Some Of The Crew Back In 1992-1993.
Doh! I've just realized that there are two pairs of white shoes in the picture.
I stand corrected about the gent in the back row - it is KJ in the front row however.
I stand corrected about the gent in the back row - it is KJ in the front row however.
I concur totally - I first met him in Port Headland in 1968, and he’s never changed!
Silly Old Git
He was on my 733 sim , concur, top man 
I think Brian Weiler was along for the ride with CASA hat at that time ?
I think Brian Weiler was along for the ride with CASA hat at that time ?
Last edited by tinpis; 28th Jan 2011 at 19:52.
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Brisbane
Age: 77
Posts: 1,406
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The recent bomb at a Moscow Airport brought back some memories of our Hanoi-Moscow-Hanoi flights (back in 1992/93).
Each direct flight out of Hanoi for Moscow was always full, with Russians returning from their holidays in Vietnam. Very nice people mainly, however especially when compared to the Vietnamese they were mainly shall we say of much larger build. This combined with the need to take on as much fuel as possible due to the flight time meant we were usually at maximum takeoff weight out of Hanoi and often used every inch of the runway length.
What was a real battle every time, and something I will never forget, is that these Russians used to walk out to board the 767 carrying just about everything they owned, they would not check anything in. They said it was because they did NOT trust their things to be available for them in Moscow IF they let them out of their sight, this was because (they said) the Russian Mob ran the Airport in Moscow.
Anyway every flight used to be late out, something we didn't need with such a long flight, because of this and all of the Crew used to have to stand on the mobile steps (no aerobridges) and stop these people boarding and try to explain why they could not take all this stuff into the cabin, especially with a full flight.
I managed to convince some of them many times, the ones that could speak English, by saying things like IF in the unlikely event something were to go wrong on takeoff with all this stuff in the cabin you would NOT be able to get out, that convinced many and WAS of course true.
As I said, I will never forget as long as I live, some of these people like Henry T physically preventing these pax from boarding and trying to explain why they couldn't take mountains of gear with the in the cabin.
Each direct flight out of Hanoi for Moscow was always full, with Russians returning from their holidays in Vietnam. Very nice people mainly, however especially when compared to the Vietnamese they were mainly shall we say of much larger build. This combined with the need to take on as much fuel as possible due to the flight time meant we were usually at maximum takeoff weight out of Hanoi and often used every inch of the runway length.
What was a real battle every time, and something I will never forget, is that these Russians used to walk out to board the 767 carrying just about everything they owned, they would not check anything in. They said it was because they did NOT trust their things to be available for them in Moscow IF they let them out of their sight, this was because (they said) the Russian Mob ran the Airport in Moscow.
Anyway every flight used to be late out, something we didn't need with such a long flight, because of this and all of the Crew used to have to stand on the mobile steps (no aerobridges) and stop these people boarding and try to explain why they could not take all this stuff into the cabin, especially with a full flight.
I managed to convince some of them many times, the ones that could speak English, by saying things like IF in the unlikely event something were to go wrong on takeoff with all this stuff in the cabin you would NOT be able to get out, that convinced many and WAS of course true.
As I said, I will never forget as long as I live, some of these people like Henry T physically preventing these pax from boarding and trying to explain why they couldn't take mountains of gear with the in the cabin.
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Brisbane
Age: 77
Posts: 1,406
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Seems this thread is coming to an end, or certainly slowing down in interest. 
Anyway a few more things I was just remembering about the Hanoi-Moscow-Hanoi runs back in 1992/93.
Not sure exactly when Communism finished in Russia, but during that time we operated there it was still around and some very odd things, and of course Vietnam was and still is Communist.
During out turnrounds in Moscow there were several armed guards on the aircraft, and it is the only place I had ever seen (there may be others?) where any locals that came aboard had to leave their ID cards with one of these guards at the front door and collect it again as they left the aircraft, to prevent anyone trying to escape I guess, mind you why on Earth they would want to go to Vietnam.
