Odd question, but what type of seatbelt arrangment did the early 185s have? Just lap sash or did they have a shoulder inertial belts as well?

Cheers

Easy.Lap sash type

I'll bet this brings back some memories!!!



New function on PPRuNe, released a couple of hours ago! :ok:

Good, innit?

good stuff guys some real flying

Hats off to the bloke who flew and held the camera in the second movies.
Pity the bold and daring of today break their necks to get into somethin' with computers and seem to think that real AEROPLANES aren't worth wasting their time on.

Coupla "snaps" from the olden days of some of the steeds being mentioned.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g3...relic/c185.jpg

Chuckles idea or a real areoplane. Pod and no spats.


http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g3...ic/ewotter.jpg
Brian McCook was chuffin from Mendi to Hagen soon after he brought GKR into the country.
He was somewhat surprised to find a bloody great DC-3 zooming past his left hand side and across his bows by the old sinner below.
Brian made a transmission of a nature that the D.C. Publication No. 46 Section 2, paragraph 6 forbade.
He couldn't help the swearword or two because he was so chuffed at being in the place where we could get away with this sort of thing.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g3...rrierogers.jpg
Barrie Rogers

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g3...ic/merpati.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g3...srelic/pby.jpg

That last photo brings back memories of my first flight within PNG - Port Morbid to Samarai on the "Sunbird Service" Catalina. Must have been around 1963 or 1964? The old girl sat at the amphibian base for a long time until sold to Bill Chapman's museum for a reputed one shilling.

I heard it ended up in New Zealand and is flying again?

Last I heard McChook moved from Queensland to Tasmania and is not well.

Torres.
Somewhere else in here (pprune) someone said the Cat is almost complete to static standards in N.Z.
When I found that picture lastnight, I was looking for a slide taken in 1977 (My cousin's) of the old girl wearing a sign saying she was off to N.Z.
I visited Mac a few years back in the Brisbane valley and he was'nt exactly jumpin' over fences then. I've heard he's crook too. I'll check with a bloke who knows these things later today.
I visited him, Jim Sinclair and a couple of old prewar people from N.G. trying to see if any could identify places on a bunch of home movies my uncle took in 1940 to 42. They're on Early Years - Papua New Guinea Aviation
Brian had a magic VHS tape of his adventures flying a Cat all over the world for a documentary. Bloody glorious thing painted white with red and blue that looked better than a painting when moored in the Amazon and amongst icebergs in the Arctic. It was something to do with Peter Stuyvesant cigarettes. Who remembers them?... "the most popular cigarettes in the world" the American voice told us from the black and white TV while there was the backdrop of sophistigated Noo Yorkers smokin' 'em like they were the only cigarette in the States. I had a yank visit me about 1970 and he asked how you pronounce it when he saw a billboard... Haa!
I asked Brian if I could get a copy of that tape, but his recorder was playing up and he was scared the tape could get eaten and it was the only one he had. He was also a bit wary of any recorders, so he wasn't keen on me bringing mine to his place and doing a copy.
He said it was hard work as the crew were working hard after and before flight while the cameramen and others sloped off to the accommodation ans settled down for a beer.
I am sucking the contents out of the brains of another old bloke, friend of me' father who went to Wau in 1935 and became the only engineer there with A,B,C and D licenses. He went on to own Muir Airways in Darwin and Perth.
He's the only living, Flight Engineer left from the Qantas Cat fleet, that flew the Indian ocean, Perth to Columbo.
Tells great stories which I taped and now I regularly ring him to get more bits.
They initially were so overloaded (Till dump valves were fitted) that they couldn't hold altitude on one engine for the first ten hours. No wonder they didn't go much above 1500 feet for the trip.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g3...relic/C180.jpg

AND don't forget this.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g3...elic/carib.jpg

I can remember watching some beaut home movies of that very Booboo in the Corney house in Madang sixtiesrelic. They should be kept for posterity as well mate :ok:

Great news Mr Fantome :ok:
There may be some early copies of Windsock still about? :rolleyes:

I either didn't know or forgot about them Tinny.
I'll get onto him. He gave me the photos of the Boo.

Fantome, see if you can get a copy of the Catelina tape he has. Mentioned it here of on one of the other threads.

Its been a while, but is the Boo posed on Omkali?

