AIRFAST photo thread
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 880
Likes: 225
From: Australia
Airfast Helicopter Photos & Articles
Reallyoldfart, your post seeking a thread with photos of Airfast / HUPL helicopters has pricked my interest. I am not a pilot, only a helicopter enthusiast. Like you, I would be keen to see more photos posted of the early days of commercial helicopter ops in Australia (before my time).
For those interested, the November 1971 issue of the Australian "Aircraft" magazine had a fairly extensive coverage of Airfast / HUPL with numerous photos of helicopters that made up their fleet. Airfast advertisement in that issue indicates at the time they has 104 aircraft in Australia, PNG, Fiji, Indonesia, Korea and Singapore.
Front and back cover of DCA's Aviation Safety Digest No.86 of September 1973 also showed Airfast rig support Bell 205's.
Pictures of Airfast helos also sometimes appeared in general books about Australia.
For those interested, the November 1971 issue of the Australian "Aircraft" magazine had a fairly extensive coverage of Airfast / HUPL with numerous photos of helicopters that made up their fleet. Airfast advertisement in that issue indicates at the time they has 104 aircraft in Australia, PNG, Fiji, Indonesia, Korea and Singapore.
Front and back cover of DCA's Aviation Safety Digest No.86 of September 1973 also showed Airfast rig support Bell 205's.
Pictures of Airfast helos also sometimes appeared in general books about Australia.
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,383
Likes: 1
From: ...in view of the 'Southern Cross' ...
Mmmm ...
Peter .... Randy Mains is still going strong ... he just hit the magic 65 and now is a 'sim instructor' in the middle east .... he has an interesting web site up at
Randy Mains | Welcome to RandyMains.com
Cheers
Peter .... Randy Mains is still going strong ... he just hit the magic 65 and now is a 'sim instructor' in the middle east .... he has an interesting web site up at
Randy Mains | Welcome to RandyMains.com
Cheers
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: adelaide
HeliTrans and Airfast in PNG info please
I am ex Digicon Exploration Limited in Western District of PNG back in the early to mid 70's.
Interested in pics etc from Kiam River, Strickland River, Lake Murray, Kiunga and Moorehead River explorations.
John Wood name rings a bell, as does, Randy Mains, Mike Adsett, Terry "Liklik" Hansen, Rex Budd and many more whose names escape me.
Alain Tierbas ?? (Frenchman).
And the pilot who collected self and one other from Efogi, Kokoda, about same time. Ill fated Kokoda Trail walk. The one other turned out to be asthmatic and suffered breathing attack. We both survived the partial walk and the airlift.
Trying to track Eddie Van Ede amongst others.
Kiam and Strickland was with Bell 47's, Lake Murray Jetrangers and alike.
Anyway, would welcome and info and pics.
Thanks
Interested in pics etc from Kiam River, Strickland River, Lake Murray, Kiunga and Moorehead River explorations.
John Wood name rings a bell, as does, Randy Mains, Mike Adsett, Terry "Liklik" Hansen, Rex Budd and many more whose names escape me.
Alain Tierbas ?? (Frenchman).
And the pilot who collected self and one other from Efogi, Kokoda, about same time. Ill fated Kokoda Trail walk. The one other turned out to be asthmatic and suffered breathing attack. We both survived the partial walk and the airlift.
Trying to track Eddie Van Ede amongst others.
Kiam and Strickland was with Bell 47's, Lake Murray Jetrangers and alike.
Anyway, would welcome and info and pics.
Thanks
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 372
Likes: 1
From: Devon
My first sight of a Bell 205 was in 1970 when an Airfast machine landed at Masalembo, Indonesia en-route to Bandjarmisan? Borneo. I was maintaining the Bristow Whirlwind based there, around that time a 47 came through and was lost somewhere in Borneo, does someone have the story?
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
From: across the equator
Oldlae
I recall that subject ( NUH ) Bell 47 crashed somewhere between Banjarmasin and Balikpapan, the pilot reportedly survived the crash but was killed by the Dajaks for his Rolex watch.
The moral of this story is that one better buy a 15 SGD Casio rubber strap watch ( jam karet ) and live to read the time.
Masalembo. Those were the days......
I recall that subject ( NUH ) Bell 47 crashed somewhere between Banjarmasin and Balikpapan, the pilot reportedly survived the crash but was killed by the Dajaks for his Rolex watch.
The moral of this story is that one better buy a 15 SGD Casio rubber strap watch ( jam karet ) and live to read the time.
Masalembo. Those were the days......
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 943
Likes: 0
From: Gold Coast, Queensland
Sad to see photos of the late Keith Angel in Randy's web site. I believe Keith had a slow death from a brain tumour in Townsville many years ago now. Had a great time camping in the bush with him in the mid 60s on a gravity survey.
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Medowie NSW Australia
Hi Peter
Peter spoor rang me.. and said that some one was looking for me. on this site...
Yeah Still at iot 65 yrs now. and contracting for my self....
I have lot of photos to post of Airfast but not use as to how on this site, still trying to work it out
My email is [email protected]
Eddy Van Ede
Yeah Still at iot 65 yrs now. and contracting for my self....
I have lot of photos to post of Airfast but not use as to how on this site, still trying to work it out
My email is [email protected]
Eddy Van Ede
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
From: Indonesia
Old Timers
Peter Imlay, Mike Adsit worked with me in NUH in Indonesia for many years. Left in about 99, he did some odd jobs in the SEA area for a few years, now spends his time in Southern Philippines, and sometimes Thailand.
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
From: Indonesia
BedakSrewet
The story of the lost Bell 47 was folklore in NUH early days. I heard it was the watch that was the undoing of the bad guys. They were flashing it around and it attracted attention as a reward was offered to locate the aircraft.
A brand new 205A-1 was also lost on a ferry via Masalembo, ran out of gas and landed, was being towed by local fishermen (on fixed floats), one rope broke and the machine went sideways and rolled over.
A brand new 205A-1 was also lost on a ferry via Masalembo, ran out of gas and landed, was being towed by local fishermen (on fixed floats), one rope broke and the machine went sideways and rolled over.
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: TUMBARUMBA
Girl With MGB, And Darwin 1971.
Hi Eddy, You might not remember way back in 1971 you were trying to fix a very nice young ladys MGB (in Brighton Le Sands?) and I came along and said the timing was 180degrees out, and you cursed me, did you do any good?. Have not seen you since, then I went to Darwin to work on the Frelon and the S61. Anyone out there know what happened to Kurt Neilsen, the best S61 Engineer ever! ex Darwin circa 1971. Flying to the Sedco 135 and the Zaparta gas rigs in the timor sea. We also lost the S58T in Darwin harbour! Anyone remember? Contact Email- [email protected]
Last edited by UNIFORMHOTELKILO; 26th August 2013 at 12:25. Reason: More Details
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Melbourne
AIRFAST Guys,
does anyone recall an Alouette 3 which was painted in pseudo RAAF markings as A2-325 / Z-19. It was apparently used in a kids feature film in the 1970s.
I had a feeling it was an ex PNG machine with a P2- rego..
Any help gratefully received.
JJ
does anyone recall an Alouette 3 which was painted in pseudo RAAF markings as A2-325 / Z-19. It was apparently used in a kids feature film in the 1970s.
I had a feeling it was an ex PNG machine with a P2- rego..
Any help gratefully received.
JJ
