27th Jan 2019, 13:21 - Wikipost
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A thread where ex PNG geriatrics lapuns and long longs can live in the dim distant past.
Where tall stories are accepted as fact. War stories are applauded. Grab a Brownie, pull up a story and join in a trip down memory lane!!! 
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PNG Ples Bilong Tok Tok
Grandpa Aerotart
Despite such bending of the rules,
AC told me my first week in the country "Chuck there is only 1 rule - don't kill yourself". Now me being the respectful sorta guy I am how could I ignore the boss of DCA?
PNG was (is?) aviation as it was meant to be. Remarkably few dickheads and even fewer cowboys, incredibly few accidents all things considered and a degree of mutual respect between industry and the regulator - most everything settled over beers at the Temple.
Someone said above there is no camaraderie in PNG aviation anymore?
Good grief that is what I remember most about the place. I have been out of PNG 11 yrs and my closest friends are still all ex PNG lads and their wives. I have friends who are not from that era but the bond is very different.
Edit: Brin H was an exception to the above - a consummate ********.
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
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there is only 1 rule - don't kill yourself".
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Torres wrote:
I understood that Ray Shaw C. Eng had a significant stake, or so he told me. Mind you that was in 1970.
Not quite Chuck. Aerial Tours was started by Dave Robbie(?), Heli Tschuchnigg and Dennis Douglas in the mid to late 1960s.
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Messes in PNG
Does anyone remember Igor who ran the DCA mess in Goroka in the early seventies - rough and tough - liked a tipple? - Or the DCA mess in Madang, same time, great place to stay? 
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I lived in the DCA mess in 1970 for a few months.
Real Territorian characters to amuse you there.
Father John who blessed the beer and reckoned it was food enough so didn't eat too often.
Another old relic who sat on his bed till the wee hours, drinking Negritas and talking to immaginary tormentors who didn't obey his commands and were threatened with horrific injuries.
Lino the Italian painter who went nuts if his sleep was disturbed and sat proprierorially on a special chair in the dining room.
Nukur and Papa (the proud owner of a wheelie wheelie), the mess bois.
Con who got badly chopped by the prop of his boat he built in the mess grounds and had to give up the grog while he recuperated. The PMG tech's from Oz.
Can't remember the name of the woman who ran the mess but the bios will still. When they lovingly sharpen sarifs they're thinking of her. But then most missis's would be in that situation.
One day my hausbio there asked me if i could drive him and his family to the haus sik in my car. Him Meri and a couple of very snotty nosed offsprings. I said NO as that would just be the start of the taxi service.
A while later I felt a bit of a rat so I got changed and zdrove off to the aerodrome to check my mail and picked them up and dropped them off at the road to the hospital.... wasn't DELIVERING them to the door and spiolin' 'em.
Couple of days later the meri was under the building nursing a tiny infant while the boi did my ironing.
I said I didn't know they had a third... Oh yes masta remember the day you drove us to the hospital.....
I ask ya , How j know?
Real Territorian characters to amuse you there.
Father John who blessed the beer and reckoned it was food enough so didn't eat too often.
Another old relic who sat on his bed till the wee hours, drinking Negritas and talking to immaginary tormentors who didn't obey his commands and were threatened with horrific injuries.
Lino the Italian painter who went nuts if his sleep was disturbed and sat proprierorially on a special chair in the dining room.
Nukur and Papa (the proud owner of a wheelie wheelie), the mess bois.
Con who got badly chopped by the prop of his boat he built in the mess grounds and had to give up the grog while he recuperated. The PMG tech's from Oz.
Can't remember the name of the woman who ran the mess but the bios will still. When they lovingly sharpen sarifs they're thinking of her. But then most missis's would be in that situation.
One day my hausbio there asked me if i could drive him and his family to the haus sik in my car. Him Meri and a couple of very snotty nosed offsprings. I said NO as that would just be the start of the taxi service.
A while later I felt a bit of a rat so I got changed and zdrove off to the aerodrome to check my mail and picked them up and dropped them off at the road to the hospital.... wasn't DELIVERING them to the door and spiolin' 'em.
Couple of days later the meri was under the building nursing a tiny infant while the boi did my ironing.
I said I didn't know they had a third... Oh yes masta remember the day you drove us to the hospital.....
I ask ya , How j know?
Silly Old Git
What about Igon the one eyed DCA carpenter and his German mate?
