TAA Sunbird Services...
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chimbu,
Sorry to sound argumentative, but the TAA shut-down procedure was Feather, Mixture, Throttle, Pitch. It reminds me of the 'flukiest' event of my flying career, and also a merge of two nostalgic themes running here, New Guinea DC3s and Larry (Greasy) Blackman. On a Base Check out over the Huon Gulf, the 'Shag' instructs me to shut down the #2 engine. With my finger in mid flight, still 6 inches from the Feathering button, the engine stopped dead. It seemed logical and appropriate to continue, so pressed the Feathering Button, cut the Mixture, closed the Throttle, and pulled the Pitch to full coarse. Turning to each other, we simultaneously said "How the f***k did you do that?". After lots of "I did nuthin" between us, it was decided to re-start #2. It started perfectly and continued to run perfectly.
Another Greasy recollection - My line check, on cruise in Auto Lean, #2 CHT approaching the 232° limit. On suggesting that Auto Rich might be a good idea, says "Nah, wastes too much fuel", and proceeds to shuffle through the sauce bottles and newspapers in his nav bag and produces a set of small screw drivers. Leans over, gives the CHT calibrating screw a tweak down to 200° CHT, and triumphantly announces "See shag, nothing wrong, you worry too much!".
chimbu, our friend with a passion for small boobs may be able to adjudicate upon our recollections of the feathering drills, he claims to still possess un-returned TAA DC3 manuals. Shame on you LLS, why didn't I think of that?
These ARE the good old days (but the old days were better).
Tiger (Ken) Maynard
Sorry to sound argumentative, but the TAA shut-down procedure was Feather, Mixture, Throttle, Pitch. It reminds me of the 'flukiest' event of my flying career, and also a merge of two nostalgic themes running here, New Guinea DC3s and Larry (Greasy) Blackman. On a Base Check out over the Huon Gulf, the 'Shag' instructs me to shut down the #2 engine. With my finger in mid flight, still 6 inches from the Feathering button, the engine stopped dead. It seemed logical and appropriate to continue, so pressed the Feathering Button, cut the Mixture, closed the Throttle, and pulled the Pitch to full coarse. Turning to each other, we simultaneously said "How the f***k did you do that?". After lots of "I did nuthin" between us, it was decided to re-start #2. It started perfectly and continued to run perfectly.
Another Greasy recollection - My line check, on cruise in Auto Lean, #2 CHT approaching the 232° limit. On suggesting that Auto Rich might be a good idea, says "Nah, wastes too much fuel", and proceeds to shuffle through the sauce bottles and newspapers in his nav bag and produces a set of small screw drivers. Leans over, gives the CHT calibrating screw a tweak down to 200° CHT, and triumphantly announces "See shag, nothing wrong, you worry too much!".
chimbu, our friend with a passion for small boobs may be able to adjudicate upon our recollections of the feathering drills, he claims to still possess un-returned TAA DC3 manuals. Shame on you LLS, why didn't I think of that?
These ARE the good old days (but the old days were better).
Tiger (Ken) Maynard
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Towards the end of the TAA days , DC3 SBI was donated to the Lae Tech school . The wings were removed and , early on a quiet Sunday morning the aircraft was towed down Huon Rd with a tinted gentleman protruding from the cockpit hatch with a stick to lift the overhead electricity wires up to allow the aircraft to pass underneath. A number of assorted PMV's and other orly driven vehicles ended up in barrets as they rounded corners to be suddenly confronted with the balus . Scared the sh***er out of them to the point they thought they were melting.
Hey Tiger Maynard , have you given up the gaspers ?. I thought they were leading you to an early demise.
I used to live next door to Greasy in Ninth St , ( with Mace Denheld of the "Wynyard approach" fame on the other side ).
It was not unusual , at 0700 on a quiet Sunday morning , to hear the knock on the bedroom louvres and his voice..."Care for a fourex Shags" ?.
Had a call the other nite from Carmel Smith , wife of AL Smith , Al has had two hip replacements but I informed her that Geoff Clem has now had 3 hips replacements.
One of Al's claims to fame was that during an airdrop of bags of rice from the single engined Otter at Kabwum he managed to demolish the airport toilet , luckily unoccupied at the time.
