thanks QSK...
 

thats a good clue

cheers
wal

Just as well there never was orli, meris , pigs, PMV's, lawnmowiing gangs. tribal wars etc etc.. on the airstrips in my day.......:hmm:

Indonesia plane crash kills Spanish pilot | News.com.au

Airfast / Crowley Aircraft Rego and Type.
 

The aztecs used by Crowley's were AVB, UNK, PAY, CSA. Perhaps others. Crowleys became PANGA Airways shortly after that and part of TALAIR a year later.

Hey DeRated, how you are? Around September or October 1974 I was working for Airfast Helicopters Sydney, and on Tour to PNG as a Field LAME based in Lae. I went to Wakunai (Bougainville Is.) to repair an Aztec P2-MEA which was sitting on its belly with 2 damaged props. Armed with serviceable replacements of 3 U/C legs and 2 props I stood it up and got it serviceable for the Ferry flight to Lae (via Rabaul) with the Gear Down, as I had mechanically locked the gear down for safety reasons. As assurance for the pilot I passengered in it to Rabaul. There were also 2 Cessna 205s based at Kieta, P2-CSA and CSC from memory. Aztec P2-UNK was based in Rabaul at that time. The rest of the fleet were usually in Lae, and I am not sure of the BN2 Rego, but there was also a C207 Turbo P2-DMS, and 2 C402s P2-UNK?, and a blue and white one which I think may have been PAY. G T was the CP at that time, and D T was a Crowley LAME, both living in Lae.
I subsequently did a tour to Darwin (survived Cyclone Tracy), and was back in Lae early 1975, before finishing at Airfast and joining PX in Lae duringApril 1975. Moved to PX Moresby during December 1976 when the maintenance was centralised at POM. :ok: Regards, Big E

The Big E:If you a referring to an Aztec located at Rabaul Airport, that may have been P2-DMG (VH-DMG) which was an Aztec owned by Graham Parmenter the local plumber. His Aztec was painted blue and white.

Didn't Airfast also have an Aztec AVE also located at Rabaul?

TAA had an Aztec (blue and white with a bit of red!) based in Rabaul... the pilot was Noel Von Hoff.

Sometime in 1970 I flewPOM GKA in an Aztruck that belonged to an Electrician(Auto?)from Rabaul? Or was that indeed Graham Parmenter ?

VH-UNA, -UNB, -UNK series of Aztecs
 

Looked up my logbook today just to see where these Aztecs were located in the late 60's.

I'd been Aztec endorsed by both Cec Randall and Ron Firns in 1967, and had a fair bit of 'C' model time up by the time I got to Airfast.

In April 1968, I was asked to do some w/e work to relieve John Weymouth at Airfast,POM. I was currency checked on -UNA, which was a 'B' model, at POM. The checking pilot was Capt John Simmler - a nicer gent you'd be struggling to find. Within 2 weeks I'd experienced a HF failure and a hydraulics failure - not an auspicious start!. UNA was getting a bit long in the tooth, but flew very well.

In May '68, UNA was joined by -UNB, which according to my records, was an 'A' model? These 2 older Aztecs stayed in POM until later in '68.

Then in Nov '68, I see that I was using -UNK, which was a fuel injected 'C' model. It had been over in Rabaul if I remember rightly. We used -UNK until June '69, and then went back to -UNA for the rest of that year.

My best memories of -UNK were of loading the front locker full of Daru barras, loading in the 'Glomar Conception' crew, and flying back to POM as high as practicable to keep 'em cool.

happy days

What became of the Dutch/Skandihooligan type fella that flew PDQ? (Pretty Damn Quick) Always rip **** or bust he was..:O

Superintendent Mike Thomas
 

Tonight, my Wife and I, played our original records of, Tripela Liklik Pik and
Liklik Retpela Hat, to our neighbour, whose late Husband was the Dutch Ambassador to PNG, some years ago. Their Daughter is the current Ambassador.

Their were laugh's, bringing on tears of laughter as we listened to Supt. Mike Thomas, whilst also reading the words from the lyrics included.

My question is and we hope, is Supt. Mike Thomas still with us, we hope so.

If so , does anyone have his E Mail address.

Sincerely,

angry ant

( ex AAPNG)

Tripela Liklik Pik download.

I could check with Jim Sinclair but I think Mike would be long gone or exceedingly old. If he were alive I suspect he would be around the ton? The ABC record was available in the 1960s, the flip side was "Liklik Retpela Hat", and Mike was not young then.

Also mentioned at Post # 489 this thread.

Supt Mike Thomas is long gone. His daughter lived in Brisbane a few years ago and his sister (my Aunt) still shouts at the referee every time Coventry City play.

Medics and Errors
 

Greetings OxExpat, in reply to your Post#505.
I agree about the inaccuracies with the blood tests. My wife was unwell for some time and they were not able to diagnose what turned out to be Dengue Fever. This was later picked up on the first test at a Hamilton Diagnostic Lab.

They didn't do too well on the X Ray front either. In late November 1981 I was riding along Korobosea Drive (had just left ANG Hill) on my Yamaha at about 0440 on the way to the PX hangar when a mongrel dog ran out from my right. As the front wheel ran over him I went down and the machine landed on my ribs. Me frame was more broke than first thought as I was unable to kick it hard enough to restart. Other crew members were soon on the scene and a passenger in a car started it and rode it home while Sisa took me back to my house by car. Then made the mistake of taking my broken frame upstairs and getting caste. A quick analysis decided the best way to get a quick admission to POM General Hospital emergency department was by ambulance which duly arrived. Next door neighbour (F27 Captain) removed the legs from our coffee table to use as a stretcher to get me downstairs. On arrival the usual X Rays were taken and they kept me there for a couple of days with a diagnosed broken collar bone. I wanted out of there and a wantok organised a medical trip to Hamilton, via SYD and AKL. They discharged me with a large envelope of X Rays under my arm. Jabber, as the PX medical man, said the trip was unnecessary, but I went anyhow.

