PNG Ples Bilong Tok Tok

[tail wheel]

Pinky, back when you were with DZ, the Trislander and Islander were a common type endorsement in Australia. My guess the same applied in PNG?

If so, you may be amongst the lucky, privileged few who have actually experienced the joy, thrill and exuberation of flying the mighty BN2A Mk III!

[QSK?]

Tailwheel:

I thought the official designator for a Britten Norman Trislander in those days was "BN3"? Could be wrong though.

[Standby Scum]

Douglas Airways wanted Trislanders and insisted on castering nose-wheels instead of the directly linked ones to the rudder. Turning circles and all that. Britten-Norman refused and lost 3 sales. The Nomad was then chosen which came with reverse gear. The Trislander was a 'fantastic' machine. Same speed as the Islander on 50% more grunt with twice the payload. The Dove/Heron set the pace for the then single pilot weight and the Trislander's no cabin crew / isle benchmarks.

[tail wheel]

No, never was a BN3. The models were:

BN-2A Mk III-1: First production version, with short nose.
BN-2A Mk III-2: Lengthened nose and higher operating weight.
BN-2A Mk III-3: Variant certified for operation in the United States.
BN-2A Mk III-4III-2: fitted with 350 lb rocket-assisted takeoff equipment.
BN-2A Mk III-5III-2: with sound-proofed cabin, modernised cockpit/interior and new engines (proposed, unbuilt as yet).
Trislander M: Proposed military version, not built.

72 were built.

[troppo]

BN-2A Mk III-4III-2: fitted with 350 lb rocket-assisted takeoff equipment.

I needed my morning chuckle. That would have been some machine!

[Fris B. Fairing]

I thought QSK might have been talking about an IATA or ICAO code but on checking I find:

IATA/ICAO

BNI BN2P Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2A/B Islander
BNT TRIS Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2A Mk III Trislander

[tail wheel]

Troppo, this model would be an engineering impossibility........

BN-2A Mk III-5III-2: with sound-proofed cabin.....

There was an Islander in Australia which was used in development of the Trislander had the Trislander long nose. No idea what happened to it.

There was also a number of new Trislander fuselages in Australia, bought off BN when Trislander production ceased. Rumour had it the fuselages were bought with the intention of fitting two V8 engines.

[Pinky the pilot]

My guess the same applied in PNG?

Struth, now you're asking a good one Tailwheel! I really don't know/can't remember. I do remember though that we did refer to the Trislander, obviously incorrectly, as a BN3. And I was always under the impression that it was a separate endorsement.

I am in occasional contact with one of my old co-workers from back then so next time I see him I shall ask him as he regularly flew the Tri based in Vanimo.

A BN2 with a sound proofed cabin? BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Douglas Airways wanted Trislanders and insisted on castering nose-wheels instead of the directly linked ones to the rudder. Turning circles and all that. Britten-Norman refused and lost 3 sales

Standby Scum; I was with Dz for the last nine months of the company's existence and there were 3 Trislanders, DNN, DNP and one other (DNX ?) which never came out of a major inspection the whole time I was there. But I am fairly sure that at least DNN had a fully castoring nose wheel. A Dz mod perhaps?

Once again, will check with my old co-worker.

[Skywagon1915]

I recall them coming into St George between 1974-6. They were so noisy, hard to imagine someone getting on board at Cunnamulla and stopping at every west Queensland town enroute to Brisbane !

[Standby Scum]

I was with Dz for the last nine months of the company's existence and there were 3 Trislanders ...

Ah, I left in August 1978. I was offered a job flying a Trislander for Air Mahe in the Seychelles but chose something else. I did one circuit as a passenger in the aft row of a Trislander. Does that count? For Douglas to have 3 Trislanders in a hangar for 9 months spells 'going bust' to me.

The Islanders when I first flew for Douglas could do Kerema in 58 minutes. Second time around, 1 hour. The last time I enquired, it had gone up to 1h02. (⌐■_■)

[Pinky the pilot]

Only one Trislander was in the hangar Standby Scum, and that was DNX. The other two flew right until the last day. Sorry; should have been clearer in my post.

