Someone tell me that piping gas to OZ from PNG is a bloody good idea :hmm:

Ho Ho Ho, hohoho. Ni:) :) :) trous Oxide. hohoho bluddy hoho!

Too quiet in here!

Yeah! So quiet that you could hear an echo in a vacuum. Ozexpurt quiet also, so must be on holiday.

Even dear old Chimbu is quiet.

Our Pal Mal talking about another go at terrorising the quiet tin-tanks with a further foray abreast his Harley.

I hear Johnnie Regan has joined the strength over at APNG taking a wealth of knowledge and experience that must assist with 'fat albert's' arrival.

No doubt Pixie will be wondering if the elongated F28 was the right move as 'FA' could give them a run for their money if put on the POM-HGU, LAE,RAB and CNS sectors.

Sharpie
If I remember correctly the TEA 737 that we chartered many years ago wouldn't/couldn't go into anywhere in PNG except POM LAE and MAS. Have the other strips been upgraded?

You are correct on the 73-200 operated then by a bunch of 'seagulls'. even philvang had to throw rocks to get them airborne!

I was thinking of the -500 that could operate from from most of the PNG strips, giving good load factors using low-pressure tyres. (The -300 appeared a better performer but at some 2500ks+ over the -500, would seriously reduce payload ex HGU) Mt Hagen has been lengthened, Rabaul-Tokua no problem though a bit narrow; Hoskins ok, Buka I think ok. Madang is a bit short so is Wewak. Goroka was out due to sfc and slope though I am sure that the manufacturer could come up with new fugures if needed; Kavieng could be ok, Manus no problem, Vanimo ok.

I believe that the F28-100 needs more runways extended that the 73. So let's see what happens in future months and whether APNG will test the 'open sky policy' of Dom Polye.

For me I'd put it over the density routes of HGU, LAE, RAB-TOK and HKN to test the water.:)

I can only speak of the -300 but on short sectors like POM LAE HGU it would go like a cut cat.

Um...has GKA been resurfaced and got some more length to it since my day ?

ABC Four Corners on Monday night apparently a bit of an expose on crime in PNG. I'm sure it's nothing we don't already know, but could be interesting.

4 Corners got in a great bit of humour with the 'witch doctor' interview

Q : How do you know your remedies are effective against AIDS?

A : Well, they must be - because nobody has ever come back to complain !


Haven't laughed so much in years, it was better than Fawlty Towers !!

happy days,

What a bloody mess.:{

HIV AIDS not included they could take a few movies and show our bros how to look after a village and garden nice and neat and tidy without walls kicked in dogs and wrecked cars.

Indeed Tinpis; Watching the program made for rather depressing viewing!:{
What's the pidgin equivalent for 'Poor bugger my country?':(

Courtesy of Trevor Michie's PNG Newsletter

** Government Jet **

I received the following information about the government aircraft after a rumour last week that it may be replaced by a Fokker F100.

QUOTE
Hi There,

There is only one corporate jet on the PNG Register operated by Trans Air Ltd, that is a Citation C550 10 seat aircraft used primarily for Medical evacuation flights for Niugini Air Rescue, a division of International SOS. The Airlines of PNG (APNG) jet is now in Australia under Australian registration and supporting APNG's Australian operations.

As appears to be fairly usual in the PNG Media (i.e. the newspapers) facts are never really detailed - just words - the old pictures say 1000 words is very valuable. However I have attached a photo and some history behind the Kumul since independence - it is interesting. I haven't bothered with an F100 - we all know what they look like. Anyway I hope this is of interest.

For those receiving the text only version of the newsletter the images mentioned above can be found at --

http://www.pnggossip.com/images/planes/p2-png(jet).jpg and
http://www.pnggossip.com/images/plan...g(kingair).jpg


The 'jet' so commonly referred to as the Kumul Jet is a Beechcraft Super King Air, that is a turbo prop type aircraft (i.e. it has propellers and is the same used by Regional Air, SIL aviation, and the Civil Aviation Authority). So in theory it is not really a jet.

The Government Flying Unit (GFU) used to operate a Gulfstream 3 corporate jet until sold off by the Wingti government - because it was very expensive and limited in places it could travel in PNG. It could only do the sealed main ports similar to the Fokker F28.

The King Air is a better aircraft for Government use as its airstrip capability is acceptable to reach regional ports in the country. Whilst it may not be the "prestigious" option for international travel - it is rarely used for this purpose. In fact most international government travel is made through the use of the government owned airline - Air Niugini.

There are several alternatives for the GFU to make wisely - firstly the present Kumul has a market value of around US900 000. Whilst it is very under utilised the running costs are much, much smaller than a F100 - there are also numerous pilots and engineers rated on this type of aircraft.

A change of craft - regardless of type is always a very expensive exercise sure PGK10M for a F100 sounds cheap - but the additional costs in that maintenance providers have to be trained, flight crew trained as well as other expensive technical issues. But these items are forgotten about as well as the fact that if the aircraft is to be 'borrowed' from an airline operator (Say PX) - then that operator has to have it available for them - or are they expected to put the travelling public off when the GFU needs the plane.

The days of the GFU are numbered - as is the ridiculous situation of the CAA King air - both cost about the same. The CAA aircraft does even less in fact most of the work it 'used' to do is now contracted to a NZ based company! Both should be sold off - then government travel and or the CAA business chartered out to the companies which have the commercial ability to sustain the costs of aircraft operations in PNG.
END QUOTE

Anybody here flying the G3 in about 1983 ?
PM me ta.

I knew i shudda stayed porking the bosses daughter from SOS :}

Ok then Troppo, Why did'nt you?:D :E :} Do tell please!:cool:

On a completely different subject (and with the Woomeri permission if they please;) I note that a very popular biscuit of my childhood years has resurfaced in the local supermarkets.
I had to laugh when I noticed on the packet just where they are being made.......a certain biscuit maker in Boroko. ncd. PNG:E

No names mentioned. Don't want to upset the abovementioned Woomeri

pinky...she was still at high school :D but you could have imagined the smile when she told me her dad's company operates Lear jets out of Singapore:p

Animal Club/Sharpie
As I recal (Sharpie will no doubt correct me) the reason why the 737 was restircted was because it was flown by a bunch of girls on the British Register, which put some pretty fierce operating restrictions on the aircraft.
Therefore most of PNG's high demand routes were not available to the aircraft. It should have been sorted out before, but the aircraft was ideal for the POM-GUM routing. I don't think that even broke into double figures at any time.:}

Taildragger

Hafa Adai

Haf two Hanoi

Found this thread ..... at last!!!!!!!!!!!!!!