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
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Dennis' Aztec
Did a refresher check on P2-GKZ in Honiara in mid-Jan '81, then was tasked with taking it through PNG down to the hangar at Archerfield. Went Hir-Kia-Nadzab-Lae-Goroka (picked up Dennis' son and his schoolchum who were going back to school), then Daru-HI-Cns. As there was a cyclone sitting off Townsville - then went Isf-Hug-Roma-Af as the aircraft wasn't IFR. At Goroka also had some 206 seats stowed in the back to drop at Daru, but when I arrived there, forgot they were on board and overcarried them to HI. (They were sent back to Moresby from Cairns, I wasn't a popular boy) Remember I took my girlfriend of the time on that trip too - good times.. Think when Archerfield hangar finished with it it went to Vanuatu.
Years later, in Oct '85, flew a refresher check with Garry Clifford of the SDA, in the H4 registered AAM, then we must have hired it, or leased it or something, because as the only company endorsed pilot for a while, I did a few RPT flights and charters in it over the next 6 or 8 months. See from the logbook I was given endorsement approval on it by John Wood, visiting Instrument Rating Examiner, in Dec '85.
Also flew H4-ABD, and YJ-RV10 in the Solomons, on quite a few of those flights in PA-23 in the first half of '86.
Don't know if it was the same aircraft with registration changes or different aircraft now.
Talair did operate P2-GKZ, inherited from Panga in the mid-70's takeover. It was eventually ditched in Vanuatu.
Years later, in Oct '85, flew a refresher check with Garry Clifford of the SDA, in the H4 registered AAM, then we must have hired it, or leased it or something, because as the only company endorsed pilot for a while, I did a few RPT flights and charters in it over the next 6 or 8 months. See from the logbook I was given endorsement approval on it by John Wood, visiting Instrument Rating Examiner, in Dec '85.
Also flew H4-ABD, and YJ-RV10 in the Solomons, on quite a few of those flights in PA-23 in the first half of '86.
Don't know if it was the same aircraft with registration changes or different aircraft now.
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Stretching my memory here but I think the Crowley's Aztec based at the (old) Rabaul airstrip in '72-'73 was VH-EGS and the Airfast one was VH-AVE. The local plumber Graham Parementer also owned an Aztec which I seem to recall was VH-DMG.
Crowley Aztecs
1970-73
VH-CSA Converted 'Long Nose' A Model
VH-AVB -AVR -MEA B Models
After Airfast took over EGS was added. C or a D - bugger to start.
Airfast had UNK based in Rabaul for a number of years.
1970-73
VH-CSA Converted 'Long Nose' A Model
VH-AVB -AVR -MEA B Models
After Airfast took over EGS was added. C or a D - bugger to start.
Airfast had UNK based in Rabaul for a number of years.
What is it with pilots?
so few of you seem to have pointed a camera at their balus!
Thanks for Aztec regos, that will help me track down pictures if they exist on the net
Thanks for Aztec regos, that will help me track down pictures if they exist on the net
Join Date: Feb 2011
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Aztecs in PNG
If I remember correctly Mapmakers had an an Aztec,P2 COC,set up for aerial photography. I think Mapmakers was owned Ron Ferns (think that's the name) and was managed at one stage by Alan Dunley. There is a photo of it and P2 TIT on page 44 #876.
Last edited by P2 WDL; 23rd Mar 2011 at 05:13.
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Does anyone remember and or know what happened to the PA28 Cherokees the Aero Club had in the early 70's? I think they were PA28-140 VH-SPD, PA28-180's VH-EOM, VH-PPT, VH-SAB and PA28-235 VH-PPD. Later I think changed to P2
VH-SAB was an amphibious Cessna 402, last seen floating down the Ramu River around 35 years ago. (ex Sepik Air Charter to Talair).
An aero club aircraft may have held the same registration but my guess it would have been earlier than 1970?
An aero club aircraft may have held the same registration but my guess it would have been earlier than 1970?
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VH EOM spac pa28
Don't know where it is now, but around Independence time an expat with a senior guvmin position used to fly it around a fair bit on some sort of building inspections, and I believe it was he who had a suddenly silent fan and made a successful ditching close to the beach on the north coast somewhere, from whence it was successfully recovered, I understand.
