Okuk memories
 

Didnt he "stow away" on Air Niugini's opening service to Hawaii, he came out of the toilet after takeoff?

Didnt he visit Canada and bought 3 Dash 7s "on spec" without consultation and approval so that they could provide services to Kundiawa (his home town)........caused a bit of stink that one!

Honolulu Stowaway
 

cac sabre,
That was Joe Arazi, or Arazzi, as the Post Courier spells his name.
Have a look at post No.172.

The infamous Okuk... one Saturday during election campaign season in the early 80's he actually closed the Kundiawa airstrip and had trucks loaded with SP park on the main runway and he gave out free beer to all. I enjoyed the unplanned day off and free beer... and he got my vote for "biggest gonads" in the elections.

As a leader he was a mega - loose cannon and total maverick that set the precedent for other politicians that followed, that's why PNG has unfortunately truly gone to the dogs. The decrepit state of the lifeline road from Lae to Mendi, known as the Okuk highway, is a true reflection of his legacy.

Moving on...according to my logbook, the transfer from Lae to Nadzab for the F28 operation at least, was between April 11 and 17, 1987. I flew into Lae on the 11th and my next trip on 17th and all subsequent flights was to Nadzab. Can't remember if the PNGDF and GA operators moved at the same time. Ahhh Lae.. I recall missing out on the RW 32? NDB approach at least 3 times on the F28, flying up the Huon low level, IMC in the morning crap then doing the 180 turn and getting out of there. The pocket rocket was the only jet that could do that kind of approach with ease and comfort... good way to get the stomach juices working to digest the greasy crew breakfasts. The good old days!! :ok:

Iambakey Okuk
Here he is
http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/vv14/descol/okuk.jpg

F28 at Lae
 

Ahh High six I remember one such F28 flight well.. I nearly lost my brekky and I was safe in the tower!
Lae had been socked in for 3 days nothing getting in and out except paradoxically a few Tailair VFRies! The midmorning service from POM commenced an approach (the ATIS lied a little saying conditions were fluctuating about the minima"). The F28 was flown by a pilot with a very distinctive US accent, (I'd heard it said that he was an ex USN carrier pilot) he broke visual in low cloud and pissing rain just south of what was left visible of the Tenyo Maru, he racked that thing around standing it on its right wingtip then back around to the left to line up on centreline just before touch down. It was magnificent... frightened the crap outta me but magnificent.. he was the only one that got in that day!

That could only be Jay Hardison. A great dude, sadly no longer with us.

Jay Hardison, what a guy! The good ex-Colonel flew Phantoms during the Vietnam gig, and used to say that flying the F28 in PNG was the most fun you could have without canons on the wing.

He was the Director of Flight Ops (or similar) and always wore cowboy boots to the office or when flying... essential part of his uniform, usually made from some exotic endangered species of reptile no doubt... A certain South Australian pilot got a job in PX because he rocked up to the interview in a pair of similar cowboy boots. The interview went something like... "Hi, my name is Jay. Those are great boots. What are they made from?".... as they say, the rest is history. It was a sad day when Jay moved on, truly one of the more colorful characters of PX.

NADZAB
http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/v...l/nadsab-2.jpg

Jay Hardison
 

The only Captain I can recall who, on a regular basis, would leave the FO in command during cruise and come and have a yarn to the passengers. Great PR.

Jay was a true genteleman and a funny man - without extracting the urine from anyone.

Aztecs in PNG
 

Can anyone help with pics from their collections of PNG Aztecs? I have a few of Sunbird examples (airline.net) but more period ones would be nice.
I think the SDA church had one.. SDM? yellow thing?
I think Talair had one in the early days. I have just bought a quite rare Aztec model kit and am looking for a suitable subject to model

I don't recall Talair ever operating an Aztec (at least post 1970), although it has been mentioned on this forum before. Dennis was not a Piper fan, thus we only ever operated Cessna and Beech piston engine aircraft. A wise decision I suspect!

There was an Aztec operated by DCA in PNG, VH-C?? and I seem to recall it was a bit unique being turbo charged? Last heard of it disappeared into the sea off Cairns in the late 1990s with pilot and pax all surviving.

Laurie Crowley operated a number of Aztecs ex Lae and in New Britain. There was also one or two with the Missions, maybe SDAs or SIL?

On the subject of Iambaki Okuk, he was not unreasonable to deal with - except the time he grounded Talair when I increased air fares without his approval. I'm sure a lot of his "behaviour" was a "reflection" of his advisor......... :suspect:

G'Day Hanoi and High 6! :} Yes, Jay was one of the good guys and PX were lucky to secure his services. So sad his life ended so soon after.

Macair owned an Aztec - I think the registration was VH-SRP - and was sold to the SDA church in 72/73.

Talair did operate P2-GKZ, inherited from Panga in the mid-70's takeover. It was eventually ditched in Vanuatu.

CAA operated P2-CAR, a Turbo Aztec. Mapmakers also had a Turbo Aztec P2-COC.

The SDA church operated P2-SDM, an F model. It was sold to Peter McNab of Pacific Rim Resources.

The hulk of P2-TGP (I think it was) was in Rabaul when I was there.

Elomair also had an Aztec for a while, which I think was P2-SRP.

STOL operated VH-COO, and VH-COB - both non-turbo Aztec C models - between 1965 and when I left in 1970.

It also had the turbo Aztec C, VH-COC, online during that time, flying general charter & Reg 203 work.

Thru that period, Mapmakers were cross-hiring the old 310B, VH-ACB for photo work.

Mapmakers also had, I think, another turbo Aztec C, VH-PYY, around 1969

During the late '60's, Airfast had a couple of Aztec B models, VH-UNA and UNB, doing the crew change work to Kerema, Daru and Horn for the Glomar rig. Then in '69, they swapped one of them for the Aztec C, VH-UNK, which had been based in Rabaul with Airfast.?

The Aztec C, VH-SRP, originally belonged to Ron Slaughter, a Papuan planter and entrepeneur, who was one of Ron Firns' backers when he setup Stol Air Services in about '62-63?

The turbo Aztec C, VH-SPM, belonged to the South Pacific Aero Club, had a short life in PNG -to unfortunately end up on the N side of Mt Victoria in 1970.

I flew all of these Aztecs, and all had the original Piper paint schemes...although in the case of the Stol fleet - they were a bit tired.

happy days,

The famous go-round at Aseki

Any Neds out there remember this?

PNGAA Library

I think it was VH-CAR that ended up in the water off Cairns in the late 1990s.

There was a sad Aztec sitting on drums on the old Lae airstrip for many years. Think it may have been one of Crowleys?

Aztecs in PNG
 

SIL in Aiyura had an Aztec that crashed in Nadzab, enroute from Lae to Aiyura in 1975. I don't recall the model or callsign.

One of the engines caught on fire due to a fuel line coming adrift and spraying fuel inside the cowling, not 100% sure of that but it was something similar. Unfortunately all on board perished, if I recall it was 5 missionaries and the pilot, Doug Hunt. I think this may have been the worst accident for the SIL Aviation team in their long history in PNG.

QASCO operated a Turbo Aztruck on survey out of Goroka 1970/1- ish Frank L****y and John sorry cant remember his name
Helicopters/? ran Aztec VH-PDQ (Pretty Damn Quick) Dutch /Skandi pilot always in a hurry

Easier times Goroka 1972

You in that photty Torres?

Oh...oh ..oh I spy TALS first twotter in the old screaming ****e hawk blue and yellow

Papua New Guinea Photos 1972 (Goroka)
http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/5...aairportf2.jpg