Darwin in the 80's
Thread Starter
Phoned a mate in DRW, talk on the airport Kerry is retiring from AirNorth but moving over to fly for an operator on the East coast that operate some very nice equipment. Hope Bridgey put some money on the bar for a few drinks.
Anyone remember when Bridgey was a boy down at the rock for Roger?
Wazza must be a captain in Qantas by now?
Flick chemicals employed pilots to doing pest spraying out in the remote communities.
The lucrative trade of back charters.
Ringing up KFC in Darwin and giving them a standard order a day or so in advance, very good markup in the old KFC.
No one has mentioned the mob out of Darwin that had the Baron with Duke engines for high altitude aerial photography, they had an office in Knuckey St in the city.
A couple of other things about Darwin in the 80's
1. Palmerston was no more than a few houses down the track from Darwin,
2. Darwin still had a Drive-in movies,
3. Long soxers from CB
4. Flying for an operator, and on your days off working in town for somebody else under a different name. Just saved hassles for all concerned.
5. Being allowed to drink over at the RAAF base.
Anyone remember when Bridgey was a boy down at the rock for Roger?
Wazza must be a captain in Qantas by now?
Flick chemicals employed pilots to doing pest spraying out in the remote communities.
The lucrative trade of back charters.
Ringing up KFC in Darwin and giving them a standard order a day or so in advance, very good markup in the old KFC.
No one has mentioned the mob out of Darwin that had the Baron with Duke engines for high altitude aerial photography, they had an office in Knuckey St in the city.
A couple of other things about Darwin in the 80's
1. Palmerston was no more than a few houses down the track from Darwin,
2. Darwin still had a Drive-in movies,
3. Long soxers from CB
4. Flying for an operator, and on your days off working in town for somebody else under a different name. Just saved hassles for all concerned.
5. Being allowed to drink over at the RAAF base.
Last edited by Stationair8; 26th Jan 2008 at 07:30.
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Pithblot
Marg was still with NTAMS when I left in 04. Had many a joey/ bat ETC on the aeromed flights. Marg had to be very carefull in keeping them hidden in the aircraft, and not because the bosses cared, but because the locals.......
While we are on NTAMS where did Jeff J end up after AERORESCUE, just having fun I suppose?
Marg was still with NTAMS when I left in 04. Had many a joey/ bat ETC on the aeromed flights. Marg had to be very carefull in keeping them hidden in the aircraft, and not because the bosses cared, but because the locals.......
While we are on NTAMS where did Jeff J end up after AERORESCUE, just having fun I suppose?
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Airnorth Vs Skyport Cricket match...Skyport were the victers!!The match did end up in a all in brawl
Arh... no it didn't. The Inaugural Cricket Match, to welcome the joining of the 2 companies ended with more beers, off John's Hash-House trailor, speaches and prizes... very amicable with family and partners along also.
Roger Leach was umpire too (prone to amber fluid bribes on field
)
There were no brawls. Maybe at the latter Airnorth Vs G.A./RAAF games???
Arh... no it didn't. The Inaugural Cricket Match, to welcome the joining of the 2 companies ended with more beers, off John's Hash-House trailor, speaches and prizes... very amicable with family and partners along also.
Roger Leach was umpire too (prone to amber fluid bribes on field
) There were no brawls. Maybe at the latter Airnorth Vs G.A./RAAF games???
Thread Starter
The joy of calling Darwin Flight Service on HF and getting them to ring the company engineer about a problem you had with the aircraft, getting the message relayed back on what to do. Even more fun if your HF didn't have the Darwin frequencies and you had to go through Cairns or Perth.
I found when I went back down south, some of the chief pilots and even some of the CAA guys treated you with contempt. One of the CAA guys told me that he told the chief pilot to keep a close eye on me as most people from the NT had an attitude problem and generally poor flying skills, compared to those who flew in the big smoke down south. I applied to another company and the chief pilot said we don't employ anyone from the NT.
