MPA
 

Any of you have the pleasure of flying Man Prog Ass'n
P68 IYF?
or BMU a PA32-269 with a throttle like a door knob?

Thanks for the thread.

Ron B returned from the motherland, oh, must be more than a year ago now. Still involved in aviation and living some where on the North Coast NSW, I think it may have been Nimbin.


VH-IYF, not sure if I would call it a pleasure, but yes I did fly it.:ooh:

Lets leave the Arnhem Air CP issue alone, it may ruin a good thread.:=

Agree, (just took exception to the presumed expletive deleted reference in the earlier thread)
Many happy memories even though Ozzie was a "challenge". Is Carl at Mgd still kicking? Would love to catch up with the guys that fled to Skywest during the dispute. Saw JWH meatbombing out of Redcliffe recently and heard SAO was still doing the same up near Tully. You would have to gut the thing for that but it would be worthwhile just to get rid of its "unique" odour! JNX AND LGI I haven't seen since then but I did watch JMF (182RG) do a wheels-up at Oakey a few years ago.

I can understand Ron B living on the Nth Coast but not as a hippy, no way d00d http://www.augk18.dsl.pipex.com/Smileys/hippie.gif

Who was the little lass I think she was at Maningrida for Oz and went to qwanas?
I seem to recall she got medivaced to DRW one night with severe snake bite ?
Was the mud sled N24 glider act in the 80s?

nah Tinny, that was the 90's .. pre the FSC closure ..

GREAT THREAD BTW ... having a nice little wander down memory lane! :cool:

Oh thanks Voice :ok:
Hmmm ...who could ferget "The Pom" ?

God there ARE some funny stories,but no way would I relate them without my lawyer being present http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...thlaughter.gif

I remember a certain instructor cleaning out Ozzie's waiting room with half a canister of BOC De-odour-gas. with a sleeping Betty getting most of it squirted up her dress! or
When Ozzie asked me to paint feet on the scales so the locals would stand on them properly. I did, PT. Keats style...3 toes on one foot and 6 on the other. He didn't see the humour in it!

Does old Karl out at MGD, realise the theee war is over.

A few other names from that era, "Spinner" that used twist spanners and also do some flying for Executive Airlines when John Weymouth owned it, Penny Hannrahan likewise flew for Executives, Dean Marshall that flew for Tillair.

Air North operating a Bandeirante for a short while, likewise operating a couple of Citations down to Tanami when the Conquest's where in for hot sections.
Air Norths fleet of C310 VH-ANW/SGL C402C ANO/UCD/E

Only ever see the CAA guys in the dry season.

Barry Lodge from CAA flying the Lloyd's F28 on the AD-AS-DRW-AS-AD run.

Tillair guys leaving after Air North taking over and most going to Hazellton's.

Tillair operating one of the first Caravans in Australia.

Royal Bruini operating a B727.

Spinner went off to the sand pit and as far as I know is still there.

Mike Gough did the rounds with Air North, Loyds and Skywest. Retired around 6 months ago from the 717 with NJS.

Does anyone know where John Biffon ended up?
and how about Paul Raggart.

Merv Fowler and his fleet of C210's MJD/KSS/WRD cross hired out to various operators

The other guy Thompson who a couple of C210's as well, including one parked in the scrub at Batchelor.

The Bible Society's C206 BXT?

RENURPP .. Paul Raggart - last I heard, he was happily living on one of the islands from the land of the long white cloud .. wandering around aimlessly on a jet (carried big buck value neddies I think) ..

PS - can confirm Tipsys earlier post re Charles .. fine gentleman he is! Still playing with jets and gliders ..

PPS - and what about the night of the 'bombing of Darwin Terminal' (when the old one shut down and the new one opened) jeeeeeeeze Louise, that WAS a swim thru' .. :bored:

Merv fowler is still in AsA, last seen touring Aust with the Runway incurstion training team.

Mr Thompson was a ex FSO who went into the Video hire buisness, sold out and retired some time agoI am led to belive. The C210 piloted by himself and with one of Dicks apprentices on board went in just off the end of the runway in the tall trees (for the NT). the tail still exists as a monument (of sorts) out side the Parachute club at Batchelor.