Keep the stories coming....luv 'em
From memory , talking of the Patair machines , not the people........
DC3 PNM ( Mt Murray ) ended up as the fire drill aircraft at Madang.
DC3 PNB ended up half submerged in Madang harbour after hydraulic problems. ( Cpt Geoff Bennet / F/O Chris Pennycuick ).
Much much earlier a Piaggio went missing in the Owen Stanleys ex POM, the aircraft was never located but the search aircraft found six WW11 wrecks.
Hey Tiger Maynard , have you given up the gaspers ?. I thought they were leading you to an early demise.
I used to live next door to Greasy in Ninth St , ( with Mace Denheld of the "Wynyard approach" fame on the other side ).
It was not unusual , at 0700 on a quiet Sunday morning , to hear the knock on the bedroom louvres and his voice..."Care for a fourex Shags" ?.
Had a call the other nite from Carmel Smith , wife of AL Smith , Al has had two hip replacements but I informed her that Geoff Clem has now had 3 hips replacements.
One of Al's claims to fame was that during an airdrop of bags of rice from the single engined Otter at Kabwum he managed to demolish the airport toilet , luckily unoccupied at the time.
Keep the stories coming....luv 'em
From memory , talking of the Patair machines , not the people........
DC3 PNM ( Mt Murray ) ended up as the fire drill aircraft at Madang.
DC3 PNB ended up half submerged in Madang harbour after hydraulic problems. ( Cpt Geoff Bennet / F/O Chris Pennycuick ).
Much much earlier a Piaggio went missing in the Owen Stanleys ex POM, the aircraft was never located but the search aircraft found six WW11 wrecks.
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I believe Al was endorsed on all aircraft types in the TAA fleet in PNG from C185 to the F27 (which, I know, used to come from Brisbane through Cairns and head for Honiara). Was everyone?
Honiara and Dalrymple-Hay... ring any bells? Always had a good looking lady on hand despite his size and immobility? Dennis Godfrey told me that Hay charged more for crew bookings at the Mendana than for bookings off the street. What the.....? Mind you where else could you stay in those days?
Honiara and Dalrymple-Hay... ring any bells? Always had a good looking lady on hand despite his size and immobility? Dennis Godfrey told me that Hay charged more for crew bookings at the Mendana than for bookings off the street. What the.....? Mind you where else could you stay in those days?
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Aaahh , the Gilbertese dancers at the Mendana on Friday nites following a few 'apres-skis' at the Guadalcanal Club . One of course kept an eye open in the 'G' club in case Sir Dennis drove his car into the bar again.
Junior wasn't on his own that night. CBG and one other were passengers.
Woomera
Junior wasn't on his own that night. CBG and one other were passengers.
Woomera
Last edited by Woomera; 19th Apr 2005 at 02:43.
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Tiger
"The last ever TAA / Australian Airlines propeller flight was a Jetstream 31 ferry flown by John Cleary and Dick Kennedy from Townsville to Brisbane on May 31st, 1987. I operated the last ever TAA / Australian Airlines propeller PASSENGER flight on the same day from Charleville to Brisbane."
Technical point of order! The ARAQ Twin Otter operation ex Townsville post dated the last TAA J31 service and I understand ARAQ operated the Otters on TAA's AOC, ARAQ being only a business name?
I could be wrong......??
Of course, the three J31's soldiered on with Eastern, however at that time it was not a wholy TAA owned subsidiary and operated on it's own AOC (as did Sunstate).
I saw the last J31 service arrive on May 31, 1987. One of the pollies on board is still a Member of the Queensland Parliament. I was also present at the first Flight West service at 6.00 am the next day.
Woomera
"The last ever TAA / Australian Airlines propeller flight was a Jetstream 31 ferry flown by John Cleary and Dick Kennedy from Townsville to Brisbane on May 31st, 1987. I operated the last ever TAA / Australian Airlines propeller PASSENGER flight on the same day from Charleville to Brisbane."
Technical point of order! The ARAQ Twin Otter operation ex Townsville post dated the last TAA J31 service and I understand ARAQ operated the Otters on TAA's AOC, ARAQ being only a business name?
