Was going to post this in 3 weeks time for the 25th. Anniversary - but will put it up now as we are on sackings..

Bill,Peter,Mark,Bob
Jim,Bruce,Mike..
(there were others that didn't wear the T-shirt or get in the photo..)

http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/y...scan0001-1.jpg

The front says 'Guess What Solair Gave Its Pilots For X-Mas '84?'

10 days before Christmas '84 after the pilots had rejected the proposed company 'amendments' to their open-dated contracts, they were all given notice of dismissal during the busy lead-up to Christmas. Bob was married at 2 p.m. that Friday afternoon, in a civil ceremony by the Chief Magistrate, Roger Coventry, and he found the Notice of Dismissal from the manager, Roley Bober, in his pigeonhole at 4 p.m. Roley had been diagnosed with cancer, and it was one of his last acts as manager. The Metro had been damaged in a prop strike on the refuelling hydrant at Santo a week before and the Chief Pilot suspended.
The pilots kept working over the New Year pending legal action, and when the courtcase was heard and resolved by the Chief Magistrate late in January, he modified the company proposed contract so that it was even better than the previous one the pilots had been seeking a small salary increase on. To comply with local regulations, it was no longer open-dated but set for fixed term (two years).
The ex-chief pilot was not re-instated, but went on to have a long career with Kendel Airlines, retiring as a check captain on the Canadair RJ when Ansett folded. Bill still flys the local skies in Twin Otters if required by his present company. Mark should be a Captain with Qantas now (or could be anywhere). Peter also had a career with Kendel and Rex on Metro and Saab. Bob was promoted to chief pilot (after Gavin was there for a while temporarily), until he was demoted when Arch came up from N.Z.
Jim could be in Air New Zealand (or anywhere). Mike was last heard of many years ago back doing E.& I. (but not flying)in Cairns.
Of the others - one married the Boss's daughter..

25 Years On.. - Doesn't time fly when you're having fun..?

..........and the one who married the boss' daughter (PC; they divorced about 11 years ago), was last heard of building tennis courts in Brisbane.

Photo attachment
 

Can anyone let me know how to attach a photo? read the FAQs but the button to click does not appear on the post page. Thanks

PC went back to Solair as CP... it was a close call. Couldn't get a work permit for his wife... politics in play.

Png Nomad Operators
 

I am stretching my memory here... Am I correct in recalling there was a Nomad operator in PNG (Wewak?) of three Noamds painted in different primary colours, one yellow one blue, dunno the other around 1980 ish?
What was the airline / operator and does anyone have any pictures of these aircraft?

Or is it all a dream? I have a dim recollection of seeing the blue one at Lae.

You mean, apart from Douglas and the PNG Defense Force.

IAT. Independent Air Transport (or similar) Madang. Mid 70's

Independent Air Transport merged with Heron Air Charter and the merged entity became Provincial Air Services. 3 Nomads, an Islander (ended up with Avdev then pranged near Mt Bosavi, and a Baron that ended up parked in the Tari Gap.

Good operation as I recall.

Thanks Mr Warrior
 

Thats them Provincial! Only ever saw them at Lae once in 4 years. Apparently they had a Trislander as well.

Anyone out here have any pictures of their Nomads?

How many in a BN2?
 

Probably not a record....BUT....a good crack at it!

ISK - "Moresby...ISK taxiing ABC for XYZ, 17 POB"

Moresby - "ISK, Moresby, say again POB"

Took photo as evidence:

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/x...eacham/ISK.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/x...eacham/ISK.jpg

17 in an Islander?
 

I managed to get 22 POB in an Islander, from Leitre to Vanimo.

Also got 33 POB in a Twin Otter one day, on another short sector. Lots of picaninnies amongst them.

Of course these were only considered half-loads by Dangerous Dave..........

Ahhh
 

dangerous Dave, that's a name I haven't heard of for a long time. Would that be the same who had an altercation with a GPU at Wewak?

But how high?
 

CW, Ok you beat me there (I only had 3 pikininis though) but did you get the Islander up to FL215?

How Many in a C206?
 

"Lae... BCB taxiing Pindiu for Lae 14 POB"

"BCB Lae, say again POB"

"BCB one four"

"BCB ... roger.... give us a call when you get in"

Torres wrote

Thanks Torres. wasn't sure about that until you clarified since, as you know, some of the machines simply changed the prefix when they traveled between OZ and PNG.

We cross hired one of the 300hp Islanders from Talair for a year or so that became VH-EDI. I thought it was P2-EDI before we got it. (Looked like the biggest heap of junk ever, but it was a reliable old bus)

As an interesting footnote, I did a fair bit of flying in VH-ISA around New Britain and caused a bit of a stir with a couple of the older ATC guys whenever I forgot to call myself VSA as is required for International ops.
They must have thought it had risen again !
Even though it VSA was required, everyone always called me ISA so it was easier to respond the same way.

Good 'ol BCB - Pidiu to Finchaven 16 pob struggled over the ridge

then there was ISB Kabwum - Wasu 22 pob luckily downhill

and finally RDC Menyamya - Girua 42 pob, sluggo said it was a charter but didn't tell me it was a double charter!

freight wise 1400 kg in an Islander Lae - Menyamya, cargo boys forgot to unload the corrogated iron before they loaded the tin pis! And I forgot to look!

And somehow survived.............:8

Well I can match your 42 in a twotter - ex POM - yes they did check their wireless wasn't faulty. 18 in a BN2 ex Kiantiba - memory dims but 16 in a C402. 22 plus 'stuff' in a 404 ex Tokua on the day the volcanoes let go.

Just about the dumbest thing I ever did was 2000kgs (actually 40 bags so may have been more) of coffee ex Heiwini in RDB - + 50kg cargo boi sat on top the cargo net - come to think on it that was probably the 50kg that made ALL the difference - isn't it ALWAYS the last 50kg:ok:

Phooey

The Porter was loaded until there was no daylight visible through the windows.
Menyamya skool hols we lifted the whole bloody lot of em out to Lae

No, never did get that high in an Islander. From memory about 15,000' was my limit.

Got a normally-aspirated C206 up to 17,500' once Tari-Mendi (empty).

Twin Otter (-200) up to 19,500' once too, during an ELT search.

A PNGDF Dak went up to FL240
 

Flew back and forth on the Lae Fincshaven track (078degrees?) for over an hour getting up there (1981-ish)

I'm bloody sure I've been with Sypho in a Porter down in a river valleyhttp://www.augk18.dsl.pipex.com/Smileys/scared3.gif near Pindiu, with the altimeter reading bloody near sea level :p