if you followed Chuck's recommendations, that would really help stop the spread of aids. With:) two pulled on over your head, breathing should cease within 120 seconds!

Wanim lapun masta?:p

What's happening at PX?

Would not have a clue Chuckles!

Thou' have heard a wee rumour that Woomera:eek: :ok: is soon to visit the Republic of the Philippines.

Mauswara bilong Balus....
 

Haven't logged on for a long time and have enjoyed reading all the great stories from Taim Bipo. Is someone collating all these tales for a Mauswara bilong Balus? :ok:

Chimbu Chuckles, notice on another thread you were chasing up the Bush Flying in PNG DVD, did you get it?

High 6

Barry Hocking is collating stories for a book and is looking for any stories of the TN/AN era in PNG. He's published his email address on this site before so I'm sure that I'm allowed to do it again...

[email protected]

Cheers

Hey Chimbu!

I hear that px is recycling long-discarded pocket-rocket crew to fill a few spaces whilst regular guys move up on to the long bodied model. I hope that the fuse length prohibits fokka tail strikes eh?:rolleyes: :D

Yes...spoke to one at an Australia Day pissup in Brissy...good on em.

One may even be young enough to remain longer than anticipated:ok:

It does seem some are struggling with the geometry of the Boeing:hmm: Can't see it being a problem on the long bodied pocket rocket....can see some other potential traps though...it aint an F28.

I remember the Scarebus had a big red tail bump/skid under the fuselage like an overgrown mole. A proposal was muted that the standard walk around kit should contain a can of red spray paint to paint over any missing color from this appendage. This would no doubt eliminate lengthy delays and flight cancellations. :ok:

Fortunately, we never had cause to budget for this item and in fact with the short fuselage, you would have had to work pretty hard to get a tailstrike on the Scarebus. Undoubtedly of it's rare good points.

Am surprised the Pixie boys are having TS issues, I had thought the Boring had much the same characteristics as the Scarebus in this respect.

Thanks for the ales Sharpie. Good to see Club Morrocco is not what I at first assumed it to be!!!!

Nice house you got there. Make a great venue for the next reunion!!!!!

:} :} :} :}

Sunny Woomera

Glad to see you and the others from 'south of the equator'!

Dunno bout a reunion in the house, though we could always start out at the club and barbie on the beach!

Thanks for the visit.:D

Courtesy of Trevor Michie's PNG Gossip Newsletter

Quote
** Swamp Ghost **

The removal of the Swamp Ghost, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, from Oro Province has caused more than a few ripples at various organisations around the country. It has been reported that the Swamp Ghost was purchased for US$100,000 from the National Museum and Art Gallery. Government authorities are now questioning why such a valuable asset was allowed to be sold for such a low price. The Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) claim that they have not received any advice from the shippers to say the asset is being exported from the country and the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee have said to do all possible to block the shipment until an investigation can be carried out. The National Museum and Art Gallery has also been directed to put together a submission for Culture and Tourism Minister David Basua to take to cabinet regarding the World War bomber.

The Swamp Ghost was returning from an air raid mission to East New Britain when it crash-landed at Agaiembo Lake in 1942.
Unquote

In one respect, it is very good that such a historical aircraft may again grace the skies for many to see.

The sad part is that like so much of PNG wartime memoriabilia, the aircraft may be spirited away with rather mercenary intent, leaving the country with little apart from memories.

I wonder what Danny Leahy of Pacific Wrecks thinks about it?:hmm:

Its a wonder the Wau B-17 hasnt been grabbed.:uhoh:

tinpis - I'm pretty sure it has. From memory, it was removed in 2002/2003. :uhoh:

Appears the Wau B17 is still there
www.postcourier.com.pg 29/05/2006

‘Ghost’ kept under guard

CUSTOMS officers in Lae kept a close eye on controversial American World War II B-17 bomber dubbed Swamp Ghost over the weekend. The commissioner general of the Internal Revenue Commission David Sode had instructed that no export permit be given pending the outcome of a Public Accounts Committee inquiry on July 1. The war plane was to be shipped to the United States but the PNG Government had intervened and it is now sitting at the Lae Bismarck Maritime Wharf. The plane was allowed to leave the country under an agreement signed in 1999 between the Military Aircraft Restoration Corporation in the United States and the custodian of the aircraft, the National Museum and Art Gallery. This has permitted American Alfred Hagen and Robert Greinert to remove the plane early this month from the Agiambo swamps in Northern Province where it had crash-landed 64 years ago during the World War II. But the plane had survived the crash and is fully intact. Officers at the wharf say the plane was moved from its original spot on the wharf on Thursday and shifted further inside the wharf to give space to the containers off-loaded from incoming ships. The former curator of the war museum brand of the national museum and present director of the Kokoda-Buna Historical Foundation, Maclaren Hiari said the plane was the World War II’s rarest bomber. “The Swamp Ghost is a highly-regarded prized war relic in the aircraft archaeology world particularly in Australia, New Zealand and USA ... according to my close consultation with former crew members of the aircraft, leading international aircraft archaeologists, aviation historians and aviation museums and organisations,” he said. But that contradicts the view from the National Museum and Art Gallery, whose acting director Simon Poraituk said the plane was worth only “K12,000”. Mr Hiari said the swamp ghost was the oldest Boeing-built B-17 in existence and the only remaining example of a B-17E model flying fortresses remaining in the world — one is near Black Cat Gap on the Kuber Ranger near Wau in Morobe Province while the third is in Greenland covered with ice. But ti iss till intact, he said. He said for the board of trustees of the museum to approve the salvaging and restoration of swamp ghost did not help the Government’s efforts to restore the existing war collections in the country.

G'day fellow wantoks!

just back from the land of 2k pumooks and i think there are more around now than there was 10yrs ago. Things are getting tough inflation etc is really taking a toll on locals to even get enough money to buy a tin of ox and palm is nearly impossible. But i have to say that Madang is one of the last friendly places where u can walk around at 5pm and not get robbed by rascals or hassled for being a masta.
The latest news on PX??? well heard that they are gettiing 2 more F100's and 3 more Dash 8's that will be in full cargo configuration to do the Nadzab-Goroka-Hagen route.
Well that is about the news that i care to share on this website u know wat they say aviation is such a small industry.
stap isi ol'geta!!
777tinpis

{{The sad part is that like so much of PNG wartime memoriabilia, the aircraft may be spirited away with rather mercenary intent, leaving the country with little apart from memories.}}

Sharpie....

Last I heard, $100,000 changed hands. who from and to whom is another matter, but 100 Grand aint too shabby considering that the said B17 would inch further and further into the swamp if not rescued.

The debate as to whether it is better to bring it out and restore it, or leave it to rot as part of the PNG "Heritage" will continue.

My Money says bring it out. :}

The cynic in me reckons that the payment :-

(a) wasn't enough; and
(b) went to the wrong person...:}

No Oz that is the realist in you:ok:

I agree that sitting in the swamp is of little 'heritage' value....mind you it was always fun burning up Uncle Dennis' fuel bills looking for WW2 wrecks...I'd hate to think how much time I have spent at 50' over that swamp showing people that wreck...and 50' over the western province looking at P38s...and 50' over the Williamez Peninsular looking at the B25s, Hudson (actually it wasn't a Hudson what was it?) All good fun:D :E

Chuck it were a Kiwi Hudson.
Ive been on the ground looking at them in 74.
The B 25 had a bloody big artillery piece in the nose (75mm)
Both since recovered I believe