Pilatus Porter doing what it was designed for

[turboplanner]

One Crazy and Dangerous Airplane Landing

[Marty_d]

I saw that when the show was on SBS. Brilliant. Jeez you'd want to make sure your engine was purring though, there's no convenient fields in those mountains.

 

 

[cooperplace]

I saw that when the show was on SBS. Brilliant. Jeez you'd want to make sure your engine was purring though, there's no convenient fields in those mountains.

you're not wrong: it's all tiger country. I hope George makes old bones.

 

 

[onetrack]

Balus waitman pailat, impela i no save pret! Laki impela no kamap daiman!

 

(Aeroplane white man pilot, him brave! Lucky him not end up dead man!)

 

I reckon that effort deserves a pig, not just a couple of chickens!

 

 

[poteroo]

In1966, Papuan Airlines, (Patair), imported 2 PC6 Porters into PNG. Registered VH-PNG, and VH-PNH. They were used for at least until after 1970 nor mostly Papuan Highlands flying into strips such as Efogi, Naoro, Kagi, Manumu, & Menari on the Kokoda Track, and into the 'Goilala' strips of Woitape, Kosipe,Fane,Tapini,Kubuna. They pretty much halved the business previously the exclusive 'right' of the Cessna 185s - of which there were many in those days. Most pilots who moved onto the Porter already had some solid short strip flying experience. But, the accidents continued - simply because the weather didn't suddenly improve because you had a PT6 up front. The valleys didn't get any wider either. And it was just as easy to get lost and end up in a blind valley - from which you needed much more than a Porter to save the day. Somewhere in this period, another Porter,VH-PNF, was imported but I think it was a prototype with a recip engine - anyway, it didn't last long.

 

In the 70's, these were sold off to other PNG operators. PNH was destroyed in a fatal in 1974, but PNG went thru several registrations,PNO, SEA and lasted many more years. The Australian Army was using Cessna 180s during the 1960s, then shifted into Porters which they used widely in PNG training work.

 

Porters suffered from the same loading difficulties as the previous C185s - a sloping floor while on the ground, and an undercarriage partially blocking access to it's nice wide doors. Despite both aircraft being eminently suited to jungle strip ops, the loading/unloading issues favoured tricycle u/c types. A few are still operated by Susi Air in 'west' Papua, where they service some very rough strips indeed. Even the missions in PNG have shifted out of the Porter into tricycle geared PAC-750 and Kodiaks.

 

The Porters' future was limited by the introduction of more DHC-6 Twin Otters by TAL/Talair in the 70s. 2 engine safety was very much preferred. However,even these great twins were not protected against pilot error and the infamous PNG weather. As well, airports were being upgraded and became accessible to Bandierantes, and to Dash 8s. And, more roads were constructed.

 

I never quite made it onto the Porter:forever the bridesmaid pushing a C185 around for many years. But I regard myself as one of the lucky ones to have survived those years.

 

Trust readers will like the pics.

 

happy days,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Great pix, Potty. After all those heart-stopping mountain strips, how do you avoid complacency in the wide brown land of WA?

 

 

[onetrack]

Poteroo, thanks for the comprehensive information and historical photos. Certainly some of the most dangerous flying country in the world, as attested by the regular losses in PNG to cumulus granitis and other very nasty weather conditions.

 

In SVN, 161 Recce Flight utilised several Pilatus Porters and they were an outstanding little machine.

 

I can still remember being awed by their STOL capability and low stall speed as they floated off Luscombe Field at Nui Dat at flying speeds that seemed impossible.

 

They carried out some exceptional flying duties, and two of our RAAF blokes paid the ultimate price, when they were hit with ground fire from the Binh Ba rubber plantation when returning to Nui Dat around 2200HRS on 3rd Dec 1969.

 

They may have survived if they'd been been able to clear the plantation, but they clipped rubber trees on the edge of the plantation when they went down. The surrounding country was relatively open, and the crash was probably survivable if they'd been able to make it past the rubber trees.

 

Pilatus Porter

 

 

[facthunter]

Got shown over one of the newest by the pilot at Moresby on the way to Lae, in the 60's. Best thing I'd seen for the job up till then. Clouds and the high hills are the great challenge in that part of the world. Clear in the morning then the clouds form faster than you can climb and heavy rain in the evening. LSALT 17,400 feet over the Owen Stanleys . No pressurisation on most planes A lot of people drank a lot, if they stayed there. There really weren't any roads then. Everything went by plane. Nev

 

 

[APenNameAndThatA]

The aircraft are expensive, and crash from time to time. The tribes don't have much disposable income. I wonder how all this is funded. Does Indonesia do it as a sweetener so that the tribes are happy (or, to be more cynical, become dependent)?

