Not how to land ...

[DenisPC9]

TAA had operated a fleet of Bristol Freighters into places like those from the early 60's . Obtained from Pakistan in near new condition. Everything had to be transported by air as roads didn't exist. Qantas operated Junkers in the same role prior.. Nev

That was still the case in the 70s, when I lived there. The PNG Defence Force had a few DC3s that did these runs. When something big had to be moved, the RAAF sent up a C130.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Think I saw Thierrie la Fronde hiding in the trees there.

I watched every episode of "The King's Outlaw"! Loved the forests.

 

 

[poteroo]

There was another Caribou "incident" out of Wewak in 1978 (or 77). It was looking for an airstrip in one of the valleys and found it. Unfortunately it was the wrong valley and once landed, they couldn't get back up.

I was down from Mendi for the weekend and ran into a cousin who was in the RAAF and he was leading the Recovery Party.

There was another RAAF Caribou crash in Laiagam, (Western Highlands, 7000amsl) in the 60s as well. Cant remember exactly when, but they made a go-round and it couldn't quite make the gradient. It was unceremoniously 'parked' on a clear ridgeline and I think everyone walked away. Locals used it as their 'big' meeting haus for many years after.

 

Have included few Tapini pics. The go-round wasn't 'on' once you turned final here, especially as we were usually loaded to the 'gunnels'.

 

 

 

 

 

[poteroo]

TAA had operated a fleet of Bristol Freighters into places like those from the early 60's . Obtained from Pakistan in near new condition. Everything had to be transported by air as roads didn't exist. Qantas operated Junkers in the same role prior.. Nev

I was a cadet didiman, (agricultural officer), at Mt Hagen in 1961, when the very 1st Bristol Freighter arrived from Madang with a surprise cargo. The strip in those days was gravel/mud/rocks and in the middle of what is now the main town area at MH, not down valley where it is now. The new monster lumbered to a stop, and the front clamshell doors opened up, in went a ramp, and down drove a new Land Rover. Well, the valley rang with thousands of voices all whooping and yodelling - they were amazed that this big balus, (bird), could give birth to a Land Rover. There was a near riot - which incidentally, didn't take much to start in those days. What next are these white masters going to do? From then on, the Bristol was known as 'Mama bilong truck'. Ansett later matched TAA with their own BFs but they were never a great success for either company.

 

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

...Here's a vid of me flying to the opening day from Galinat in my old X-Air..

Nice movie Rollball, but something is bugging me. Could you please rig up a proper sleeve between your pitot line and the damned zippie tie!

 

 

[facthunter]

Poteroo they carried D4Caterpillar bulldozers in them If you parked them sideways on a slope loaded, the doors jammed They operated overloaded on PK charts (developmental permitted overload). They also experimented with JATO bottles take off assist. (Time expired to save money). Used after we left PNG by IPEC mainly to Tasmania from Essendon. where icing was a problem. Nev

 

 

[DenisPC9]

Poteroo they carried D4Caterpillar bulldozers in them If you parked them sideways on a slope loaded, the doors jammed They operated overloaded on PK charts (developmental permitted overload). They also experimented with JATO bottles take off assist. (Time expired to save money). Used after we left PNG by IPEC mainly to Tasmania from Essendon. where icing was a problem. Nev

I was in Kundiawa when a C130 landed. Google Kundiawa airstrip

 

When it finally got itself settled, the back of the Herc opened up and out chugged this little bulldozer. As it had been quite a while since a Herc visited us, quite a crowd had gathered. And the looks on the faces of the locals was priceless. There was a sort of collective gasp as the D4 came down the ramp and lots of excited chatter and pointing of fingers.

 

And I reckon more than one of the fellows done up in all his bilas thought that would be a pretty good way to get the jump on his next village raid.

 

 

[Russty]

Is he still up there?? Or did he land uphill version 2?? Would love to know.

 

 

[planedriver]

I love hearing about these blasts from the past.

 

Keep it going guys.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Little bit of a whoopsy. The drop off in the runway doesn't help. Glad I wasn't it. Nev

We have a runway worse than that around these 'ere parts,. . .it's called Abbotts Bromley. and the dips ( 2 of them ) are Soooo deep, that an Antonov AN-2 which is based there actually disappears below ground level on take off, or landing. . . .Interesting Fairground ride. . .

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Galinat at around 3 mins in that vid is my closest local 'free' airfield - 'free' because you can fly in there without prior permission. I go in there a lot including last weekend and kept my X-Air there for a while. I have quite a few videos of take offs and landings there, but at 'trouée unique' 450 metres it's one of the easier ones. Our home field (Malbec LF2467) is only 160 metres (a bit more actually) isn't 'free' - no landing fees in common with all ULM (ultralight) fields in France but you have to have prior permission and sign an indemnity beforehand as the runway is rather short.On the 'grand opening' day in 2015 one club member who flew in from Castillonnès in the Lot et Garonne broke the undercarriage of his Skyranger.

 

Here's a vid of me flying to the opening day from Galinat in my old X-Air

 

Beaucoup de compliments sur votre palier exceptionnel Monsieur St. Exupery!