alikes those spose to roam the streets of Port Morbid?

[bpu]

eggman regard photo, it is Billi for sure although not the scariest looking strip when dry it turned into a mudfest when wet. I was generally well pleased to be in a twotter when on landing the tires disappeared in the mud.

Pinky You say you were working for Douglas for the last 9 months of it's illustrious life, I was there for the last 20 or so months
send me an email [email protected].

Ozexpat great thread and some great pics, allthough it makes me realize that my ANO28 was a licence to kill(and K2500 a year or so in my pay) as most of the strips posted didn't stimulate any of the few brain cells left

CC when can we expect you for a quiet night on the town in HK

I also got some photos from my time in PNG which I recently scanned and will try and set up with a link soon. Also got a few pics around Arawa when it first opened( I was the idiot who took the first plane in there after the 'disagreement')

[Chimbu chuckles]

$hit........looked like Nutuve......

bpu.......howdy dude........coping with all the bs at CX? Every trip I've done to HK has been a quick in and out Don't you RON in Sing?........guess not on the -400.

Speaking of the 'little people' on Bouganville........remember that time you landed in the middle of a fire fight?

"What are all these lazy bastards doing lying on the ground ?"

Then he shuts down the engines on the Twotter and can hear the gunfire all 'round

Chuckles

[bpu]

CC
I hadn't taught about that incident for awhile but I can tell you I didn't hang around to take any piccies that trip Just checked my logbook, Tonu was that holiday particular destination.
Then the cheekie soldiers, after proudly showing of their kills wanted me to fly the wounded out as well.

Also we do go to Sin in the 400 but sector not long enough to warrant bedmaker. Should be on regional fleet in the next few months and am bound to drop in.

In regards to nutuve I taught that maybe the first NTM strip( http://www.fototime.com/D54A860E7578350/standard.jpg) photo might have been it although it doesn't look quiet right.
But Nutuve was, from memory, very green and very very soggy when wet( like Naoro in the Jungles). Remember strip endorsing with bambi and having trouble getting the islander airborne with no pax. The foot had a nasty experience there too but in a Twotter.

BTW have you any idea where the foot is

[Chimbu chuckles]

No idea where Bigfoot has got to.........not flying as far as I'm aware...........there's another 'different' sort of character.

We'd need another thread for the Bigfoot stories!!! The classic HF transmission in a 206 one day tracking Girua- Hoskins direct....."YA LET GABBY KENNARD DO IT!!!!!"

Tonu........that was the place I was doing shuttles to one day from Torokina in the Otter. On one trip in, while still miles out and very low( it makes it very hard to hit you if you are so low that they can hear you coming and going but only get a quick glimpse between the trees) a stream of tracer meandered past the left wing tip.......I thought only the PNG Defence Farse had tricky stuff like that.......until then.........they were only shooting at the noise but they doesn't make you feel any better!!........anyway missed out due weather at Tonu and after orbiting for a while flew back to Buka.......to find out that the BRA attacked Tonu before I got back to Buka

Chuck.

[OzExpat]

Hear ye, hear ye... more goat tracks coming!

Oh well, given my limited knowledge of Nutuve, from passing by all those years ago, thought I was doing well to even think about it in the first place. However, does it help to point out the Twotter with its nose in a ditch? It's been suggested to me that this machine MIGHT have belonged to Islands Nationair.

If so, its either P2-IAE or P2-IAF. Guess I'll havta hope there was an incident report on it and that our BASI folks have a good file index...

Anyway, lest we all be getting complacent, I've received some photos from a contributor who says he didn't take them. Seems he grabbed them off a website or two. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have bothered with that sort of thing but there are a few views here that are quite interesting.

There's even a "goat track" or two that should stir a bit of interest, if not debate. I've put them in a general purpose album that I can add to, if others come up with photos, from any source, that show views that we mightn't ever have seen ... for one reason or another...

So, take a look at this...

Airstrips in PNG

... and let us all have your thoughts!

[Capt Fathom]

Fantastic photos once again! My photo album and logbook of PNG pale into insignificance in comparison. What a great time, never to be repeated..thanks for the memories!

[Chimbu chuckles]

I have no arguments with any of those Ids.......I don't think that's Bulolo because there is no timber mill.

I did the first landing at Dobu to open up the strip. It is a little south of Negabo where the Tua river enters steep limestone gorge country and starts flowing east before becoming/flowing into the Poi river which becomes the Purari flowing downs toward Wabo.

I made the mistake of taking P2-SIA, a turbo 206, in as I was training a new pilot for Cobum (?) Spice........my usual mount P2-BAF a 185, being in for a 100 hrly at NTM in Goroka.