After arrival at Hamilton Public the doctor held up the X Rays (I never previously looked at them, or checked the envelope contents) and said "these are not yours". It turned out that what they had given me belonged to someone else who had a broken collar bone but had been a patient at POM about 3 years prior. :rolleyes:
New X Rays showed that I had six broken ribs(no wonder me frame had a slight list to one side), and the cause of my right foot discomfort was a broken big toe.

Ya all have a good festive season now. Regards Big E

Mike Thomas
 

From the PNGAA.net site... Vale, March 1982

Howard (Mike) THOMAS (26 January 1982)

' 'Mike' came to the RPNG Constabulary from the English Police. Well known for his rendition of 'Adam & Eve' in Pidgin and for Pidgin lessons on ABC radio.'

I knew of him in Madang in '69 - respected then for his police discipline, but remembered now for a crackly 45 (the RPM one).

Request for Photos of the POM Glider..er Be200 Kumul
 

I have searched the net for pics of this aircraft and have drawn a blank so far.
To my recollection, the Kingair was "Kumul 1" until the Gulfstream was bought whereupon it bcame Kumul 1 and the Kingair became Kumul 2.
The Kingair may have originally been P2-PNG before the Gulfstream took that rego and was relegated to P2-PNH.

Anyway any pics of the glider would be appreciated

cheers
wal

Original PM Aircraft.
 

Greetings cac.

Before the KingAir I seem to recall a Govt. Cessna 421 being used to ferry the dignatories around PNG. I think that it was red and white, although I can't recall the Rego off the top of my head. Can anyone throw any light on this?
Regards, Big E.

There was indeed a C421 (a B-model as I recall, and also originally registered as P2-PNG) that gave way to the B-200 P2-PNG.

When the G-II arrived it became P2-PNG and the Kingair was rebranded as PNH.

The G-II had a short career in PNG, and was eventually sold somewhere in northern Europe. It became something of a political football, as I think Sir Julius bought it, but Sir Michael disposed of it (may have been the other way around).

No doubt when the dust settles and PNG returns to having only one Prime Minister (as opposed to 2 at present), it will be time to "review" the fleet again!

There was also the Merlin IIB P2-CAI which was operated by the PNG CAA.

It brought Somare to Hoskins in '75 with the C421 as backup (which they had to use after a hot start on the Merlin), so it was before the Kingair.

One could always check the early Kumul history wth Loopy.
Anyone have of a contact for Paul Kem...n early 80's Kumulier?

SP Availability.
 

Greetings b bob. Just reading my way through this thread from the beginning. Although you may have found SP by now, this reply is in response to your item # 1341.

I have bought SP Greenies within the last 4 months at Dan Murphy outlets in both Cairns and Caloundra. These stores seem to have a common placement layout, as the nectar was in fridges at basically the same location within the shop floor plan. :ok: Go sample some. Regards Big E.

TWO WEEKS IN "PARADISE"
 

Went back to PNG October/November this year, for the first time in five years, with the intention of grabbing my old Comanche (which now lives in Mt.Hagen) and flying to Rabaul to see the post volcano eruption damage and then to Bensbach to catch the odd Barramundi or two. But you know what they say about "the best laid plans of mice and men etc."
Anyhow arrived in Moresby on a Friday, ex Brisbane, via Airniugini. Spent the night in POM. PNG, and in particular Moresby, is at the start of a construction boom as a consequence of the impending Liquefied Natural Gas Project and rents and accommodation costs have gone through the roof. A room at the Airways will cost you K990 (about $450). However, found a motel at Gordons, the Flying Fox Inn, for about $150 a night. To bad there was no hot water and the aircon was on the blink. But there was a first class Asian restaurant attached to the motel.
On the way to the Aero Club noticed a couple of Islanders up on chocks with their undercarriages removed. It would appear that the Islander has had it's day in PNG, both as a result of the unreliability of Avas supplies (more later) and the competition from the PAC750, which burns Avtur,carries more and is cheaper to operate.
The old Aero Club has gone up market. The old bar area is now office space and the area out the back. where the pamuks used to ply their trade, is the present bar, complete with wine rack. A few of the old faces are still around but I did't see a pamuk.
Security is a PNG growth industry with armed guards everywhere, including the Aero Club.

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Next day was due to go to Mt.Hagen at 9.15AM but Airniugini had downsized the aircraft. My mate was last on the 9.15 flight but I dipped out. Eventually got away at 3.20PM and arrived at Hagen an hour later in reasonable weather. Whilst in the POM departure lounge Airniugini announced the cancellation of three domestic flights, about a half an hour before their scheduled departure time. Passengers were advised to come back at 5.00AM next day and try their luck. Of course Airniugini put everyone up at the Airways. Ha Ha.
Next day (Sunday) did some circuit work in the Comanche, which I hadn't flown for five years. Less said about that performance the better. Due for a PNG Biennial Flight Review with MAF tomorrow.
Mission Aviation Fellowship runs the only flying school in PNG at present. The last Australian Biennial I did, out of Archerfield, involved flying to Moreton Island and flying up and down the coastline for an hour looking for whales.This Biennial, with the MAF CFI, was a bit more thorough. It involved a navex Hagen-Mendi-Hagen, stalls, power on/off, steep turns, power on/off, gliding steep turns, forced landing, engine failure on take off, glide approach and landing at Hagen as well as questions about the aircraft performance specifications and systems. Luckily I had previously owned the aircraft and was familiar with all this. Anyhow I was duly certified to commit aviation for another two years.

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Off to Rabaul in a couple of days.

TO BE CONTINUED