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Darwin in the 80's

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Old 25th Jan 2008, 10:59
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DOUBT IT !

if Ossie had bought a Bandeirante in the early 1980's he would have been given the run to service Narbalek Uranium Mine instead of Pelair.

The Bandit would not have been able to fill the contract requirements, which included carriage of both pax and product (yellowcake).

Shorts 330 was the only aircraft around at the time that could do that job and I doubt if Ozzie had the resources to acquire one.

KNN arrived from the UK in Dec 80 and started work to NAB in Jan 81. Contract ran till 88. KNO & KNP also did the run in later years.

The contract was won by "Jet Charter Airlines" which later became "Wings Australia" and then Pelair. Same mob, different name (and bank?).
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Old 25th Jan 2008, 11:02
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Angel BTI Mission

I guess 'Sister Fred' has long gone from the Mission on Bathurst ??
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Old 25th Jan 2008, 11:39
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Paj is still with SQ on the B777.

FOC was the aeroclubs C210,
MHP and JBF were the PA32 Saratogas
DQE, PZK and BVL PA28 Worriers
SWB PA28R II and NIS which replaced SWB after the island prang
LAC C172RG Cutlass and
RZW C150
WTR C182

Also available was the PA34 Seneca UOM, a couple of A36's EUM & ??? and a few other PA32s over the years MAR (RIP), OHM, AOP,

Ozzie had
FCH C172
FCQ C172 the one that pranged out at the research farm
FCI C172R
JMF C182
Remember Robert T and John K

Wimray
FTP, PYC, and KJE PA32 300
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Old 25th Jan 2008, 12:43
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It wasn't all beer and prawns.

The attitude taken by many Air North people when Mandy D returned left a sour taste in my mouth.
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Old 25th Jan 2008, 13:03
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The satay chicken rolls from Winellie Bakery - delicious.
Dinner at the sailing club watching the sunset.
Sailing races where you had to anchor at the mark waiting for the seabreeze to kick in - until then the tidal flow was way too strong for the breeze
Maranga pub - Tuesday or was it Thursday lunchtime
B52s using curvature of the earth to get airborne.
Being able to bowl massive in/outswingers at indoor cricket due humidity - think it nearly rained inside.
RAAF Approach controllers vectoring aircraft when the radar was off for maintenance
The markets - all of them were pretty good
The great variety of restaurants
Airconditioning in Casuarina Shopping centre - all the women got your attention.
Plenty of great memories, but that will do for now.
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Old 25th Jan 2008, 15:46
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Heady days indeed.

Arrmunda airways and the accountant who was bleeding the Gagaju Aboriginal Association dry that owned. Steve ? CP.

George Washington CP Air North when Hardy was running the show. His daughter had big assets - Jane.

Ron Malavisi - Top bloke. New him when he was in Lloyds

Paul Ragget - He was over here in the pit doing his 777 endorsement. Tried to get him out for last years OZ day doo and he had pissed off already.

Mark Kapusta - saw his name on the joiners list here and has also gone.

Ron B... Last saw him in the Derby 1995 doing a check on some-one.

Weymouth J worked for him for a while Not sure what he is doing now.

Amman - Their ex -CP works for EK now on the bus.

Eddie Keen - anyone know?

Miller Bob - Flew RNL a few times. What a pleasure - as far as he thought. Never stayed over!!!!

John Biffo. Last l heard (10 years now) with Skywest

Spinner is with EK and still instructing on the 777

Penny Hanerahan came over here for interviews and did very well apparently though it was vetoed from above as they did not hire chicks back then.

Kerry P. What is he up to now?

Peter Condon - Top bloke went down to Nowra towing targets ex 75th. Is he doing well?

Have to stop and getting too emotive

halas
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Old 25th Jan 2008, 16:15
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Steve Styles! Hey? Now what happened to him?

halas
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Old 25th Jan 2008, 17:52
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Animal Hospital

Marg Fuller....NTAMS Flight Nurse in the Nomads when Air North had the contract. Marg was still there with Pearl in the early 2000s I think.

Marg often used to bring one or two small fury friends on the flights (in an esky, wrapped in sox).
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Old 25th Jan 2008, 19:19
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Eddie K is with Jet* (A320 C&T) I think
Stuart A (Ex Air Nth,Police AW, Arnhem), RFDS WA
Chris (Wagners, Falcon, B200,R44)
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Old 25th Jan 2008, 20:28
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fp
When Ozzie asked me to paint feet on the scales so the locals would stand on them properly. I did, PT. Keats style...3 toes on one foot and 6 on the other. He didn't see the humour in it!
I did , still chuckling.That would have been too subtle for Ozzy.

Remember "Blacky"? around the aviation scene for years .Refueler ,observer for NTAW, ran the radio and office on Troughton (Troffton) for Lloyds.Never drank beer unless the day ended with a "Y" Now in CNS.
NTAW at the end of its days operated a B200 for Ansett NT Alice to the Rock. It would have provided jobs but the feds wouldnt allow it to be crewed by anyone other than dads army from DN so it was shelved.
The mighty Tracker parked by the fence? And the Connellan Heron.Henke ferried it south somewhere.