I was passengering back on one of the flights and these two huge Russians wearing hats and trench coats came aboard, they were exactly like the ones that you used to see in those spy vs spy magazines. They had a parcel for the Russian Embassy in Hanoi that they wanted us to take with us but safe hands in the cabin NOT downstairs, they said when I asked them what is was that it was machine parts.
Anyway I went and told the Captain and he was reluctant to accept it, which pleased me. However after some communications way above our heads the Captain agreed to take it. I generally enjoy flying, but that was one of the most nervous flights I have ever had, 12 hours with this
box under MY seat.
Anyway we made it safely and it was collected in Hanoi by two Russians who bypassed Customs etc, must have been some machine parts.
Anyway a few more things I was just remembering about the Hanoi-Moscow-Hanoi runs back in 1992/93.
Not sure exactly when Communism finished in Russia, but during that time we operated there it was still around and some very odd things, and of course Vietnam was and still is Communist.
During out turnrounds in Moscow there were several armed guards on the aircraft, and it is the only place I had ever seen (there may be others?) where any locals that came aboard had to leave their ID cards with one of these guards at the front door and collect it again as they left the aircraft, to prevent anyone trying to escape I guess, mind you why on Earth they would want to go to Vietnam.
I was passengering back on one of the flights and these two huge Russians wearing hats and trench coats came aboard, they were exactly like the ones that you used to see in those spy vs spy magazines. They had a parcel for the Russian Embassy in Hanoi that they wanted us to take with us but safe hands in the cabin NOT downstairs, they said when I asked them what is was that it was machine parts.
Anyway I went and told the Captain and he was reluctant to accept it, which pleased me. However after some communications way above our heads the Captain agreed to take it. I generally enjoy flying, but that was one of the most nervous flights I have ever had, 12 hours with this
box under MY seat.Anyway we made it safely and it was collected in Hanoi by two Russians who bypassed Customs etc, must have been some machine parts.
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 374
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In '92 when we six arrived in Indonesia there were three or four ex MMA blokes flying F28s for Merpati.
One was a good mate of one of our blokes so we could go and pick their brains about local conditions and better still get a photo copy of the latest letdown chatrs that they had.
We were employed by a new Singaporean company and wet leased to Bouraq.
Our principals were just business men who spotted a buck to be made but had no operational aviation background.
While in Singapore signing contracts and waiting for the ex Malaysian 737s to be painted we were able to meet up with some Silk Air mates and question them and score their old Jep charts to get some idea of what we were going into. They operated into a couple of the ports we were going to.
There was a faded Turkish 737 at the paintshop that we couldn't believe actually was still flying. It looked like something you see on the side of an aerodrome in Oz with much of the paint peeling off, bits missing from it and the grass growing luxuriously all around it.
We noted it's rego.
After our aircraft came out of the paintshop, we headed off to Jakarta with the Indonesian DGAC type specialist checking the first of us on the way.
Over the next couple of days we took turns to fly with "The Brown Snake" who wore fingerless driving gloves and smoked continuously as the 'new 737' did proving flights to the first places we were going to operate to.
Between us we had one cap, two ties, a collection of old wings and uniforms that weren't too tatty. Those uniforms were 'stolen'; according to a certain small, nasty little man, when talking to reporters a couple of years before.
At each stop, whoever was the captain, got a tie and the hat for walking down the steps to be greeted by the airport manager at the pomp and ceremonial welcome.
We had a load of hosties on board, having their turns at operating and they'd sweep down the steps first and make a guard of honour at the bottom before a poor Aussie embarassedly marched down the stairs to the clapping and cheering of the ground staff and officials.
The other five sauntered down when the speeches were being made and got close to the feast to get in early.
The Brown Snake didn't take part in all the hullabooloo. He wasn't Bouraq and didn't want to stop smoking.
It was a good thing the Brown Snake was in the right seat and the Chief Pilot was in the jumpseat, because we couldn't understand what the controllers were saying.
The ATIS was in a different order and we needed to listen to it half a dozen times at first to decipher what all the numbers meant.
It was a steep learning curve.
By the end of the first day of four legs from Jakarta to Surabaya, Banjarmassin and back to JKT we were all stuffed and sticky.