Old Karl at MGD, what a ledgend. I did hear a rumour that he was very unwell some time ago. Came from T Davis ex MPA chief pilot, anybody know for sure.

backwards PPRUNER, Biffo was last back in VIC flyin the AERORESCUE Donnier, not quite sure if he is still there. Sam Romano ex NTAS, Pearl and QL may be able to sheed some light on his whereabouts.

remember the opening of the new terminal well, Matt Bammer Fullwood from 75SQN with his very by the book departure in the hornet. TBone the safety officer, king of the bird fright.

I was trying to think of some of the operators who came and went during that time. Starting from the Southern end
Aeroclub
CASA,
Wimray,
Airnorth office,
DGA Hanger with ARNHEMS in the other end,
The helocopter mob, was it Jarrow and thier red headed chief
also in there LLOYD ?? I think
Skywest & AEROMED
and airnorth hanger

Going across the road there was the FSU and Briefing office, what did we use those things for again??

There was a guy who operated some choppers (mustering) and I think had a C421 or similar for a short while, anybody remember him.

And who could forget a pie from the old Airport gates servo.

There was another helicopter mob-West Australian choppers? Jayrow was there to somewhere.

Don't forget the NSCA Bell 412 operating in Darwin for a while.

Flight service better not mention that it could cause certain people anguish.
Always reckon a good FSO was worth his or her weight in green or blue cans, flogging around in remote areas with a Full-sar flight plan was better than nothing. I bet you the NT industry was widely consulted before all the new rules came in the early 1990's!!!!

Don't forget they were the days of operational control, and you were always given updated wx etc.

The CAA guys coming up in the G1000 and the aerodrome guys flying around in the Bonanza

And the NSCA C208, the first one I ever saw. I prefered the sound of those Bell Super Transporters (B??) that used to come in form Troughton, that was one big set of rotor blades.

Remember the night one of the airnorth DC3's took the wing off a RAAF C47 during a thunderstorm.

The exit the Boo game, after the O2 bottle went off, and who could forget that quiet Sat arvo when nothing was happening, except the USAF tanker supporting a flight of 12 F16's on thier way to Townsville went US just morth of Darwin. Suddenly it was raining very dry F16's on the runway, and the duty crew, well that consisted of 1 LAC in shorts and thongs, the base OC in not much different and 10 very lucky AIRTC cadets who just happened to be at the flightline. Ever see the look on the face of USAF pilot when he looks down and sees his marshaller is a 14 year old kid!.

Watching the lightning counter in the old tower clicking over like the second counter on a digital clock, during TS at the field.

Darwin aero Club instructors Micheal Pajman and Peter Stapelton.
What was the callsign of the aero club C210 was it FOZ?
Got to do a BFR with Ron Lawford at one stage.

Keyser (ex Wimray)... some years back was QF longhaul living in Brisbane.

..."Rage at the Cage" when "Lims" really was a cage, with live bands and no dress standard :}

The Black Parrott always had a story and beer on the Jabiru Aero Club balcony... with that can-crushing-machine on the wall.

Accom at Kakadu Air was in "the Green Can" in the Jabiru Caravan Park... Darwin company car for pilots was a green Galant with small Kak-Air stickers on the doors, which I got pulled over in one night heading out to "Darby's" and the Cops laughed when mentioning it wasn't mine but a company car...:)

An Amann Aviation Commander sat for years in the weeds at the end of Rwy36... looked like they built the Nth GA out of it's way/around it :}


LMC:
Yeh, Paj went for that new airline "AAA" and got into SQ as a cadet. Now on B777 and I think a CMD now.

Heard IBJ retired late last year at 70.

Don't forget the Kakadu Air company car always ran best on a 100 octane. avgas.
Whenever I borrowed it to slip into the big smoke for an hour or so, I always stuck a bit of avgas in her from the aeroplane, a bloke doesn't want to be accused of being dishonest.

Merv
 

Merv moved from DN to CS and was ATC boss there for some years, then moved to CB and up the ladder a bit. Had his a/c down there also. He was manager Towers (oz wide) when he left AsA about 2 yrs ago (retired or package??). I think he is still in the ACT somewhere (??). A good bloke!

Don't forget the NT airline routes in the 1980's were regulated.
Ansett NT had the main ones.
Air North were allocated so many and Arnhems had most of the routes out to the east like Oenpelli, Maningrida, Goulbourn and Croker Island.
A retired FSO told me that if Ossie had bought a Bandeirante in the early 1980's he would have been given the run to service Narbalek Uranium Mine instead of Pelair. This bloke also had some old movie footage of VH-SAO landing out at Jabiru when the airstrip first opened and flew in the VIP for the mine opening.

