PNG Plane Pics

[hrtpaul]

Here are some pics I took from my recent trip to PNG. I spent most of the week in Mendi in the Southern Highlands Province and it was very nice. As usual, you need a high level of personal security and a bit of common dog f&^k when over there but it's very pretty. Mendi is in the bottom of a valley with rather big mountain ranges on either side. PNG's second highest mountain, Mt Giluwe is across eastern ridge with the western ridge topping out at 9000'. It doesn't look that high as Mendi is at 5500' to start with. Port Moresby was very dry as they are in the middle of a drought up there. There's a large variety of planes up there which I'd totally forgot about since I was there 15 years. Anyways onto the pics

Port Moresby
Sorry for the quality of the pics but I'm still to find an airline that cleans their windows properly

Some of the PNGDF aircraft


Civvie Herc


RAAF King Air 350


The Air Niugini hangar. Worked there many moons ago






Choppers galore


Air Niugini

One of 2 737's


Q300


One of 2 767's


Mendi

Air Niugini Dash 8




TropicAir C90


Heavylift Twotter


South West Air

Twotter





The Bandit


King Air


LongRanger


1 of 2 Bell 407's


I thought this was very appropriate and I can't argue with it


Finally a grand old girl back in Melbourne on the way home

[tor lives]

Really interesting lot of aircraft there. I have not been up to Moresby for years, (in fact last time was on a RAAF 707) .....things sure have changed since the last time I was at that airport.
Thanks for posting.
TOR

[RHB785]

, G'dy Paul. Thank yo for sharing these with us mate. I see they still fly their Aravas up there. There was one of these at the Bicentennial Airshow and I remember thinking what an attractive looking light transport it was. Can you tell me where that Herc is registered? Is it the Phillipines? Keep drip feeding us these pics mate. I for one appreciate them.

Regards,
RHB.

[hrtpaul]

Ross the rego of the Herc (L-100) is P4-LAD (previously P2-LAD) so registered in Aruba *cue Jamaican accent* Unfortunately that's all the ics I have for the time being. Hopefully get more in March/April next year

[RHB785]

, Thanks Paul. You've taught me something today. I don't think I'd never heard of Aruba before but from the few pics I've just googled it looks like a beautiful island.

Regards,
RHB.

[Adam the Akrodude]

Yo Bitch (in reference to your pilots licence pic!)!

Nice pic's mate! Isn't Port Moresby lovely! What a terminal huh! Is it finished yet?

What's Mendi like ? Whereabouts is Mendi?

Cheers

Adam

[hrtpaul]

Yo Bitch (in reference to your pilots licence pic!)!

Nice pic's mate! Isn't Port Moresby lovely! What a terminal huh! Is it finished yet?

What's Mendi like ? Whereabouts is Mendi?

Cheers

Adam

That terminal will never be finished I'm sure it hasn't changed much since I was there 15 years ago

Mendi is 5500' AMSL and about a 1.5hr flight in a Bandit (or 2hrs in the Twotter) NE of Moresby in the Southern Highlands Province. As I said earlier, it's situated in a valley and is quite a pretty place. There is some stunning scenery to be seen just by walking out the hangar. It's a shame that the security situation isn't better as I'd love to go for a walk around and explore the place. Unfortunately it's just not safe to do that. With the drought up there, there hasn't been much rain but when I was there it pissed down every afternoon and evening. Proper rain, not the pathetic Melbourne crap. It was awesome watching the storms come through. The weather changes very quickly up there and the pilots have trouble getting in sometimes. I can't wait to go on my first chopper jolly with my camera. Hopefully everything works out and I'm up there touring 4weeks on/4 weeks off. If that's the case then unfortunately I won't make expo again this year

This will hopefully be my office view in the not too distant future. That hill is 9000' AMSL



This series of pics is to the west of the airport, starting looking south and ending up north. Ya can't see too much to the east due to houses but there is a BIG ridge behind them.

Hopefully my new hangar














Just some general pics


Yes they are farming on that slope


The Long Ranger getting wet


Flying back to Moresby @ 12000'. Yes we are below that peak


Every line of clouds is another valley


Lastly I think I found a few of TOR's ex girlfriends. They wanna know when you're gonna call Ray

[RHB785]

, G'day Paul. My father was in New Guinea during WW2 and did the Kakoda Track trek. He reckoned the rain arrived regularly at 3:00 o'clock every afternoon. He reckoned so regularly you pretty well could set your watch by it. Those are some beautiful pics there mate. Thank you for sharing with us.

Regards,
RHB.

[Graeme H]

I am going to miss you in TSV, and I still have a couple more kits to dispose of, but life moves on, and it really looks lovely there, remember the most common cloud formation in the PNG Highlands is cumulus granatis (cloud with rock in it)

The photos are great, so much interesting stuff, did you get your ride to POM with the 38 Sqn B350 from TSV?

[RayS]

Great shots Paul.

Hmm I wonder if you can decals for that L100