Have a good Orstaya day
Or Invasion Day if you like.

Last edited by tinpis; 25th Jan 2008 at 20:39.
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Old 25th Jan 2008, 20:52
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The Skyport V Airnorth cricket match.Skyport was operating C441 LEM on the centre run and Shorts 330 HUS was going to Truscot or was it Troughton island.
I made the trophy for the cricket match C210 prop blade and a cricket ball stuck to it and i think its still in Airnorths offices today.John Hardy had the BBQ and KEG trailer parked on the boundry.Best cricket match ever and yes Skyport were the victers!!The match did end up in a all in brawl and i remeber ankle tapping someone from behind.When i hepled him up spitting grass from his mouth that it was John Hardy.Not long after that Roger and John took over Airnorth.
WMP and TET were purchase by Airnorth and ended up in ASP.TET was painted and sold before entering service to a guy who walked in of the street and WMP is still going strong for Chartair,C210s TFF,LTB,WMP,IDZ,NQP all have over 20.000 hours on them.VH-HZL will shortly go back into service.C402s TZH and TFM(back in TNK aeromed)and CAJ doing mailruns out west and to Kalgoolie
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Old 25th Jan 2008, 22:28
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Ron Malavisi - Top bloke. New him when he was in Lloyds
Now with QF - 737 Capt

Kerry P. What is he up to now?
If that is the Kerry P that used to be one of Ozzie's CPs, then he is a QF Capt on the 747-400 Married Chris Hayes, mentioned previously

Peter Condon - Top bloke went down to Nowra towing targets ex 75th. Is he doing well?
Recently retired I understand (??)


Then there was the pub over the road, in Winnellie, in the street just back from the Shell station - they used to have strippers there on Thur evenings. If you wore more than stubbies, singlet and thongs, you were over dressed. They used to clean the place with a fire hose at the end of the nite. A bit like the "cage" without the bars!!

What about the night that Trev took a bet and flew his r/c chopper down from DGA to the aero club and landed it on the beer table under that big tree.

Hodgy thought he could up the attendance at the club on some nights by having a topless barmaid ! Not apreciated by all the members I recall, but there were lots of drinkers.

yeah - good thread
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Old 25th Jan 2008, 22:51
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There was a Kerry P that nearly backed the LLoyds 212 over the bund into the drain during a ground run. Went to Air North then to parts unknown. Always angry and not shy of letting loose a stream of expletives in front of women. Not sure he was ever an Arnhems chief pilot though. The two prior to me were Nick Buckvic (for a couple of weeks) and the infamous Warren (worth another thread!)
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Old 25th Jan 2008, 23:14
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KP still with Air North I thought?
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Old 25th Jan 2008, 23:41
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Kerry Pearce was CP with Ozzie early 80's. Then went to Port Lincoln and ADL.
Now with QF.

Seems like there is another KP ??
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Old 25th Jan 2008, 23:43
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the luminary KP from Airnorth used to be at the Police AW must be pretty close to 'retiring' from there!

Lords know he's been talking about it forever!
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Old 25th Jan 2008, 23:48
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Yep, not sure he would have the "social skills" for QF....But then they did take Warren! Now there is a larrikin He called me up there in the first place, I had not long been out of "the dept" and when I got to Arnhems and sat down in the waiting room next to an old bloke who was slanging off at them. I agreed with him and he aked what I did before flying. I told him I wan an FSO but had enough of the Dept and told them to shove it. He turned to Warren and told him to give me a job! Two things he hated, the dept. and anybody who crossed his runs.
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Old 25th Jan 2008, 23:58
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The KP i'm talking about was Kerry Provis.
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Old 26th Jan 2008, 00:16
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The (in)famous KP has gracefully slid into retirement. Apparently has left Darwin for pastures unknown.
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Old 26th Jan 2008, 02:25
  #80 (permalink)  
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Wazza another one of Ossies CP, left to go to Qantas.
Didn't he get thumped or bashed at a night club down in Sydney while doing his Qantas ground school?

Kerry Provis is flying the ERJ170, I don't think he will be retiring just yet. Kerry sets a very high high standard, might have a mouth like a sewer but he will keep get the jet operation squeaky clean.

A few of the Tillair aces were a bit filthy when Roger Leach bought the business from John Tilley, after all the Tillair pilots were all superior to Skyport scum. Remember no one would fly the Caravan when they first got it, bet a few Tillair boys used to get dark having to fly the C207 VH-UBW out to Groote with fresh meat on one John's little contracts.

SKywest you had no real chance unless daddy was a senior Ansett skipper.

Greg Hardy was a boy on the hangar floor at Airnorth, and a pretty good spanner man.

I bet Airnorth were dark they had sold VH-CAN in early 1989, would have been a money making machine in the dispute.
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