I'm being deliberately vague on details as one of the guys (may still be alive) who used to hire it went to gaol in Moresby for fraud involving building material supplied as a grand gesture to a club to which he belonged, the club unaware of the fraud involved: but spent some goodly part of his clink time actually flying the head sherang from the prison around the country on 'business' - so I'm told.
Only the names have been withheld to protect the guilty.
Great way to pass your 'time'
I'm being deliberately vague on details as one of the guys (may still be alive) who used to hire it went to gaol in Moresby for fraud involving building material supplied as a grand gesture to a club to which he belonged, the club unaware of the fraud involved: but spent some goodly part of his clink time actually flying the head sherang from the prison around the country on 'business' - so I'm told.
Only the names have been withheld to protect the guilty.
Great way to pass your 'time'
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Yeah shinbone, I thin EOM was subsequently re-registered as an Aztec and was operating in the Kimberley Region of WA in the early to mid '80s (Balgo Mission and Halls Creek I seem to recall).
"You in that photty Torres?"
Looking at the little boy in the red shirt, that photo must have been well into the PX era post 1972? You got a date? Seeing as DHC6-200 P2-GKR is still in the squashed cockroach colour scheme, my guess that photo could be around 1975 or so?
If I am in that photo, the little boy with the red shirt never could get a real job, so now flies QF Q400's.
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Kerikeri, New Zealand or Noosa Queensland. Depending on the time of year!
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Early Memories of TPNG
I enjoy reading these posts on TPNG as it brings back fond memories of my own early aviation career. Like many, I started my commercial flying back in 1963 in the Territory, flying tail draggers, C180/185 for STOL Air Services, a company owned and operated by the late Ron Firns.
Ron didn’t believe in wasting any time getting his new hires operational. Having just arrived sleep deprived and bleary eyed off the TAA DC-6 night flight from [/FONT]Sydney[FONT=Arial] I found myself in the right seat of a C-185 and heading across The Gap to Ioma and back.
First route endorsement under the belt………………
There were many such more to come.
This was just the start of a long career, which took me to many different parts of the globe, flying a variety of aircraft in different situations, and culminating as a check pilot on the B-747.
But if I learned only one thing from those early years flying in TPNG it was survival, always to keep a back door open – to have an alternative plan of action – a lesson which stayed with me throughout my career and got me out of a tough situation on more than one occasion.
Ron didn’t believe in wasting any time getting his new hires operational. Having just arrived sleep deprived and bleary eyed off the TAA DC-6 night flight from [/FONT]Sydney[FONT=Arial] I found myself in the right seat of a C-185 and heading across The Gap to Ioma and back.
First route endorsement under the belt………………
There were many such more to come.
This was just the start of a long career, which took me to many different parts of the globe, flying a variety of aircraft in different situations, and culminating as a check pilot on the B-747.
But if I learned only one thing from those early years flying in TPNG it was survival, always to keep a back door open – to have an alternative plan of action – a lesson which stayed with me throughout my career and got me out of a tough situation on more than one occasion.
Tinnie.
The picture narative states: "This picture was taken around 1971 at the Goroka airport in Papua New Guinea."
Can't be. VH-GKR was acquired and ferried to PNG in 1972 and my eldest son was born in POM 1971.
I guess that piksa was taken around 1976. As PX commenced in November 1971 (or was it November 1972?) I'm surprised the Dog Whistles still carried AN and TN colours and logos.
The picture narative states: "This picture was taken around 1971 at the Goroka airport in Papua New Guinea."
Can't be. VH-GKR was acquired and ferried to PNG in 1972 and my eldest son was born in POM 1971.
I guess that piksa was taken around 1976. As PX commenced in November 1971 (or was it November 1972?) I'm surprised the Dog Whistles still carried AN and TN colours and logos.
Last edited by Torres; 24th Mar 2011 at 13:30.
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Torres, I think that piksa was taken a lot earlier than 1976. The attached photo of P2-TFI in PX livery was taken at Goroka end of January 1975, when little Storchpilot went to Australian boarding school for the first time.
I can´t remember any aircraft in TN or AN colours at or after that time.
SP
I can´t remember any aircraft in TN or AN colours at or after that time.
SP
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
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Location: Looking forward to returning to Japan soon but in the meantime continuing the never ending search for a bad bottle of Red!
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VH-SAB was an amphibious Cessna 402, last seen floating down the Ramu River around 35 years ago
When the cowling was removed from the engine, there was a loud clang as one of the cylinders, complete with piston still inside it, fell off the engine and rolled around on the tarmac.