Aircraft Pics
 

Does anyone out there have more pics of the Ansett Mal Caribou and Sunbird Cessnas that can be used for model aeroplane references?
Thanks in advance

cheers
wal

An interesting pic of old crates at Kainantu 1953
I never applied to Laurie for a job. I dont think I had the right stuff to handle his "fleet" :uhoh:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y15...u_airstrip.jpg

Photo: Harry West Ex Kiap - past Papua New Guinea Patrol Officers - PNG Past and Present

Historic photo tinpis. I remember Harry West as DC somewhere, but can't recall where. May have been Eastern Highlands before Jim Sinclair?

sixtiesrelic, does McChook mention his beer glass eating trick? :}

Went to Danny Leahy's funeral a few weeks ago. All the old timers were there - Peter Howard, Neil Latimer, Jim Sinclair, Brian Costello, Paul Bolger, Bob Oatley and a plethora of others whose names I forget now.

There was an "A Nesbit" listed in the Queensland Whitepages and a few months ago I tried to call the number a few times but got no answer. Checked this morning and the number is gone from the Whitepages. I wonder if GHOC is also gone?

Torres, I'm pretty sure GHOC's surname was spelt Nisbet.

Last heard of in Cairns.

:)

Torres.
No, I only visited him once, but Fantome is in contact with him and is sucking out his memories,

FWIW amazed this old bugger still exists :uhoh:

http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1093503F.jpg

Tinny, was that the one whos lost prop chopped the boom?

Not sure where Corney took the Boo photo.

I think that one is still in a Hagen garden 60's
It sure looks like Omkalai to me but its been so long hmmm ..it could be Wanera? I dunno....
Omkalai in a Boo would be exciting

Wheres Feather #3 ? :hmm:

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g3...elic/carib.jpg

Cessna 185 P2- MFU
 

G'day CC
New Oz owner of MFU would like to contact you - very interested in the aircrafts history. If you are interested just send your email address to me:-
[email protected]

Not sure I would be that much help. I flew it a few times on my days off for then owner, Brian Bromley (Bensbach Lodge), in the early 90s - it was an ex MAF machine - Brian had it worked on in Australia (by his son?) before bringing it back to PNG - it was flipped upside down over running a strip in the Western Province (Morehead?) - re exported to Australia and that is about it.

Pic taken at Arufi rescuing P2-DEQ

http://www.fototime.com/{F92CAB5F-D0...t/MFUARUFI.JPG

Is MFU back in the air?

P2-MFU today
 

Hey there, I thought you might be interested to know the current status of MFU. It is currently at Lismore NSW where restoration has just started with Aero Enterprise. I expect it to be completed in 12-18 months. If I can work out how to insert or copy some pictures, I show you.

On a similar note P2 TAC/TNC ex new tribes ex transnuigini airways should have its rebuild complete now in Australia.
What happened to MFX from Manabada air after Mac died?

MAF C185's
 

http://www.frednolan.com/images/stor...E/thumbs/C.jpg

http://www.frednolan.com/images/stor.../thumbs/C7.jpg

http://www.frednolan.com/images/stor...s/A185E_02.jpg

http://www.frednolan.com/images/stor...s/A185E_01.jpg

Have you ever seen any articles on MAF operation's in PNG ? How many MF registered C180/185 were up there over time. I know from one ex-MAF pilot that by end of 1984, there was 4 remaining 185's: MFF, MFU, MFW and MFX, with MFF being the oldest. MFU last log book entry was 25 August 1990 when operated by Brian and Jillian Bromley (Tonda Trading) at Bensbach Lodge. He purchased it around August 1987 and I'm told never got to take it home straight away as he/his pilot pranged it doing a type check with MAF prior to delivery. It had 9404 TT on it by 1990 and whilst having work done on the fuselage following the accident CC refer's to at Moorehead, it has been in storage via several owners until 6 July, when I picked it up and took it to Lismore. This week should see it standing on it's leg's again ... very exciting.

For anyone wondering where MFU was parked in the PNG pictures above, they were taken by a ex-MAF pilot at Bunapas, a strip along the Ramu River in Madang Province.

I had another ex-MAF/Catholic Church (Fr Jeromy Flynn) 185 which was P2-BAM which I restored and operated at Moree NSW for years. It was sold in 1989 and is now in Invercargil NZ, where I saw it a couple of years ago. It had over 10,000 TT talking to the Kiwi owner. At the time I bought BAM, Fr Flynn offered me the 2 185's he had, BAM and BAF for $10k ! I bought BAM for $6k and thought "why the heck would I want 2 of them !".

I'm collecting and recording as much info on MFU I can find, so would appreciate any pictures you guy's have upstairs, or any recollections of flying the plane in your day/day life. Apart from Avionics, I'm thinking of presenting it back in original MAF colours (Tiger Yellow), but may also do it up as a personal aircraft. Does anyone know where I could locate a Cessna Cargo Pod for her ?