I could be wrong......??
Of course, the three J31's soldiered on with Eastern, however at that time it was not a wholy TAA owned subsidiary and operated on it's own AOC (as did Sunstate).
I saw the last J31 service arrive on May 31, 1987. One of the pollies on board is still a Member of the Queensland Parliament. I was also present at the first Flight West service at 6.00 am the next day.
Woomera
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Jeez Woomera, you've shattered all my illusions. I'm no longer a legend in my own mind.
I guess that in the end, it does get down to a matter of definition, was ARAQ considered to be Australian Airlines, or was it not?
Still struggling to retain the "Legend in my own mind" status, after a short holiday on the Diesel 9, was attached to Eastern to introduce the J31, and did my last flight there (as an Australian Airlines pilot in the Australian Airlines uniform) on 26 August 1988. Does that count? It doesn't matter really, I just liked the idea of being the last.
HANOI, I read somewhere that an increased dose of toxins can increase your immunity, so I simply doubled the dose of the "gaspers". It seems to have worked so far.
Best Wishes,
Tiger (Ken) Maynard
I guess that in the end, it does get down to a matter of definition, was ARAQ considered to be Australian Airlines, or was it not?
Still struggling to retain the "Legend in my own mind" status, after a short holiday on the Diesel 9, was attached to Eastern to introduce the J31, and did my last flight there (as an Australian Airlines pilot in the Australian Airlines uniform) on 26 August 1988. Does that count? It doesn't matter really, I just liked the idea of being the last.
HANOI, I read somewhere that an increased dose of toxins can increase your immunity, so I simply doubled the dose of the "gaspers". It seems to have worked so far.
Best Wishes,
Tiger (Ken) Maynard
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kisim liklik susu
And why not some A.MAL & AAPNG Balus's
Peter and Jan Iredell, are living in Bris., will contact him and advise him of this thread, not sure if he has a computor. Will phone him tonight.
Apinun,
robroy
Peter and Jan Iredell, are living in Bris., will contact him and advise him of this thread, not sure if he has a computor. Will phone him tonight.
Apinun,
robroy
Last edited by robroy; 21st Apr 2005 at 09:06.
RDB's expedition in the Moke was definitely at the G Club. I was with him on a subsequent visit (in the 80's), and he took great delight in showing me where they had to rebuild the entrance.
He also related the story of another visit to the G Club where he was trying to get to the bar to buy a round, but the crowd was about three deep. At slightly-below-eye-level he spied a very pleasant looking n!pple accompanied by another and only barely restrained with a crocheted top. Curiosity got the better of him, so he "tweaked" it. The reaction from the owner of said n!pple was immediate, as was the arrival of very large (and rather unimpressed) boyfriend.
RDB spent the rest of the night buying them rounds of drinks as penance!
He also related the story of another visit to the G Club where he was trying to get to the bar to buy a round, but the crowd was about three deep. At slightly-below-eye-level he spied a very pleasant looking n!pple accompanied by another and only barely restrained with a crocheted top. Curiosity got the better of him, so he "tweaked" it. The reaction from the owner of said n!pple was immediate, as was the arrival of very large (and rather unimpressed) boyfriend.
RDB spent the rest of the night buying them rounds of drinks as penance!
Moderator
Amongst the many things which I never got around to doing ... I number not flying in PNG .. although Centaurus very nearly got me there for a trip in the F27 in the early 70s ..
Sometimes I wonder whether we should start a mainland reminisce thread ..... but dismiss the idea as being much too close to a lot of homes ...
Love the tales in the these PNG threads ... and filling in some of the obvious gaps in the discourse ...
.. and I never knew that Ken M was such a credentialled celebrity.
ah, John my fellow Moderator, you are a far too nice person to mix it with the missfits, deviates, alcoholics and multiple divorcees that constitutes the majority of the PNG aviation industry in the 1960's to 1980's.
Woomera
Sometimes I wonder whether we should start a mainland reminisce thread ..... but dismiss the idea as being much too close to a lot of homes ...
Love the tales in the these PNG threads ... and filling in some of the obvious gaps in the discourse ...