 

 

[pmccarthy]

Later in PNG (1988) things were more civilised for flying but camp accommodation was still basic!

 

 

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

I saw that when the show was on SBS. Brilliant. Jeez you'd want to make sure your engine was purring though, there's no convenient fields in those mountains.

One question that show raised with me was why a nation of 230+million (with several airlines, a developing aircraft industry and lots of military aviation) recruits inexperienced young people from English-speaking countries to pilot its regional services?

 

 

[poteroo]

Great pix, Potty. After all those heart-stopping mountain strips, how do you avoid complacency in the wide brown land of WA?

My testosterone levels have decreased significantly since the 60s

 

Added a few more pics - worth a thousand words.

 

Nev would have flown past the Tenyo Maru which was sunk just off the 32 approach to the old LAE airport - since gone.

 

The pic of myself plus mates discovering nearly complete Zeros on the old SEK strip, (just S of Alexishafen harbour and N of Madang) rekindles my excitement about what could have been. Within a few years, scrap merchants had taken every last wreck possibnle in PNG - and it was all melted down for recycling! Imagine what these would have been worth today? happy days,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[poteroo]

The aircraft are expensive, and crash from time to time. The tribes don't have much disposable income. I wonder how all this is funded. Does Indonesia do it as a sweetener so that the tribes are happy (or, to be more cynical, become dependent)?

The missions raise money throughout the western world and are self sufficient. Whether Susi Air receive any help from the Indo government I don't know, but would guess that the government agencies use the charter aircraft same as on the PNG side. There probably is some cash about in the Papuan population, (sales of coffee,vegetables, plus employment at coastal towns), but they are less cared for than on the PNG side I'd think.

 

 

[facthunter]

The Japanese ship you mention at LAE was above the waterline, front part I think, when I first went there in 1965 and as we really had no aids was a good marker to turn in crook weather. I think it slipped below the waves by 1969 which was the last time I went there. Nev

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

...The pic of myself plus mates discovering nearly complete Zeros on the old SEK strip, (just S of Alexishafen harbour and N of Madang) rekindles my excitement about what could have been. Within a few years, scrap merchants had taken every last wreck possibnle in PNG - and it was all melted down for recycling! Imagine what these would have been worth today? happy days,

I almost cried into my beer over that terrible waste. The Zero is just about my favourite aircraft, and there's a partly-built replica in my shed.

 

 

[Oscar]

The Australian War Memorial had (possibly still has) an Oscar, (from memory) that had been 'recovered' from PNG in somewhat dubious circumstances. It was fairly complete, though of course not in exactly great shape, but a viable restoration project. When it reached Australia, Customs people put an axe through every single panel in the wings, often chopping through ribs in the process, so they could be fumigated. While I respect the need for bio-security, the AWM had all the necessary facilities and knowledge to do that work without the wholesale destruction of the thing, which was the realistic result of what looked like an almost frenzied 'attack' by someone with a deep and abiding grudge, not any sort of professional and careful operation that would have achieved the same result with negligible damage.

 

 

[facthunter]

The Barbarian Gene is out there. Nev

 

 

[Oscar]

Yep ( and sorry for the thread drift here) - but the wanton nature of the bashing just was both astonishing and distressing.

 

It wasn't our only 'run-in' with Customs: we had had (with the FULL approval of the Japanese Government, who were both extremely helpful and extremely appreciative of our respectful treatment of our collection of very fine Samurai Swords, which are a Japanese iconic item, of course) a particularly historic one from one of their revered master craftsmen and well over 300 YO, from memory, sent back to Japan for refurbishment, which has religious implications and involved, amongst other things, polishing with rice paper for nearly a year!. The procedure for that -for museum display purposes - included the making of a faithful 'dummy' blade in a fine spruce (or something akin to that), and the re-creation of the handle binding and refurbishment of the metal parts of the handle. It had taken well over two years for the restoration work..