MFX was purchased by Simbu aviation and ground looped at Mt Hagen during endorsement training of Simbu's first pilot. Simbu Holdings then bought BAF and MFX was in one of the sheds in the Simbu Holdings compound (right opposite my house) when I started there a couple of years later - BAF being my first PNG command. MFX was purchased some years later by Mac Lee and is now being restored in Australia too.

BAF and BAM were both ex Bouganville aircraft.

If you can give some serial numbers, I can possibly provide you with some info on these machines.

185.

Serial Numbers
 

MFU is A185E-01915

Memories..................I did some work on those Bog-air machines way, way back when!

Makes sense.:ok:

149 18501915 01915 MFU -1 ATR 185 3/02/1972 03 02 1972 Missionary Aviation Fellowship Mt HagenPNG Ex N70046

150 18501915 01915 MFU -1 SOR 185 2/05/1974 02 05 1974 Transferred to Papua New Guinea civil register as

152 18501915 01915 OWZ -2 ATR 185 23/09/2004 23 09 2004 Tableland Topdressing Pty Ltd 91 Arundel Drive ArmidaleNSW Ex P2-MFU, VH-MFU (1)

From my records.
Something don't quite add up there.

MAF 185's under P2 registration
 

From my list:-
P2-AWM, 185-0551, from 11.02.1975 to 05.11.1984, to VH-AWM
P2-MFA, 185-0699, from 01.05.1974 to 02.12.1975, to P2-BAF
P2-MFB, 185-0762, from 25.07.1974 to 23.02.1976, to VH-MFB
P2-MFF, 185-0934, from 02.05.1974 to 25.10.1976, to VH-MFF, then back
P2-MFF from 28.01.1977 to 29.09.1982, damaged (no details available)
P2-MFS, 18501780, from 15.05.1974 to 02.12.1975 to P2-BAM
P2-MFU, 18501915, from 02.05.1974 to ????, to VH-OWZ
P2-MFW, 18501991, from 02.05.1974 to ????, damaged 26.04.1983. reported to Australia by 18.11.1983, no further details available.
P2-MFX, 18502146, from 01.05.1974 to ????, to VH-MFX
P2-WET, 185-0497, from 01.05.1974 to 20.07.1976, crashed (water Bird)
The dates I have listed, to the best of my knowledge, are service dates with MAF. I read where MAF started Bougainville Air Services, but do not have an exact date, was prior to the a/c being re-reg as P2-BA., and the date the business was sold is also required, if anybody can help.

If you visit the MAF Australia web site, you can order a 'free' book about PNG ops, very good read.

Question, wings still with P2-MFU, was this a/c not actually flown or airworthy as VH-OWZ ? VH-OWZ cancelled from the rgister on 14 July!

MAF sold the commercial operation of the airline on Bougainville to Bougainville Development Corporation.I flew for them in 1976 and Bougainville Air Services was already under the control of BDC.The 2 185's were P2-BAF and BAM.

re P2-WET


WET 1850497 50497 ATR 8/01/1968 Floatplane Charter Pty Ltd Moorabbin Airport CheltenhamVIC Ex JZ-PTE, PK-MPE, N1697Z
WET 1850497 50497 CO 19/09/1969 Missionary Aviation Fellowship PO Box 52 Box HillNSW
WET 1850497 50497 CTT 13/10/1969 Cessna A185E
WET 1850497 50497 CTF 13/10/1969 Missionary Aviation Fellowship PO Box 52 Box HillVIC 185A. Continental IO-470 replaced by IO-520
WET 1850497 50497 SOR 1/05/1974 Transferred to Papua New Guinea civil register as

VH-MFU or VH-OWZ
 

01915 has been stored in one fashion or another since 1990 when it pranged operated by Bensbach Lodge. I'm not aware of it flying in any form or rego since then. The Aust rego MFU was still available in June 2010 and I have since reserved it to put back on the aircraft when flyable, probably 2011/12. I think MFU has been available for allocation for some considerable time, I recall.

I can't relate what the OWZ reference is. Unless that was reserved by a prior owner for it but never used ?

Placed on the PNG register 2 May 1974 stacks up good, as the log books have a ref saying the P2-MFU designation by April 1976.

Wings for MFU
 

If you look at the pic's I attached earlier, you'll see MFU's wings stacked up.

OWZ seems to have disappeared from the register sometime over the last few years.
It was under rebuild at or near Armidale, and belonged to one of the Ag blokes there, I think.

Who did you buy it from?

185.

[I]I]
and a Islander if I recall. I was last on the island in '75/'76.