TAA Cessna 180's in PNG

[sixtiesrelic]

Tinny, was that the one whos lost prop chopped the boom?

Not sure where Corney took the Boo photo.

[tinpis]

I think that one is still in a Hagen garden 60's
It sure looks like Omkalai to me but its been so long hmmm ..it could be Wanera? I dunno....
Omkalai in a Boo would be exciting

Wheres Feather #3 ?

[tinhorse]

Cessna 185 P2- MFU

G'day CC
New Oz owner of MFU would like to contact you - very interested in the aircrafts history. If you are interested just send your email address to me:-
[email protected]

[Chimbu chuckles]

Not sure I would be that much help. I flew it a few times on my days off for then owner, Brian Bromley (Bensbach Lodge), in the early 90s - it was an ex MAF machine - Brian had it worked on in Australia (by his son?) before bringing it back to PNG - it was flipped upside down over running a strip in the Western Province (Morehead?) - re exported to Australia and that is about it.

Pic taken at Arufi rescuing P2-DEQ



Is MFU back in the air?

[Skywagon1915]

P2-MFU today

Hey there, I thought you might be interested to know the current status of MFU. It is currently at Lismore NSW where restoration has just started with Aero Enterprise. I expect it to be completed in 12-18 months. If I can work out how to insert or copy some pictures, I show you.

[saabsforever]

On a similar note P2 TAC/TNC ex new tribes ex transnuigini airways should have its rebuild complete now in Australia.
What happened to MFX from Manabada air after Mac died?

[Skywagon1915]

MAF C185's

Have you ever seen any articles on MAF operation's in PNG ? How many MF registered C180/185 were up there over time. I know from one ex-MAF pilot that by end of 1984, there was 4 remaining 185's: MFF, MFU, MFW and MFX, with MFF being the oldest. MFU last log book entry was 25 August 1990 when operated by Brian and Jillian Bromley (Tonda Trading) at Bensbach Lodge. He purchased it around August 1987 and I'm told never got to take it home straight away as he/his pilot pranged it doing a type check with MAF prior to delivery. It had 9404 TT on it by 1990 and whilst having work done on the fuselage following the accident CC refer's to at Moorehead, it has been in storage via several owners until 6 July, when I picked it up and took it to Lismore. This week should see it standing on it's leg's again ... very exciting.

For anyone wondering where MFU was parked in the PNG pictures above, they were taken by a ex-MAF pilot at Bunapas, a strip along the Ramu River in Madang Province.

I had another ex-MAF/Catholic Church (Fr Jeromy Flynn) 185 which was P2-BAM which I restored and operated at Moree NSW for years. It was sold in 1989 and is now in Invercargil NZ, where I saw it a couple of years ago. It had over 10,000 TT talking to the Kiwi owner. At the time I bought BAM, Fr Flynn offered me the 2 185's he had, BAM and BAF for $10k ! I bought BAM for $6k and thought "why the heck would I want 2 of them !".

I'm collecting and recording as much info on MFU I can find, so would appreciate any pictures you guy's have upstairs, or any recollections of flying the plane in your day/day life. Apart from Avionics, I'm thinking of presenting it back in original MAF colours (Tiger Yellow), but may also do it up as a personal aircraft. Does anyone know where I could locate a Cessna Cargo Pod for her ?

[Chimbu chuckles]

MFX was purchased by Simbu aviation and ground looped at Mt Hagen during endorsement training of Simbu's first pilot. Simbu Holdings then bought BAF and MFX was in one of the sheds in the Simbu Holdings compound (right opposite my house) when I started there a couple of years later - BAF being my first PNG command. MFX was purchased some years later by Mac Lee and is now being restored in Australia too.

BAF and BAM were both ex Bouganville aircraft.

[185skywagon]

If you can give some serial numbers, I can possibly provide you with some info on these machines.

185.

[Skywagon1915]

Serial Numbers

MFU is A185E-01915

[1746]

Memories..................I did some work on those Bog-air machines way, way back when!

[185skywagon]

MFU is A185E-01915

Makes sense.