 

It had been packed and sealed for return with export declarations and seals from Japanese Customs and Police - prominently displayed on the packaging, and that included a description of the contents.. When released to us, the packaging had been opened by Customs - and on the blade, was corrosion in identifiable marks of thumb, palm and finger-prints: some toad in Customs had sampled the blade for sharpness, you could see the way in which it had been held! Caused by the salt on the skin of the moron who wanted to see what a real Samurai Sword was like, without any doubt. We had to return it to Japan for that damage to be rectified.

 

As the Memorial's officer responsible for transport, I had a meeting with (very) senior Customs staff about it ( which could be described as 'tense', as I tend to be somewhat forthright at times) - and was informed that it had been opened as it was addressed to a person 'in a known drug-selling area - Paddington in Sydney'.

 

Yeah, right. The addressee - who was operating as our 'agent' with the Japanese Government, as he was a world-recognised - and especially by the Japanese Government - expert on Samurai Swords: an Australian Army Major, stationed at Victoria Barracks. Suffice it to say that a certain amount of intemperate language, mostly mine, was exchanged at that meeting. Customs admitted no fault, but did promise ( and it was honoured), that there would be 'procedural' review of the exchange of war memorabilia between official agencies..

 

Sometimes, going thermo-nuclear with government officials does actually work!

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Another Japanese national treasure was lost at the end of WWII when a well-meaning nobleman surrendered it to the American occupation forces.

 

Searching for the Honjo Masamune, Lost Samurai Sword of Power

 

 

[Oscar]

I don't want to hi-jack this thread further, but FWIW, the Sword I mentioned was also a Japanese National Treasure ( which is why we spent rather a lot of money on its restoration, and negotiated at the highest levels with the Japanese Government about it before sending it back for the work).

 

Suffice it to say, I did raise that point with the Customs people, as well as raising the contention that the Customs officer(s) involved were of dubious married status parentage, questionable intelligence, and involved in procreational activities in their pursuit of detailed knowledge of the contents of the package. Though, I used more direct terminology in making those observations.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Let's hope your compliments were passed on to the people concerned.

 

 

[Oscar]

Pretty much, they WERE the people concerned.. When you work within the 'inner circle' off the P.S. in Canberra, you know who to meet and greet.

 

 

[Marty_d]

Though, I used more direct terminology in making those observations.

Thank christ, I had to read your post 3 times to figure out what you'd told them.

 

 

[1958cessna172]

In1966, Papuan Airlines, (Patair), imported 2 PC6 Porters into PNG. Registered VH-PNG, and VH-PNH. They were used for at least until after 1970 nor mostly Papuan Highlands flying into strips such as Efogi, Naoro, Kagi, Manumu, & Menari on the Kokoda Track, and into the 'Goilala' strips of Woitape, Kosipe,Fane,Tapini,Kubuna. They pretty much halved the business previously the exclusive 'right' of the Cessna 185s - of which there were many in those days. Most pilots who moved onto the Porter already had some solid short strip flying experience. But, the accidents continued - simply because the weather didn't suddenly improve because you had a PT6 up front. The valleys didn't get any wider either. And it was just as easy to get lost and end up in a blind valley - from which you needed much more than a Porter to save the day. Somewhere in this period, another Porter,VH-PNF, was imported but I think it was a prototype with a recip engine - anyway, it didn't last long.In the 70's, these were sold off to other PNG operators. PNH was destroyed in a fatal in 1974, but PNG went thru several registrations,PNO, SEA and lasted many more years. The Australian Army was using Cessna 180s during the 1960s, then shifted into Porters which they used widely in PNG training work.

 

Porters suffered from the same loading difficulties as the previous C185s - a sloping floor while on the ground, and an undercarriage partially blocking access to it's nice wide doors. Despite both aircraft being eminently suited to jungle strip ops, the loading/unloading issues favoured tricycle u/c types. A few are still operated by Susi Air in 'west' Papua, where they service some very rough strips indeed. Even the missions in PNG have shifted out of the Porter into tricycle geared PAC-750 and Kodiaks.

 

The Porters' future was limited by the introduction of more DHC-6 Twin Otters by TAL/Talair in the 70s. 2 engine safety was very much preferred. However,even these great twins were not protected against pilot error and the infamous PNG weather. As well, airports were being upgraded and became accessible to Bandierantes, and to Dash 8s. And, more roads were constructed.

 

I never quite made it onto the Porter:forever the bridesmaid pushing a C185 around for many years. But I regard myself as one of the lucky ones to have survived those years.

 

Trust readers will like the pics.

 

happy days,

 

 

[1958cessna172]

Even managed an Aeroclub Cherokee into here!!!