DOUBT IT !


The Bandit would not have been able to fill the contract requirements, which included carriage of both pax and product (yellowcake).

Shorts 330 was the only aircraft around at the time that could do that job and I doubt if Ozzie had the resources to acquire one.

KNN arrived from the UK in Dec 80 and started work to NAB in Jan 81. Contract ran till 88. KNO & KNP also did the run in later years.

The contract was won by "Jet Charter Airlines" which later became "Wings Australia" and then Pelair. Same mob, different name (and bank?).

BTI Mission
 

I guess 'Sister Fred' has long gone from the Mission on Bathurst ??

Paj is still with SQ on the B777.

FOC was the aeroclubs C210,
MHP and JBF were the PA32 Saratogas
DQE, PZK and BVL PA28 Worriers
SWB PA28R II and NIS which replaced SWB after the island prang
LAC C172RG Cutlass and
RZW C150
WTR C182

Also available was the PA34 Seneca UOM, a couple of A36's EUM & ??? and a few other PA32s over the years MAR (RIP), OHM, AOP,

Ozzie had
FCH C172
FCQ C172 the one that pranged out at the research farm
FCI C172R
JMF C182
Remember Robert T and John K

Wimray
FTP, PYC, and KJE PA32 300

It wasn't all beer and prawns.

The attitude taken by many Air North people when Mandy D returned left a sour taste in my mouth.

The satay chicken rolls from Winellie Bakery - delicious.:)
Dinner at the sailing club watching the sunset.
Sailing races where you had to anchor at the mark waiting for the seabreeze to kick in - until then the tidal flow was way too strong for the breeze :mad:
Maranga pub - Tuesday or was it Thursday lunchtime :ok::ok:
B52s using curvature of the earth to get airborne.
Being able to bowl massive in/outswingers at indoor cricket due humidity - think it nearly rained inside.
RAAF Approach controllers vectoring aircraft when the radar was off for maintenance :=:=:=
The markets - all of them were pretty good
The great variety of restaurants
Airconditioning in Casuarina Shopping centre - all the women got your attention.
Plenty of great memories, but that will do for now.

Heady days indeed.

Arrmunda airways and the accountant who was bleeding the Gagaju Aboriginal Association dry that owned. Steve ? CP.

George Washington CP Air North when Hardy was running the show. His daughter had big assets - Jane.

Ron Malavisi - Top bloke. New him when he was in Lloyds

Paul Ragget - He was over here in the pit doing his 777 endorsement. Tried to get him out for last years OZ day doo and he had pissed off already.

Mark Kapusta - saw his name on the joiners list here and has also gone.

Ron B... Last saw him in the Derby 1995 doing a check on some-one.

Weymouth J worked for him for a while Not sure what he is doing now.

Amman - Their ex -CP works for EK now on the bus.

Eddie Keen - anyone know?

Miller Bob - Flew RNL a few times. What a pleasure - as far as he thought. Never stayed over!!!!

John Biffo. Last l heard (10 years now) with Skywest

Spinner is with EK and still instructing on the 777

Penny Hanerahan came over here for interviews and did very well apparently though it was vetoed from above as they did not hire chicks back then.

Kerry P. What is he up to now?

Peter Condon - Top bloke went down to Nowra towing targets ex 75th. Is he doing well?

Have to stop and getting too emotive:{

halas

Steve Styles! Hey? Now what happened to him?

halas

Animal Hospital
 

Marg Fuller....NTAMS Flight Nurse in the Nomads when Air North had the contract. Marg was still there with Pearl in the early 2000s I think.

Marg often used to bring one or two small fury friends on the flights (in an esky, wrapped in sox).

Eddie K is with Jet* (A320 C&T) I think
Stuart A (Ex Air Nth,Police AW, Arnhem), RFDS WA
Chris (Wagners, Falcon, B200,R44)

fp
I did , still chuckling.That would have been too subtle for Ozzy.

