Pleased to report that Luciano Cragnolini ( That man amongst men ) was created a Knight in the PNG honours list.
A well deserved award to the hero of the Cathay Club.

MAIPA
 

Gusatstol,
My old WAC is probably a bit more recent than yours but it doesn't show a strip at Maipa either. However if you open Google Earth and go to
8 20'18"S,146 32'25"E, there is a clearing about 3500 feet long running NE/SW
which could be the old Maipa strip.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/...n0001-Copy.jpg

Maipa was 80DME PY reporting point when tracking to KUB from the NW throughout 70s 'n 80s but never saw a strip there, however the cleared area WDL mentions always pointed to a strip being there in earlier times.

Maipa and WW2 aircraft parked there
 

Back in the very early 80's there was strip in the vicinity that was disused but overflying it at low level you were able to clearly see some WW2 vintage fighter neatly parked on the side of the strip. I think it was Maipa. Anyone know the whereabouts of those aircraft now and type? They seemed to be in remarkably good condition and from memory there was no village nearby so probably had not been tampered with too much. Come to think of it I seem to remember someone back then told me they were Airacobras??

Just did quick search and came up with Bulldog strip as the resting place for two Airacobras that were recovered in 1984. Was Bulldog actually Maipa? They must be nearby.

As it turns out Bulldog is 40nm NNW of Maipa.

So where are the Airacobras now?

Twas Terapo after being rafted down the Lakekamu from Bulldog area. Sent to Australia by an Engineer who worked for Airlines PNG on a "2 for 1 back"deal!! When I left in 2005 Terapo and Malalaua were the only ones open in that cluster. I used Malalaua but technically strip was closed and locals wanted compensation!!!

There was a P-38 Lightning just off the strip at Terapo. In 1975 you cold spin one of the supercharger gizmos. In 1977 it was 'rusted' solid. (●⁔●)

BELL P-39 AIRCOBRA
 

Two Aircobras (P-400, the export version) were recovered by an American, Jack Taft, (now deceased), from Bulldog, for restoration, on the condition that the best one stayed in PNG. One, P400 AP-347, was subsequently shipped back to the USA and the other ended up at the South Pacific Aero Club where I think it still is. After Jack Taft's death AP-347 was sold to the Fighter Factory, Suffolk, Virginia, where it was in storage as of August 2010.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/...T0017-Copy.jpg

I love the six foot high steel fencing and razor barb! Takes me back. Also the informative information on the pedestal!

Speaking of fencing there must have been buckets of money made over the years in that. There was a company way back called Sefco Fencing that started at the gold-rush period of that industry. Anyone heard of where Sergius Arek (of that company) is these days? He and his brother were Moitaka Speedway heros on their sidecar back then. Moitaka was Moresby's second speedway. There was one just north-east of POM airport earlier in the sixties and seventies-Granville Speedway. The Car Club also operated a scramble track in the same era. Is the Car Club still going?

Is that the cobra that used to sit on the tarmac in front of the dero at Jacksons?

Aircobra
 

an3 bolt,
Yes that,s the one. Have also found a website of PNG airstrips which gives a few details of the two P-400's recovered from Bulldog in 1984. Also noted that walking tours of the Wau-Bulldog road were being offered for groups of twelve in 2011 for $5025 ex Brisbane.
The PNG airstrips website is: Papua New Guinea Airfields & Seaplane Anchorages

Jeeves
 

Good to see Mike Butler ( Jeeves ) is out of hospital and on his way back to POM today ( Monday ).
Stay away from strips starting with "G".

'Cobras
 

Late 60s early 70s ?had a stop over at "Rogers" There were a couple? of 39 wrecks in the grass there as well as a B25 airframe and wings in the dip/ditch before the threshold at one/ NW?end.
I believe at the end of the day, they all fell victim to scrapping.:{
Could be some pics on Pacific Wrecks.

Does anybody have the photo' of the Britten-Norman Islander wing being used as a bridge?

Stretching the ting-ting a bit but I seem to remember.....

(A) In the 70's an airacobra , in poor condition , resting in the woodyard below the Erma Motel at 7 mile.

(B) In the 80's an airacobra , in good nick ,mounted on a pole at the Goroka Museum , beside the Goroka sports ground. Below the cockpit was painted the pilots name " Lt Benkendorf ".

There used to be a P-38 Lightning in good condition in Waigani Swamp off the end of Wards Strip, past what is now the University.

I think it was recovered by Bill Chapman for the PNG Air Museum.

Is the Sandline gear still sitting at the PNGDF area at jacksons?

Vale Thomas Joseph Leahy
 

I lost a mate of forty years early this morning.

Tom Leahy passed away in St Andrews Hospital at Toowoomba. Tom was 83 years old.

Tom Leahy and brother Dan Leahy went to PNG to work for their Uncle Mick at Zenag in 1949. Over the years Tom was a gold miner, Markham farmer, Lae town Councillor and politician, being elected to the first House of Assembly and rising to Chairman of the Executive Council in the second House of Assembly.

In PNG, Tom was a Director of Territory Airlines and Talair, becoming rather unwittingly, a guarantor for the first Bandeirante purchases.

Tom returned to Australia in the late 1970s, setting on "Corowa", a cattle property just outside Dalby in Queensland. Tom was elected to and served as a Councillor on Wambo Council until Wambo merged with Dalby a few years ago. Sadly Tom's wife Pam passed away perhaps five years ago after a long fight with cancer.

When I formed Flight West Airlines in 1987, Tom Leahy was a Director along with Chairman Bob Paul, Dennis Buchanan and Dennis's older brother David Leahy.

Tom wrote four books about his life and those early days in Papua New Guinea.

A great, humble man and a real life long mate passed away this morning. I will miss him terribly.

For PNG prunners - While I was looking into PNG past, I found this image of 4 mission pilots at Aitape in 1963 - they are Urban Reid, Eamon Gaffney,Col Camplell and Mark Dignam- perhaps some you will recall them ?


http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/v...MarkDignam.jpg

Col Campbell or Gordon Campbell? If it was Gordon, he went on to own the Narimo hotel in Vanimo, plus a couple of other ventures. (Fr) Urban read now deceased.