We'd found we were most welcome (No racial discrimination) and the chicks were like back in the olden days... charming and respectful.
The latter years of out time in Oz there'd been a distinct change in the chick's attitude towards the pilots.
There was one who got an earfull after addressing the FO with, "Listen sonny I've been flying a lot longer than YOU. I've been flying seventeen years".
I think it was part of the build up to deregulation by the Fatman and the ex Aussie Media Mogul ... get a wedge in between the different aircrew.
By the end of day one we'd learned really important things like, "Watch out for the little red bits in the food... they burn" and " those little shrivelled green beans aren't... they're red hot coals in fancy dress.
One was a good mate of one of our blokes so we could go and pick their brains about local conditions and better still get a photo copy of the latest letdown chatrs that they had.
We were employed by a new Singaporean company and wet leased to Bouraq.
Our principals were just business men who spotted a buck to be made but had no operational aviation background.
While in Singapore signing contracts and waiting for the ex Malaysian 737s to be painted we were able to meet up with some Silk Air mates and question them and score their old Jep charts to get some idea of what we were going into. They operated into a couple of the ports we were going to.
There was a faded Turkish 737 at the paintshop that we couldn't believe actually was still flying. It looked like something you see on the side of an aerodrome in Oz with much of the paint peeling off, bits missing from it and the grass growing luxuriously all around it.
We noted it's rego.
After our aircraft came out of the paintshop, we headed off to Jakarta with the Indonesian DGAC type specialist checking the first of us on the way.
Over the next couple of days we took turns to fly with "The Brown Snake" who wore fingerless driving gloves and smoked continuously as the 'new 737' did proving flights to the first places we were going to operate to.
Between us we had one cap, two ties, a collection of old wings and uniforms that weren't too tatty. Those uniforms were 'stolen'; according to a certain small, nasty little man, when talking to reporters a couple of years before.
At each stop, whoever was the captain, got a tie and the hat for walking down the steps to be greeted by the airport manager at the pomp and ceremonial welcome.
We had a load of hosties on board, having their turns at operating and they'd sweep down the steps first and make a guard of honour at the bottom before a poor Aussie embarassedly marched down the stairs to the clapping and cheering of the ground staff and officials.
The other five sauntered down when the speeches were being made and got close to the feast to get in early.
The Brown Snake didn't take part in all the hullabooloo. He wasn't Bouraq and didn't want to stop smoking.
It was a good thing the Brown Snake was in the right seat and the Chief Pilot was in the jumpseat, because we couldn't understand what the controllers were saying.
The ATIS was in a different order and we needed to listen to it half a dozen times at first to decipher what all the numbers meant.
It was a steep learning curve.
By the end of the first day of four legs from Jakarta to Surabaya, Banjarmassin and back to JKT we were all stuffed and sticky.
We'd found we were most welcome (No racial discrimination) and the chicks were like back in the olden days... charming and respectful.
The latter years of out time in Oz there'd been a distinct change in the chick's attitude towards the pilots.
There was one who got an earfull after addressing the FO with, "Listen sonny I've been flying a lot longer than YOU. I've been flying seventeen years".
I think it was part of the build up to deregulation by the Fatman and the ex Aussie Media Mogul ... get a wedge in between the different aircrew.
By the end of day one we'd learned really important things like, "Watch out for the little red bits in the food... they burn" and " those little shrivelled green beans aren't... they're red hot coals in fancy dress.
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: On the equator
Posts: 1,291
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Quite interesting accounts from sixtiesrelic ... thanks for sharing. Indonesia is currently experiencing unprecedented growth in air travel which have open up opportunities for a few Australian pilots to work there again. Some have already gone through the license conversion process and have been type rated and ready to start line training soon.
The photo below might be of interest to sixtiesrelic ... we taxied past PK-IJM some weeks back, which still sits parked on a taxi way outside the old terminal building at Surabaya.
The photo below might be of interest to sixtiesrelic ... we taxied past PK-IJM some weeks back, which still sits parked on a taxi way outside the old terminal building at Surabaya.