Would leave his glass eye in his beer while he took a leak
The Madang mess provided the non liquid part of my diet in 72 and was run then by a lovely blonde lady names escapes.
Would leave his glass eye in his beer while he took a leak
The Madang mess provided the non liquid part of my diet in 72 and was run then by a lovely blonde lady names escapes.
I recall a school teacher's wife in POM that would pick me up from the airport in a London taxi, often very scantily dressed........
But that is another story, unsuitable for these forums.....
The Award for living dangerously must go to a well known airline owner with wife and family in one unit of a duplex, and long term girl friend in the adjoining duplex unit.... Or keeping the current Meri in the boi house at Goroka until his wife went shopping, then going home for an hour or so of "exercise"!
But that is another story, unsuitable for these forums.....
The Award for living dangerously must go to a well known airline owner with wife and family in one unit of a duplex, and long term girl friend in the adjoining duplex unit.... Or keeping the current Meri in the boi house at Goroka until his wife went shopping, then going home for an hour or so of "exercise"!
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Friends indeed
What type of "flying" are we talking about? There was an ATC whose nickname was a common skin disease in PNG whose wife kept the people in the dongas nearby awake when vocalising her paroxysms of sexual ecstasy each evening. Eventually they were given a house at Jacksons, and a visiting ATC from Lae came to stay with them overnight, but hubby was on a doggo, so when the cat's away - the ecstatic screams (I'm told) could be heard at the tower about 300 metres away - yes hubby caught them in the cot, but all three remained friends.
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That would've been a good laugh on the Atis!!
Macair... I wasn't aware that Dave MaClure was one of the initial owners of Macair, I flew with him in PX on the F27 out of Rabaul in late 70's, he never mentioned it.
Macair... I wasn't aware that Dave MaClure was one of the initial owners of Macair, I flew with him in PX on the F27 out of Rabaul in late 70's, he never mentioned it.
High 6. I don't know how much of Macair McCook and MaClure actually owned at any time, although they are credited with starting the airline. At the time of the Talair take over they were not share holders and in fact, McCook had returned to Talair some years earlier. I don't remember the share holders names, but the chemist in Lae or Goroka was a major share holder, as were a few coffee growers. I think some of the original Talair share holders, including Lloyd Hurrell, may have also been share holders. Ray F may know - I'll ask him next time he calls.
I don't remember the share holders names, but the chemist in Lae or Goroka was a major share holder, as were a few coffee growers.
John Freeman was MD but not a shareholder.
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When did Lawrie Crowley sell off Megapode Airways to Macair ? Was it in early '68 as below? Can others confirm.
My information is that Crowley Airways of Lae founded Megapode Airways in the Protectorate, with a Dove and an Apache in '63, and the assets were acquired by Melanesian Airline Charter Co.Pty.Ltd. (Macair) of Goroka, who formed Solomon Islands Airways Limited as a wholly owned subsidary in early '68.
It in turn was aquired by Talair in '75 as a part of the Macair takeover.
Capt. John Seton ex-Qantas was a Chief Pilot/Manager in Megapode or Solair at one stage.
My information is that Crowley Airways of Lae founded Megapode Airways in the Protectorate, with a Dove and an Apache in '63, and the assets were acquired by Melanesian Airline Charter Co.Pty.Ltd. (Macair) of Goroka, who formed Solomon Islands Airways Limited as a wholly owned subsidary in early '68.
It in turn was aquired by Talair in '75 as a part of the Macair takeover.
Capt. John Seton ex-Qantas was a Chief Pilot/Manager in Megapode or Solair at one stage.
Last edited by frigatebird; 18th May 2010 at 01:23.
I seem to recall that the Goroka chemist was Frank Ikas (not sure of the spelling), Dick Hagen of Banz and Ken James (chaiman of the board) were major shareholders.
You are correct, Frank Ekas (I think was the correct spelling), Dick Hagen (from Gumanch Plantation and whose wife became the future Mrs John Lawes) and Ken James. There were a few more minor shareholders, including a coffee planter just east of Goroka on the Highlands Highway (Riley?).John Freeman left soon after the take over and joined MBF in Australia.
John Seton was Chief Pilot/Manager of Megapode and Solair. Phil Bennett was the original Chief Engineer.
MaClure, man of few words, where is he know?
Here is an old photo taken about '68 in front of an old PNG aircraft. He is second from the right in the front row. Meself is also in the piccy.
Last edited by mendi63; 18th May 2010 at 10:22.