Stay away from the worst company in PNG and most likely the world.
The day I last saw him was not the day of the accident, and he was working for a different operator to the one being discussed here. What I said above is what happened, because I was there and spoke to him directly. His destination that day was Goroka, and he was under time pressure to catch a PX flight to Lae.
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The last time I saw Peter he arrived in very bad weather in a VFR helicopter with a HF radio and other things that weren't working, was white as a ghost because he said he almost lost it out over the sea. Whilst refuelling I offered him an overnight at my base, but he decided against it and took off in the same weather towards the mountains. He said he was under time pressure to get back to Lae, which I understood to be for family reasons. I'm quite sure that particular employer wouldn't expect a pilot to push on into bad weather like that.
If offered a job there is no harm in going and making your own assessment. A bit like the weather, if it looks a bit iffy it's still worth taking off and having a look for yourself. I have never worked for the company the subject of this discussion. My only direct interaction is what I mentioned earlier.
And regarding that licensing thing: I don't know how things stand today, but I would be very surprised if you could work in PNG as a helicopter pilot without either a validation of a foreign license, or a PNG license. And about the work permit, yes, it is what it is and I wouldn't be surprised if there were pilots working in PNG on tourist visas. And on the aspect of taxes, I know some funny business can happen there. If you are working in PNG the employer must give you a tax certificate (from memory, at the end of each calendar year, and on cessation of employment) stating the salary earned and the taxes deducted from salary. If an employer won't give you a tax certificate it's a sure bet the taxes that have been deducted from salary have not been remitted where they are supposed to go.
If offered a job there is no harm in going and making your own assessment. A bit like the weather, if it looks a bit iffy it's still worth taking off and having a look for yourself. I have never worked for the company the subject of this discussion. My only direct interaction is what I mentioned earlier.
And regarding that licensing thing: I don't know how things stand today, but I would be very surprised if you could work in PNG as a helicopter pilot without either a validation of a foreign license, or a PNG license. And about the work permit, yes, it is what it is and I wouldn't be surprised if there were pilots working in PNG on tourist visas. And on the aspect of taxes, I know some funny business can happen there. If you are working in PNG the employer must give you a tax certificate (from memory, at the end of each calendar year, and on cessation of employment) stating the salary earned and the taxes deducted from salary. If an employer won't give you a tax certificate it's a sure bet the taxes that have been deducted from salary have not been remitted where they are supposed to go.
Regarding getting legal in your own country, the pay advice slip should be sufficient evidence of the taxes paid. However, if working under the radar on a tourist visa and taxes have been deducted from pay, there is no way that money is going to end up where it should.
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I worked for this company for 2 years and in my time the Engineering Manager was diligent and responsible in his work. He was one of the best engineers I have worked with in my 40 plus years in helicopter maintenance overseas from the UK. In that time no parts were fitted without proof of serviceability and fit for purpose. Onto pay and tax, yes a problem. I have 82 E mails on hard drive chasing up pay due to me. Tax, whoever wrote that is right. I paid tax from my billings but received no yearly proof of payment.
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Good find,eyesight.The article is about marine crews working for the mother company. Crew houses flooded at every rain storm and offices infested with rats are what aircrew hat to put up with. Lack of respect for the profession and for anybody on payroll is the norm.
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If you are still trying to work out the name of the company just go Totalloss Aviation and replace the Total with Mano😁
He is as shonky as they come even by PNG standards.
He is as shonky as they come even by PNG standards.
Anyone still trying to work out the name, without success, probably shouldn't be anywhere near a helicopter!
Sure bet that if this wasn't done the taxes deducted from salary were never remitted to IRC. Employees are entitled to lodge an Income Tax Return to claim a tax rebate if they incurred expenses in earning salary income over K200 per year. It sure would open a can of worms should somebody lodge an income tax return to IRC if there was no record of taxes being paid on behalf of that person by their employer.
For the benefit of anybody wishing to claim their tax rebate, download the form from the irc.gov.pg website and send it to the address given. A world of pain might descend on the employer should it be the case that the taxes deducted were not remitted.
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The employee is supposed to complete a Salary or Wages Declaration and give this to the employer before commencing employment. Ordinarily this should be something the company takes care of for all new-hire staff.
Sure bet that if this wasn't done the taxes deducted from salary were never remitted to IRC. Employees are entitled to lodge an Income Tax Return to claim a tax rebate if they incurred expenses in earning salary income over K200 per year. It sure would open a can of worms should somebody lodge an income tax return to IRC if there was no record of taxes being paid on behalf of that person by their employer.
For the benefit of anybody wishing to claim their tax rebate, download the form from the irc.gov.pg website and send it to the address given. A world of pain might descend on the employer should it be the case that the taxes deducted were not remitted.
Sure bet that if this wasn't done the taxes deducted from salary were never remitted to IRC. Employees are entitled to lodge an Income Tax Return to claim a tax rebate if they incurred expenses in earning salary income over K200 per year. It sure would open a can of worms should somebody lodge an income tax return to IRC if there was no record of taxes being paid on behalf of that person by their employer.
For the benefit of anybody wishing to claim their tax rebate, download the form from the irc.gov.pg website and send it to the address given. A world of pain might descend on the employer should it be the case that the taxes deducted were not remitted.
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I knew Peter very well. He and I worked together throughout Malaysia, Indonesia, PNG and Tasmania.