.. and I never knew that Ken M was such a credentialled celebrity.
ah, John my fellow Moderator, you are a far too nice person to mix it with the missfits, deviates, alcoholics and multiple divorcees that constitutes the majority of the PNG aviation industry in the 1960's to 1980's.
Woomera
Last edited by Woomera; 25th Apr 2005 at 03:47.
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The Ansett DC3 feather drill was:- Throttle, feather, mixture, pitch, undercarriage hydraulics.
Most of the Patair pilots in 1969 were:-
Ken Jarrold … chief pilot.
Forgy... Bill Forgan-Smith … ops manager. Ex Qantas DH96 and DC4 pilot. He was the most ham fisted stick and rudder man most of us ever saw.
Captain Drama... John MacDermott. Ex TAA and would have been No 1 if he hadn’t been expelled by the good old ex-airforce boys in the fifties when it was discovered he like gents more than ladies.
Captain Trembles… John “Trowewe hand” Keene.
Baldy Bill… Bill Baldwin.
Rene Joggi … the last DC3 captain trained before the Ansett takeover.
Wally Scott
Charlie Long
Dave Barnett
MaxMacRae
Leigh Teasdale.
Mincon Peni
Aria Bou
Dennis Gray
Brian Soapy O’Loughlan
Peter Hauritz
Sharpie
Ian Young
Bruce Whiley.
There were others… I can’t rake them up from memory… I’m away from home on holidays.
Sixties.
Most of the Patair pilots in 1969 were:-
Ken Jarrold … chief pilot.
Forgy... Bill Forgan-Smith … ops manager. Ex Qantas DH96 and DC4 pilot. He was the most ham fisted stick and rudder man most of us ever saw.
Captain Drama... John MacDermott. Ex TAA and would have been No 1 if he hadn’t been expelled by the good old ex-airforce boys in the fifties when it was discovered he like gents more than ladies.
Captain Trembles… John “Trowewe hand” Keene.
Baldy Bill… Bill Baldwin.
Rene Joggi … the last DC3 captain trained before the Ansett takeover.
Wally Scott
Charlie Long
Dave Barnett
MaxMacRae
Leigh Teasdale.
Mincon Peni
Aria Bou
Dennis Gray
Brian Soapy O’Loughlan
Peter Hauritz
Sharpie
Ian Young
Bruce Whiley.
There were others… I can’t rake them up from memory… I’m away from home on holidays.
Sixties.
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lo sixtiesrelic..whatsa holiday?
Frank Kollar was he in there somewhere?
Frank got the girl to take a photo of us on his last F27 trip standing beside the beast.
Im 6' 1" and he said "Dont look so tall ! "
So I took my shoes off an knelt on them.The FA nearly dropped the camera laffin.
I think I was still taller
I bet he still driving the Jap junker with the Mercedes badge.
LOL Soapy was he the bloke got all the soap up in PNG?
Reckoned he would make a fortune if he only figure out how to get these bastards to eat it.
Frank Kollar was he in there somewhere?
Frank got the girl to take a photo of us on his last F27 trip standing beside the beast.
Im 6' 1" and he said "Dont look so tall ! "
So I took my shoes off an knelt on them.The FA nearly dropped the camera laffin.
I think I was still taller
I bet he still driving the Jap junker with the Mercedes badge.
LOL Soapy was he the bloke got all the soap up in PNG?
Reckoned he would make a fortune if he only figure out how to get these bastards to eat it.
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Used to have a TAA bloke based in USA in the late 60's who stole everything out of his hotel rooms (he did a lot of "Duty Travel") soap, packets of sugar... you name it. We gave him another name!!
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No Tin, he was Ansett and we don't talk to him. He was another who took all the complimentaries from his room including the toilet paper.
Last time I spotted it was in the most clapped out heap with glued together tail lights.
Soapy might have done better if he hadn't propped up so may bars.
Last time I spotted it was in the most clapped out heap with glued together tail lights.
Soapy might have done better if he hadn't propped up so may bars.
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Patair DC3s
No Hanoi! PNM went to Cairns with Bushies.