Remember "Blacky"? around the aviation scene for years .Refueler ,observer for NTAW, ran the radio and office on Troughton (Troffton) for Lloyds.Never drank beer unless the day ended with a "Y" Now in CNS.
NTAW at the end of its days operated a B200 for Ansett NT Alice to the Rock. It would have provided jobs but the feds wouldnt allow it to be crewed by anyone other than dads army from DN so it was shelved.
The mighty Tracker parked by the fence? And the Connellan Heron.Henke ferried it south somewhere.

Have a good Orstaya day
Or Invasion Day if you like.:ok:

The Skyport V Airnorth cricket match.Skyport was operating C441 LEM on the centre run and Shorts 330 HUS was going to Truscot or was it Troughton island.
I made the trophy for the cricket match C210 prop blade and a cricket ball stuck to it and i think its still in Airnorths offices today.John Hardy had the BBQ and KEG trailer parked on the boundry.Best cricket match ever and yes Skyport were the victers!!The match did end up in a all in brawl and i remeber ankle tapping someone from behind.When i hepled him up spitting grass from his mouth that it was John Hardy.Not long after that Roger and John took over Airnorth.
WMP and TET were purchase by Airnorth and ended up in ASP.TET was painted and sold before entering service to a guy who walked in of the street and WMP is still going strong for Chartair,C210s TFF,LTB,WMP,IDZ,NQP all have over 20.000 hours on them.VH-HZL will shortly go back into service.C402s TZH and TFM(back in TNK aeromed)and CAJ doing mailruns out west and to Kalgoolie

Now with QF - 737 Capt

If that is the Kerry P that used to be one of Ozzie's CPs, then he is a QF Capt on the 747-400 Married Chris Hayes, mentioned previously

Recently retired I understand (??)


Then there was the pub over the road, in Winnellie, in the street just back from the Shell station - they used to have strippers there on Thur evenings. If you wore more than stubbies, singlet and thongs, you were over dressed. They used to clean the place with a fire hose at the end of the nite. A bit like the "cage" without the bars!!

What about the night that Trev took a bet and flew his r/c chopper down from DGA to the aero club and landed it on the beer table under that big tree.

Hodgy thought he could up the attendance at the club on some nights by having a topless barmaid ! Not apreciated by all the members I recall, but there were lots of drinkers.

yeah - good thread

There was a Kerry P that nearly backed the LLoyds 212 over the bund into the drain during a ground run. Went to Air North then to parts unknown. Always angry and not shy of letting loose a stream of expletives in front of women. Not sure he was ever an Arnhems chief pilot though. The two prior to me were Nick Buckvic (for a couple of weeks) and the infamous Warren (worth another thread!)

KP still with Air North I thought?

Kerry Pearce was CP with Ozzie early 80's. Then went to Port Lincoln and ADL.
Now with QF.

Seems like there is another KP ??

the luminary KP from Airnorth used to be at the Police AW must be pretty close to 'retiring' from there!

Lords know he's been talking about it forever!

Yep, not sure he would have the "social skills" for QF....But then they did take Warren! Now there is a larrikin He called me up there in the first place, I had not long been out of "the dept" and when I got to Arnhems and sat down in the waiting room next to an old bloke who was slanging off at them. I agreed with him and he aked what I did before flying. I told him I wan an FSO but had enough of the Dept and told them to shove it. He turned to Warren and told him to give me a job! Two things he hated, the dept. and anybody who crossed his runs.

The KP i'm talking about was Kerry Provis.

The (in)famous KP has gracefully slid into retirement. Apparently has left Darwin for pastures unknown.

Wazza another one of Ossies CP, left to go to Qantas.
Didn't he get thumped or bashed at a night club down in Sydney while doing his Qantas ground school?

Kerry Provis is flying the ERJ170, I don't think he will be retiring just yet. Kerry sets a very high high standard, might have a mouth like a sewer but he will keep get the jet operation squeaky clean.

A few of the Tillair aces were a bit filthy when Roger Leach bought the business from John Tilley, after all the Tillair pilots were all superior to Skyport scum. Remember no one would fly the Caravan when they first got it, bet a few Tillair boys used to get dark having to fly the C207 VH-UBW out to Groote with fresh meat on one John's little contracts.

SKywest you had no real chance unless daddy was a senior Ansett skipper.

Greg Hardy was a boy on the hangar floor at Airnorth, and a pretty good spanner man.

I bet Airnorth were dark they had sold VH-CAN in early 1989, would have been a money making machine in the dispute.