It came as a shock hearing of the accident as I knew him to be a good operator.
The owner of this company was entirely different. When a Hughes 500 crashed during ops in which the pilot was killed, he told the pilot's wife that the insurance she thought her husband had, was for the aircraft, not the pilot and offered her a pittance. When the pilot joined the company, the chief pilot told him that the company provided insurance for him. No point in paying TWO policies, he thought, so he dropped his own.
She tried taking him to court and the media but it didn't work out.
My time in PNG was short fortunately, as my principles had me return to working in OZ.
Peter stayed on and was planning to retire to Queensland when he died.
It came as a shock hearing of the accident as I knew him to be a good operator.
The owner of this company was entirely different. When a Hughes 500 crashed during ops in which the pilot was killed, he told the pilot's wife that the insurance she thought her husband had, was for the aircraft, not the pilot and offered her a pittance. When the pilot joined the company, the chief pilot told him that the company provided insurance for him. No point in paying TWO policies, he thought, so he dropped his own.
She tried taking him to court and the media but it didn't work out.
My time in PNG was short fortunately, as my principles had me return to working in OZ.
Peter stayed on and was planning to retire to Queensland when he died.
Last edited by AEROMEDIC; 13th Nov 2017 at 10:30. Reason: Predictive text
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I knew Peter very well. He and I worked together throughout Malaysia, Indonesia, PNG and Tasmania.
It came as a shock hearing of the accident as I knew him to be a good operator.
The owner of this company was entirely different. When a Hughes 500 crashed during ops in which the pilot was killed, he told the pilot's wife that the insurance she thought her husband had, was for the aircraft, not the pilot and offered her a pittance. When the pilot joined the company, the chief pilot told him that the company provided insurance for him. No point in paying TWO policies, he thought, so he dropped his own.
She tried taking him to court and the media but it didn't work out.
My time in PNG was short fortunately, as my principles had me return to working in OZ.
Peter stayed on and was planning to retire to Queensland when he died.
It came as a shock hearing of the accident as I knew him to be a good operator.
The owner of this company was entirely different. When a Hughes 500 crashed during ops in which the pilot was killed, he told the pilot's wife that the insurance she thought her husband had, was for the aircraft, not the pilot and offered her a pittance. When the pilot joined the company, the chief pilot told him that the company provided insurance for him. No point in paying TWO policies, he thought, so he dropped his own.
She tried taking him to court and the media but it didn't work out.
My time in PNG was short fortunately, as my principles had me return to working in OZ.
Peter stayed on and was planning to retire to Queensland when he died.
..It came as a shock hearing of the accident as I knew him to be a good operator.
The owner of this company was entirely different. When a Hughes 500 crashed during ops in which the pilot was killed, he told the pilot's wife that the insurance she thought her husband had, was for the aircraft, not the pilot and offered her a pittance...
The owner of this company was entirely different. When a Hughes 500 crashed during ops in which the pilot was killed, he told the pilot's wife that the insurance she thought her husband had, was for the aircraft, not the pilot and offered her a pittance...
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Hi alphadog.
How long were you at this company and for what reason did you leave?
Did you have to pay them much for your twin rating?
I see you say you were on for 7 days for 5 months, as a professional pilot would you just not say you were having a whole day off, due to F&D every 7th day or 2 days off every 14 days? Is the law the same for this as in NZ?
How long were you at this company and for what reason did you leave?
Did you have to pay them much for your twin rating?
I see you say you were on for 7 days for 5 months, as a professional pilot would you just not say you were having a whole day off, due to F&D every 7th day or 2 days off every 14 days? Is the law the same for this as in NZ?
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The locals wont get their machetes knives or guns out on a Friday so then you can have your day off as required by the regs. But please advise everyone you are going to have the day off well in advance so the phone doesn't ring telling you to fly and may require some IMC.
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Hi alphadog.
How long were you at this company and for what reason did you leave?
Did you have to pay them much for your twin rating?
I see you say you were on for 7 days for 5 months, as a professional pilot would you just not say you were having a whole day off, due to F&D every 7th day or 2 days off every 14 days? Is the law the same for this as in NZ?
How long were you at this company and for what reason did you leave?
Did you have to pay them much for your twin rating?
I see you say you were on for 7 days for 5 months, as a professional pilot would you just not say you were having a whole day off, due to F&D every 7th day or 2 days off every 14 days? Is the law the same for this as in NZ?
The work requirement and days off etc etc would all be spelled out in the employment agreement, no? Or doesn't this company have employment agreements? There would have to be an employment agreement as part of the work permit application process, unless the pilots are working under the radar on a tourist visa?
And there would be a fatigue management system as part of the ops spec, no?
Unless you're on equal time tours you can't work 7 days straight, or whatever the rule is. If I didn't fly on a particular day for whatever reason I'd write that down as a day off. In all my years in PNG I don't ever remember an instance of a helicopter not flying when there was a job to do because the pilot was on a day off. Even on bases where there was only one pilot and one helicopter.
And there would be a fatigue management system as part of the ops spec, no?
Unless you're on equal time tours you can't work 7 days straight, or whatever the rule is. If I didn't fly on a particular day for whatever reason I'd write that down as a day off. In all my years in PNG I don't ever remember an instance of a helicopter not flying when there was a job to do because the pilot was on a day off. Even on bases where there was only one pilot and one helicopter.