PNA was found to have massive corrosion in the tail and remained as the fire plaything at Madang. Maybe that was a good thing as Forgie would probably have torn it off with his boot when his dopey F/O couldn't work out which two clouds to steer between when there were half a dozen to chose from and Forg's hand waving (which HE reckoned was pointing) was too flamboyant ... he didn't allow for paralex error, to work out which hole he meant.
The old bugger used to stick cabin attendants to the wall regularly when he rammed a rudder pedal forward.
PNB .. there a couple of photos on http://www.pngaa.net/Photo_Gallery/G...tion_index.htm
of PNB's demise. The murder of PNB occured when the grader tried pulling it back onto the strip and the undercarriage caught on the rock wall below the water surface. When the driver put his foot down he kept it there and stretched the airframe. Can't remember what TAA did with the corpse.
Tinpis holidays is what I'm having in June for a coupla days and will find you and have a few drinks and remember all sorts of things that didn't really happen.
PNA was found to have massive corrosion in the tail and remained as the fire plaything at Madang. Maybe that was a good thing as Forgie would probably have torn it off with his boot when his dopey F/O couldn't work out which two clouds to steer between when there were half a dozen to chose from and Forg's hand waving (which HE reckoned was pointing) was too flamboyant ... he didn't allow for paralex error, to work out which hole he meant.
The old bugger used to stick cabin attendants to the wall regularly when he rammed a rudder pedal forward.
PNB .. there a couple of photos on http://www.pngaa.net/Photo_Gallery/G...tion_index.htm
of PNB's demise. The murder of PNB occured when the grader tried pulling it back onto the strip and the undercarriage caught on the rock wall below the water surface. When the driver put his foot down he kept it there and stretched the airframe. Can't remember what TAA did with the corpse.
Tinpis holidays is what I'm having in June for a coupla days and will find you and have a few drinks and remember all sorts of things that didn't really happen.
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Chimbu. Then I guess Junior was telling fibs! He told me that he, Bryan Grey and the M@cair Manager drove into the Medana in an Avis Moke, past the Lions Club meeting at that time being addressed by the Governor or Administrator, thence up to the bar for a drink.
Tiger. You probably get the record. I think the ARAQ Twotters were in TAA colour scheme, but don't recall what airline name was written on them.
I was just thinking that the Queensland coastal route certainly has some bones in the closet! From Tommy McDonald in the 1920's, there was (in no particular order) Bushies/Air Queensland; QAL/Queensland Air Lines; Sunnies/QantasLink; Norfolk Island Airlines; ANA; at least two wannabes with the Nord 262/Mohawk 298; Sunshine Express; Flight West Airlines; Ansett; TAA; Qantas; Virgin...........
I'm sure others will remember many more.
Woomera
Tiger. You probably get the record. I think the ARAQ Twotters were in TAA colour scheme, but don't recall what airline name was written on them.
I was just thinking that the Queensland coastal route certainly has some bones in the closet! From Tommy McDonald in the 1920's, there was (in no particular order) Bushies/Air Queensland; QAL/Queensland Air Lines; Sunnies/QantasLink; Norfolk Island Airlines; ANA; at least two wannabes with the Nord 262/Mohawk 298; Sunshine Express; Flight West Airlines; Ansett; TAA; Qantas; Virgin...........
I'm sure others will remember many more.
Woomera
Woomera
There was also Queensland Pacific Airways, a DC-3 operator who were taken over by Bushies.
The Mohawk 298 operators in chronological order were:
Lloyd Air (Queensland)
Queensland Pacific Airlines (part of NIA group)
Southern Pacific Regional Airlines
Majestic Airways
Of the 4 Mohawks, 2 were sunk off Bundaberg as an artificial reef, one was scrapped in Bundy and VH-HIX survives at the Queensland Air Museum in QPA livery.
Cheers
There was also Queensland Pacific Airways, a DC-3 operator who were taken over by Bushies.
The Mohawk 298 operators in chronological order were:
Lloyd Air (Queensland)
Queensland Pacific Airlines (part of NIA group)
Southern Pacific Regional Airlines
Majestic Airways
Of the 4 Mohawks, 2 were sunk off Bundaberg as an artificial reef, one was scrapped in Bundy and VH-HIX survives at the Queensland Air Museum in QPA livery.
Cheers