[185skywagon]

149 18501915 01915 MFU -1 ATR 185 3/02/1972 03 02 1972 Missionary Aviation Fellowship Mt HagenPNG Ex N70046

150 18501915 01915 MFU -1 SOR 185 2/05/1974 02 05 1974 Transferred to Papua New Guinea civil register as

152 18501915 01915 OWZ -2 ATR 185 23/09/2004 23 09 2004 Tableland Topdressing Pty Ltd 91 Arundel Drive ArmidaleNSW Ex P2-MFU, VH-MFU (1)

From my records.
Something don't quite add up there.

[AussieO2]

MAF 185's under P2 registration

From my list:-
P2-AWM, 185-0551, from 11.02.1975 to 05.11.1984, to VH-AWM
P2-MFA, 185-0699, from 01.05.1974 to 02.12.1975, to P2-BAF
P2-MFB, 185-0762, from 25.07.1974 to 23.02.1976, to VH-MFB
P2-MFF, 185-0934, from 02.05.1974 to 25.10.1976, to VH-MFF, then back
P2-MFF from 28.01.1977 to 29.09.1982, damaged (no details available)
P2-MFS, 18501780, from 15.05.1974 to 02.12.1975 to P2-BAM
P2-MFU, 18501915, from 02.05.1974 to ????, to VH-OWZ
P2-MFW, 18501991, from 02.05.1974 to ????, damaged 26.04.1983. reported to Australia by 18.11.1983, no further details available.
P2-MFX, 18502146, from 01.05.1974 to ????, to VH-MFX
P2-WET, 185-0497, from 01.05.1974 to 20.07.1976, crashed (water Bird)
The dates I have listed, to the best of my knowledge, are service dates with MAF. I read where MAF started Bougainville Air Services, but do not have an exact date, was prior to the a/c being re-reg as P2-BA., and the date the business was sold is also required, if anybody can help.

If you visit the MAF Australia web site, you can order a 'free' book about PNG ops, very good read.

Question, wings still with P2-MFU, was this a/c not actually flown or airworthy as VH-OWZ ? VH-OWZ cancelled from the rgister on 14 July!

[mates rates]

MAF sold the commercial operation of the airline on Bougainville to Bougainville Development Corporation.I flew for them in 1976 and Bougainville Air Services was already under the control of BDC.The 2 185's were P2-BAF and BAM.

[185skywagon]

re P2-WET


WET 1850497 50497 ATR 8/01/1968 Floatplane Charter Pty Ltd Moorabbin Airport CheltenhamVIC Ex JZ-PTE, PK-MPE, N1697Z
WET 1850497 50497 CO 19/09/1969 Missionary Aviation Fellowship PO Box 52 Box HillNSW
WET 1850497 50497 CTT 13/10/1969 Cessna A185E
WET 1850497 50497 CTF 13/10/1969 Missionary Aviation Fellowship PO Box 52 Box HillVIC 185A. Continental IO-470 replaced by IO-520
WET 1850497 50497 SOR 1/05/1974 Transferred to Papua New Guinea civil register as

[Skywagon1915]

VH-MFU or VH-OWZ

01915 has been stored in one fashion or another since 1990 when it pranged operated by Bensbach Lodge. I'm not aware of it flying in any form or rego since then. The Aust rego MFU was still available in June 2010 and I have since reserved it to put back on the aircraft when flyable, probably 2011/12. I think MFU has been available for allocation for some considerable time, I recall.

I can't relate what the OWZ reference is. Unless that was reserved by a prior owner for it but never used ?

Placed on the PNG register 2 May 1974 stacks up good, as the log books have a ref saying the P2-MFU designation by April 1976.

[Skywagon1915]

Wings for MFU

If you look at the pic's I attached earlier, you'll see MFU's wings stacked up.

[185skywagon]

OWZ seems to have disappeared from the register sometime over the last few years.
It was under rebuild at or near Armidale, and belonged to one of the Ag blokes there, I think.

Who did you buy it from?

185.

[1746]

[I]

I flew for them in 1976 and Bougainville Air Services was already under the control of BDC.The 2 185's were P2-BAF and BAM.[/

I]
and a Islander if I recall. I was last on the island in '75/'76.