GA flying in PNG
 

I am looking at doing a private (fixed wing, single engine) tour around New Guinea. Does anyone have any advice, experience, do's and don'ts regarding flying in PNG

Check your insurance very carefully, not a good idea for inexperienced pilots.

Jet A1
 

Better be a turbine single engine aircraft or else you won't get very far.
Avgas is hard to find throughout PNG these days unfortunately

Go armed.
Stay out of the Highlands.
Turbine power, unless you have a mogas STC,
Did I mentioned go armed.

Cheers

Don't!

The three previous Posters also gave good advice. And IMHO, in rising order of importance.

Going armed does however have its downpoints! If you go armed, you must be prepared to use those arms if necessary. Because if you are not prepared to do so and hesitate, those arms will be very likely taken off you, with extreme violence at that, and used against you!

Well, that is how it was about 25 years ago anyway...

Thanks for advice. Think I'll throw another dart at the map

Me too
 

I asked the same question a couple of years ago. I got similar replies and crossed PNG off the list.

But what is on the list is Horn and Thursday Islands. All my home work suggests these are good places to visit.

Not quite correct...........Avgas is impossible to find in PNG these days. NCA recently had their piston fleet grounded for about 3 weeks due no Avgas, and MAF reportedly import their own Avgas from Singapore.

Heavens forbid, I don't know what travel guides you read! :hmm:

My advice would be not to take everything you read on PPrune as gospel. PNG, Cape York and the Torres Straits are beautiful parts of the world in their own right, living and working in these places may cause people to become jaded and biased against them.

I would have thought that with a good amount of planning, anything would be possible. PNG obviously has its difficulties with Avgas but that's not to say it can't be done. Some research into options, potentially having 3 or 4 205L drums forwarded for you by one of the aviation companies and stored by one of the local shipping companies (or a local company run by someone you can trust). Everything is for sale at a price. Of course, there will be hiccups so you better be prepared to wait a while or pay a lot, but I would just about guess that it would be the most memorable flying trip of your life should you go. You'll just need to do a LOT of research, both cultural and logistical.

FWIW, I'm talking about the coastal regions, Milne Bay and New Britain, not the highlands BTW.

If you were determined to do it and stated as much. I'm sure you'd get a lot of help from those on PPrune with contacts in PNG.

Well, no Sir. I lived in PNG for 23 years and loved the place. Also lived and worked for some time on Cape York and Horn Island and that too was a beautiful part of Australia.

Apart from drinking at the Wongai and visiting the museum at the Gateway Torres Strait Resort, there really isn't anything else to do on Horn Island. A few sights to see on Thursday Island, less than one day. Visiting the outer islands requires Island Council approval and there are a few islands in the Straits one should avoid for a variety of reasons. Accommodation on the outer islands ranges from "problematic" and "difficult" to "impossible".

Indeed, very beautiful parts of PNG. But without knowing the original poster's aviation experience, fraught with danger for the inexperienced or unwary.

Before venturing beyond Port Moresby any pilot with no PNG experience must obtain a very full and detailed briefing from an experienced PNG pilot or preferably take a current experienced PNG pilot with him. A lot of experienced PNG pilots have ended their careers in Milne Bay and New Britain, often due to sudden tropical weather patterns, resulting in rapidly diminishing options.

If this makes any difference- 1500 hr PIC (all single engine) 400 hr IFR and 50 hrs night ��

Night and IFR won't help much. How are you with lowest safe up to FL155 and weather that changes in a heart beat? :}

Good luck with your travels. :ok:

Some years ago we had tour groups of GA single & twin engine aircraft (at least 6 or more) arriving into PNG from Australia (at least once a year) I remember them arriving in Goroka and Madang and I can't remember any of them having any problems so I guess travelling as group was the way to go back then avgas availability was not a problem I remember one year a German rego Turbine Beech A36 with winglets joining the tour.

They were led by Bob Bates of Trans Niugini Tours who owns a Beech Baron P2-BOB. Bob made sure they were adequately briefed and the tour was very well organised.

I recall the turbine Bonanzas, they had Allison 250 turbines and an extended nose leg to accommodate the big prop! :ok:

If you stay out of the Highlands you could do a solo mission. Horn Island to POM via Daru or non-stop and then coastal to Alotau, China Strait and Losuia for the famous crabs.

Then head to Tufi for some diving and continue to Lae/Nadzab. Refuel there and go via the Markham Valley (very wide) to Madang and continue coastal to Wewak and Vanimo.

If the weather is good then head over the hills back to Kiunga and then to Horn Island.

From Lae/Nadzab you can also reach the New Guinea Islands which are also very picturesque - the hills aren't that high either over there.
Nice places for diving and fishing are Kimbe (Hoskins), Rabaul and Kavieng. There is also a fishing resort down in Gasmata but I am not sure if that is still going.

If you wanna head up the Highlands I would ask someone at the MAF to tag along for a donation. Goroka, Mt Hagen and Tari are some good places to visit; especially during their annual shows.

As it has been pointed out before - AVGAS is the biggest problem, NVFR is not permitted in PNG and STAY OUT OF CLOUD at all times!!!

Enjoy and lukaut long antap (be careful in the Highlands)
AB

P.s.: If I had the time I'd come with you - maybe when I am retired ;)
P.p.s.: I get a bit emotional typing this post - I had the time of my (GA) life in PNG.

Thanks AQIS Boigu for "insider" knowledge.
Still feeling hot and cold on flight to PNG. Great suggestion to grab one of the MAF pilots.

You are welcome - one more thing...make sure you have a functioning HF with the correct frequencies in your plane since VHF coverage is very poor up there.

I would recommend a visit to Horn Island and Thursday Island. You probably don't want to spend more than a couple of days there but the WW2 history of there is interesting and not that widely known. And the flight up and back is great,the east and west sides of the cape are very different.

I recently read an article (can't remember where and Google can't find it online) about Paul Bennett Airshows being invited to give a display in PNG.
The article covered the logistics of flying a small fleet of airshow planes to/from PNG including having the TBM Avenger carry fuel drums in its bomb bay!