Why a mistake..........because I had bug-ger all hours in 206s and came in a few knots fast due to a tailwind.........I came within a gnat's whisker of overruning the strip (bottom left in the photo)......it is more of a drop than the piccy shows and 206s float like a bastard if you are even a few knots fast The little red Flap Dump button on the stick took care of the float and we slid and bobbed to a halt with about 5 feet to spare

Taking off the nose wheel kept dragging in the mud and we just got off with the stall warning beeping.......thank god for turbocharging and Mr Robertson. The next day I took BAF in and out without a worry.........bloody great aircraft the 185!!!

Almost slid off the end of Wabo too once.......in the rain......but it is almost literally a mud bank on the Purari River with cone markers.......slid to a halt in P2-CBE(BN2) with one main off the side of the flight strip but zero damage It was a another first trip in (for me anyway).

Wonderfull memories

Chuck.

PS re the Otter departing stage left into the scrub.......the training Captain's a good mate.......the stude goes by the name of 'Da Sherriff".........When asked by the training dude not to swing 'monkey fashion' off the tiller steering he replied "I am ex military pilot(PNGDF) You can teach me NOTHING".........and then swung into the trees

[OzExpat]

Chuck ... did 'Da Sherriff' per chance end up in Pixie?

[Capt Vegemite]

Chuck... The Phantom of Kavieng you mention in your post wasnt perchance an old Digger named Eddy was it?
If it was he had quite a colourful history in the Wakwak area.

[gaunty]

So that's why there were all those neat round holes in the seats of the few A/C that somehow made it out of there.

[OzExpat]

Anyone want to have a lash at trying to identify the location in photo Nr 10 of the Airstrips in PNG album? That's the one showing the MAF C206. Seems like it should be fairly unique, judging by the terrain around it. The strip looks to be in pretty good condition, so it might be strictly for MAF/NTM/SIL use.

Also, if photo Nr 11 isn't Bulolo, is it really "Utai" as suggested by the contributor?

[Chimbu chuckles]

Oz yeah Dat's da Sherriff I mean........only place in aviation where he can do no wrong

If I had to guess at the MAF piccy I'd say NW of Hagen somewhere......Kumbwareta, Kompiam, Menjim,Lumasa....somewhere like that but it's been too long since I flew around that area.

I've never been to Utai.......inland Sepik/Sandaun has always been a black hole for me......went to about 5 strips besides Vanimo and never in the Bawani/Torricelli Ranges where Utai is.

Chuckles.

[Mark CRUISE]

Dont think its in the highlands. Their not wearing their funky caps, and look modestly clean and clothed. Maybe its Garassa looking towards the east ? I spent a night there once. I was in abit of a rush that day, I had a few runs to still do in the 206, and Gutz was unusually in abit of a talkitive mood on the ground at Garassa. I told him I'm in a rush before the weather closes in at the gap to go back to Wau one fine wet season morning. But he said 'ooohhhh its not gonna close in blah blah blah' then took of in his 402 and headed back to Nadzab. Anyway he finally radioed me and told me the weather was ****house. Ended up spending a fun filled night with the garasta rasta homies, and the female possie crew smoking mutruss. But Captain??????????????(?) (?)

[Mark CRUISE]

Or maybe Yalumet..........Its a tough one. Anyone else have suggestions- 2daddies?

Mi tink tink to mus. Long Long bilong me.
No kan flickem displa pawa switch.............It gat BIGPLA kick!!!!!!!

[Eggman]

Mark CRUISE
Here is OzExpat's mystery strip # 10. Here is Herc Jerk's shot of Yalumet.

Chimbu chuckles et al
So are we agreed that OzExpat's mystery strip # 2 is Bosavi strip (now unlicenced) with Mt Giluwe in the background?

Any Sandauners recognise Utai? Where's Warwick when we need him?

[Capt Vegemite]

That sure do LOOK like Bosavi only coulda sworn the strip was orientated more along the Mendi track (to the left of Gilluwe)Long taim bepo so me mind not sure.
It was tropical paradise and always a good place to stock up on nanas and paw paws etc quite a bit warmer than Mendi as well about 2-3000 amsl.
Great photties of Goroka Chimbu etc ozmate looks like they could have been National Geographic perhaps?
Is the power line still below the threshold of Chimbu waitin to snare someone?
Remember the HLS plantation labour boys?(Highland Slave labour)
TAL made a mottza repatriating theses guys once they finished their sentences on the copra plantations.
One of a bunch of them asked in Hagen how much it would be to fly his wantok who had died back to Tari.
He wasnt impressed with the price and next day him and his mates checked all their cargo bilong em into the traffic office at Kagamuga for the flight back to Tari.
One had an enormous trade store suitcase and the traffic wallah said wanem the fark you got in here a dead body?
Not long after someone noticed it sitting on the wheely cart leaking blood....er cheap way to get wantok home.
tru yet.