Tailwheel;Heard from my old co-worker who said that the Tri (BN2A-21 Mk111) was called the BN3 in PNG, was a separate endorsement from the BN2 and is not recognised in Australia as such.

[QSK?]

I thought QSK might have been talking about an IATA or ICAO code...

Thanks for the clarification Fris B.

Yes I was referring to the official ICAO designator. I seem to recall that for flight planning and ATC flight strip purposes the official ICAO designator for a Trislander in the '70s and 80s was "BN3" to distinguish it from the twin-engined BN2.

However, as Fris B has pointed out, those original designators have all changed now.

[tail wheel]

The Trislander and Islander were originally a common endorsement in Australia (and thus a common endorsement in PNG prior to 1975) until separated by CASA perhaps 15 years ago.

DZ had three Trislanders, two went to Cape York Air in Cairns, one was sold privately in PNG and I think never left the country?

The Trislander was Britain's revenge on the Colonies!!!

[shinbone]

Gday Dogcharlietree, Fwiw I was at Lae as a tower controller and participated in the search - my memory of events is quite different to the story on the didimen's link: the new arrival Robert Smith was a pilot being route endorsed by Robert Smith the Macair pilot, and the search for the 206 was called off after a couple of weeks with no success. Some time later, and approaching Christmas, a PNG guy walked into Pindiu and showed the RC priest a seatbelt and wallet he had found in the bush, which resulted in the search being resumed, and soon found the wreck - the new pilot's tracks were followed and passed within sight of a village, it being conjectured that he avoided contact from fear of the natives, and was subsequently found dead. The Moresby Senior Operations Controller in charge was expat Trevor Higgins or Higgens (DCA), so if you track him down he can fill you in on more detail.

[Bob Morane]

Standby scum, I am sorry to say that the BN3 was not a fantastic machine, certainly did not have 50% more grunt that the BN2. It was not an ideal Aircraft
For PNG. although DZ used it mainly in the gulf, it was not well suited in places like IHU ON A WET DAY. Even Kikori caused problems to the fat tyres, due to the
Sharp edges of the marsden matting( not too sure of the right spelling). Now you try to fly the BN3 on a flight to Wewak from Moresby on a bad day, all 3 BN3 during my time were IFR, with a full load of material you will be lucky to maintain 10,000ft. What's the lowest safe Kerema to Wewak via Hagen...
The BN3 was probably a fantastic machine for Bush pilots Airline in QLD, Flat terrain and good strips. My 2 bobs worth............

[HANOI]

Larry Danielson

Older hands would remember Larry Danielson of "Streets of Mt Hagen" etc fame and the infamous "Woolworths" episode in Sydney.
Larry passed away last week in Auckland aged 82.

[Law FS]

MKK

Hi shinbone
I worked with Trevor in the RCC at Lae, (I thought Trevor came up from Canberra for the search - lack of local manpower) don't think the search was called off for any significant period of time as we missed picking up the "survivor" by only hours as he trekked down the creek bed to the coast. Pretty much died of exposure. We were all very upset to put it mildly. He apparently died only hours before being found. I still cannot reconcile myself to it. Probably why I blew the whistle on the stuffed Crowley Aztec search soon after. Got severely punished by the establishment for that.

[paulschwerdt]

1970 WAS A LONG TIME AGO

Tinpis, I was reading stuff about P51-D A68-1 everyone was on about around 2009 and noted your post that you met me (Tony's brother) in Moresby 1970. I was in the Army at the time. Not sure who you are but can you reply/get in touch...

[AussieO2]

LAST MAF CESSNA 206 P2-MAI

The last four Cessna TU206 to be operated in PNG by MAF flew out in December 2013, to MAF base Mareeba, to be sold. Three flew out of Mount Hagen on the 18th, followed by the last on the 30th. Six turbo Airvans are currently in the fleet with 2 x C208, 3 x DHC-6, and 2 x C172S.

[Grogmonster]

Shinbone,

I was based in Madang at the time the two Smiths went missing and I always recalled that when they found the one that had walked that he had passed away just hours before they caught up to him. Funny how time dims the memory but that's my recollection. I wasn't involved in any way and may have been given the wrong story. Just sayin!!!!

Groggy