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Brisbane
Age: 77
Posts: 1,406
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cannot find any more photos of the Crews, or even the aircraft, on that wet lease IN Vietnam in 1992/93.
However just found these couple that may, or may not, be of interest, not of the Crews as it was difficult to take photos there, but in Brunei.
We were there intially for some training, and then later when these photos were taken our aircraft was ferried there for a major check that was due during the wet lease.
The first one is just a Royal Brunei B767-300 at the terminal in Brunei.
The second one is (hopefully) more intersting, aircraft of the Sultan's Private Fleet.
The small jet is one of many in his fleet (at the time), the tail is of one of several Airbus A310s in his fleet, and the Airbus A340 although in the colours of the Airline was (in those days anyway) basically his too.
He was (then) the only person that had an A340 except for Lufthansa, and he had Lufthansa people in Brunei looking after it.
The day this photo was taken the A340 had been taken from Airline service over to the Royal Hangars for the Sultan to do some circuits and bumps.
However just found these couple that may, or may not, be of interest, not of the Crews as it was difficult to take photos there, but in Brunei.
We were there intially for some training, and then later when these photos were taken our aircraft was ferried there for a major check that was due during the wet lease.
The first one is just a Royal Brunei B767-300 at the terminal in Brunei.
The second one is (hopefully) more intersting, aircraft of the Sultan's Private Fleet.
The small jet is one of many in his fleet (at the time), the tail is of one of several Airbus A310s in his fleet, and the Airbus A340 although in the colours of the Airline was (in those days anyway) basically his too.
He was (then) the only person that had an A340 except for Lufthansa, and he had Lufthansa people in Brunei looking after it.
The day this photo was taken the A340 had been taken from Airline service over to the Royal Hangars for the Sultan to do some circuits and bumps.
Moderator
couldn't take mountains of gear with the in the cabin.
One got used to that in Indonesia.
During the 90s I was involved in a number of audits there (although I would far have rathered a guernsey on the Bouraq contract with the boys). On one such sojourn, we found ourselves out in the boonies looking at a strip on Halmahera and then needing a lift from Gorontalo to Ambon.
As I recall we were supposed to travel on Merpati .. which just didn't turn up .. day in, day out. We would go out to the airport, wait around for a couple of hours and then go back to the pub and get some more local culture for the evening.
Eventually even the system appeared to get embarassed and, on the final day, we waited and then observed a tatty old G1 trundle onto the apron .. you guessed it. So out to the bird a total of about 18 or so pax ambled with more junk under their collective arms than you could poke a stick at. To cut a long story short, my colleague and I ended up in about the second back row with the overhead (old railway carriage style) open racks and centre aisle filled to capacity with junk.
Then, to make matters worse, Ambon wx resulted in some holding and a diversion back to Gorontalo. We then won second prize .. which was another trip on the G1 back to Ambon later that day.
Loved Indonesia .. great country and absolutely beautiful once you got out of the cities.
One got used to that in Indonesia.
During the 90s I was involved in a number of audits there (although I would far have rathered a guernsey on the Bouraq contract with the boys). On one such sojourn, we found ourselves out in the boonies looking at a strip on Halmahera and then needing a lift from Gorontalo to Ambon.
As I recall we were supposed to travel on Merpati .. which just didn't turn up .. day in, day out. We would go out to the airport, wait around for a couple of hours and then go back to the pub and get some more local culture for the evening.
Eventually even the system appeared to get embarassed and, on the final day, we waited and then observed a tatty old G1 trundle onto the apron .. you guessed it. So out to the bird a total of about 18 or so pax ambled with more junk under their collective arms than you could poke a stick at. To cut a long story short, my colleague and I ended up in about the second back row with the overhead (old railway carriage style) open racks and centre aisle filled to capacity with junk.
Then, to make matters worse, Ambon wx resulted in some holding and a diversion back to Gorontalo. We then won second prize .. which was another trip on the G1 back to Ambon later that day.
Loved Indonesia .. great country and absolutely beautiful once you got out of the cities.