Did anyone ever see a copy of Armunda Airways NDB approach for Jabiru using the radio station.
Remember the old CAR that limited you to flying over an airline route, once every 28 days. Old Ossie would be over getting the strips from flight service to see who was flying over his routes. A few good good clashes on frequency between Arnhems and Ammans boys.
I found when I went back down south, some of the chief pilots and even some of the CAA guys treated you with contempt. One of the CAA guys told me that he told the chief pilot to keep a close eye on me as most people from the NT had an attitude problem and generally poor flying skills, compared to those who flew in the big smoke down south. I applied to another company and the chief pilot said we don't employ anyone from the NT.
Did anyone ever see a copy of Armunda Airways NDB approach for Jabiru using the radio station.
Remember the old CAR that limited you to flying over an airline route, once every 28 days. Old Ossie would be over getting the strips from flight service to see who was flying over his routes. A few good good clashes on frequency between Arnhems and Ammans boys.
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S8
The company with the T56 Barron (56 body with Duke motors and wings) was Airesearch and mapping, they had two of those things AEA and SGV, one now resides in the Midland TAFE aero eng training room in Perth. The main pilot was Roger (i think) and the Nav/ camera operator Craig McPherson, now in Katherine.
The company with the T56 Barron (56 body with Duke motors and wings) was Airesearch and mapping, they had two of those things AEA and SGV, one now resides in the Midland TAFE aero eng training room in Perth. The main pilot was Roger (i think) and the Nav/ camera operator Craig McPherson, now in Katherine.
Silly Old Git
Stationair
And you would dispute that? 
AEA was in PNG when it is was brand new in 1971 for QASCO Air Survey
A wing blew off in the TALAIR hangar when a tank ignited during maintenance !
Anybody heard of Dave McCormack? Also another AA pilot had an Indonesion wife?
most people from the NT had an attitude problem
AEA was in PNG when it is was brand new in 1971 for QASCO Air Survey
A wing blew off in the TALAIR hangar when a tank ignited during maintenance !
Anybody heard of Dave McCormack? Also another AA pilot had an Indonesion wife?
Last edited by tinpis; 26th Jan 2008 at 21:50.
Thread Starter
No it was just interesting to go back south, some CAA people believed that only people who flew in NSW or Vic knew how to operate those aeroplane thingys. The said examiner also had a problem with anyone who flew in PNG as well, probably didn't like anyone who flew in Tasmania or WA. I later found out that he got a got a knockback from AirNorth, mention John Hardy's name in front off him and he went off his little rocker.
Tinnpis perhaps they should rename the Northern Territory the Nanny Territory, ever since Clare came to power the world has changed:
1. Speed limited to 110 km/h on the open road,
2. Redlight cameras
3. Vehicle Inspections.
Wasn't like that when the CLP were in power!!!!
Next they be running courses on excessive alcohol consumption.
The other great NT thing Impaja Television.
Tinnpis perhaps they should rename the Northern Territory the Nanny Territory, ever since Clare came to power the world has changed:
1. Speed limited to 110 km/h on the open road,
2. Redlight cameras
3. Vehicle Inspections.
Wasn't like that when the CLP were in power!!!!
Next they be running courses on excessive alcohol consumption.
The other great NT thing Impaja Television.
The speed limit is 130Km/h Stationair.
And Imparja, great?? You're kidding right?
morno
And Imparja, great?? You're kidding right?
morno
Silly Old Git
And now red light cameras but we can probably rely on the Caz boyz to vandalise those. 
And yer forgot Darwhine just ranked the 40th most expensive city in the world along with Chicago Ill.
And yer forgot Darwhine just ranked the 40th most expensive city in the world along with Chicago Ill.
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40th, wow how do you live on that pension up there tinny
How about,
Mub crab tieng comps, the truly established pilot performance and endurance exercise known as the CAS Crawl. living in Pilot cliff or pilot creek.
The tallest building in town was the hospital, but the old adage "if in pain, catch a plane" was ohh so true.
A beer in the 303 Bar at Adelaide river and a swim in Rum Jungle Lake.
That always left a healthy glow on you.
richo
How about,
Mub crab tieng comps, the truly established pilot performance and endurance exercise known as the CAS Crawl. living in Pilot cliff or pilot creek.
The tallest building in town was the hospital, but the old adage "if in pain, catch a plane" was ohh so true.
A beer in the 303 Bar at Adelaide river and a swim in Rum Jungle Lake.
That always left a healthy glow on you.
richo
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Chocks away,poor choice of words on my part,it wasnt a all in brawl more a play fight with us (skyport)fielding jumping the Airnorth batsmen as they left the field..
Stationair,Bridgey at the Rock,He was Skyport scum as you nicely mentioned in one of your posts.Dogone is correct KP never flew the 170,He spent his last days in the pencil.Now somewhere in Germany chaseing some fluff!!
Stationair,Bridgey at the Rock,He was Skyport scum as you nicely mentioned in one of your posts.Dogone is correct KP never flew the 170,He spent his last days in the pencil.Now somewhere in Germany chaseing some fluff!!
Morno: I donīt know about IMPARJA being so great....but what about that show they made called, I think, BUSH MECHANICS! Just amazing
Richo: Thanks, Marg was great. And ībecause the locals`.... get hungry too
Airsearch, bought out by Fugro and AEA is in pieces in the hangar at Archerfield now, being used to train apprentices, but still looks like a B55 with grunt! Peter Tomlinson is retired, Scott is still about and so is the former RAAF bloke who was the CP (canīt remember his name), Craig McP is a whalloper now somewhere.
What about the Mansions - Iīd rather not remember them.
Richo: Thanks, Marg was great. And ībecause the locals`.... get hungry too
Airsearch, bought out by Fugro and AEA is in pieces in the hangar at Archerfield now, being used to train apprentices, but still looks like a B55 with grunt! Peter Tomlinson is retired, Scott is still about and so is the former RAAF bloke who was the CP (canīt remember his name), Craig McP is a whalloper now somewhere.
What about the Mansions - Iīd rather not remember them.
Thread Starter
Hey Tinnpis , does that include living cost for "long grassers" or only for the well heeled like yourself who live at Fanny Bay or Cullen Bay?
I can remember when Darwin CBD did not have parking meters.
Is the Barra base still going? What about Wildman safari camp?
I can remember when Darwin CBD did not have parking meters.
Is the Barra base still going? What about Wildman safari camp?
Silly Old Git
Not only before parking meters but no hi-rise except the Travel Lodge
Betting shops in Cavenagh street the old rissole with pissed public servants in long socks Greek Club,old chinatown cafes
Queues of people at the pay phones that were giving free interstate calls
The old transit centre and the old hospital ex nurse quarters is where most pilots camped
The "Queen Mother" and friends doing the public dunny crawl....
The old casino in the "Don" .Parap markets first weekend...Mindil the same...
The "Mansions" and Rogers caravan park next to it
In short Darwhine LOOKED LIKE **** but under the skin was ok and fun
I meet folks almost every month from those days that have "gone finish" and are drifting back north.
Like all good things it is slowly but surely ending
Betting shops in Cavenagh street the old rissole with pissed public servants in long socks Greek Club,old chinatown cafes
Queues of people at the pay phones that were giving free interstate calls
The old transit centre and the old hospital ex nurse quarters is where most pilots campedThe "Queen Mother" and friends doing the public dunny crawl....
The old casino in the "Don" .Parap markets first weekend...Mindil the same...
The "Mansions" and Rogers caravan park next to it
In short Darwhine LOOKED LIKE **** but under the skin was ok and fun
I meet folks almost every month from those days that have "gone finish" and are drifting back north.
Like all good things it is slowly but surely ending