PNG Flying Club

[Kilstorm]

Start a thread that we could use to help each other out for flying the strips of PNG.

Ideally to have "local knowledge" of each field and then later to rate them based on difficulty so that others can use that info to start off on the less difficult and work there way from there.  Kinda like a ski slope rating perhaps.

Right now I'm working on Launumu. Its one of the higher alt strips at 5082 feet so one doesnt have to go deep down into the valley on landing. The strip is dome shaped and its a Northeast/Southwest set up.  I landed heading Southwest as the far side of the strip (the southwest most threshold) has a bigger turn around spot.  I got in with a C185 but once exploring by foot, its easy to see that landing Northeast and taking off Southwest is the better choice.

Reason why is that on the Northeast side of the runway, its more flat where on the Southeast side its more steep.  Its hard to build up speed taking off Northeast as you run up the hill and then once ready to rotate you have more shrubs and trees to avoid.

Taking off to the Southwest you should get a better roll at the start as the ground is inclined but not that steep and once mid-field and starting to roll down the rest of the strip in your take off roll you would gain more speed and there is a nice clear threshold of little to no shrubs or trees to avoid. Once past the threshold you can drop down into the valley to pick up additional speed if you need it.

I'll report back once I master it with any other additional notes.  It would be nice to hear from others on there take of this field and others to help in providing local knowledge.

[Kilstorm]

More on Launumu

This time I came in to land heading Northeast after taking off out of AYKO. I had created a waypoint of an outer marker for the southwest landing.  Into on a ridge and its right where the Kokoda Track crosses the ridge. You want to arrive at that spot at about 7,000' alt.  That would put you straight in landing Southwest and provides a very easy to see threshold and strip.

After making that point and crossing the ridge I descent down to 5,500' while banking slightly right to fly towards Kagi. The idea is to fly to the right side of Kagi which runs parallel to Launumu and see it below off the pilot side once abeam the strip.  Then start to make my left bank turn going into a Base and then Final leg.  I used Efogi like how I how I did Kagi as my point of reference for final.  Basically Efogi is like an outer marker for landing Northeast into Launumu.

once on final which will be a very short final, the Northeast landing threshold is not very obvious to pick out.  It really helped to have created waypoints of all the fields in my GTN750 prior. The threshold is what looks like a very short landing when coming in at just above 5,000 but its because it has a hill that you have to climb up and then flattens out on the back side.

Here is the info from FSPax from my flight. I'm going to fly back to AYKO and switch into the Twin Otter and use the flight log data to create a Google Earth Map kmz file showing this route.    
 

Flight ID:    PNG271
Flight Type:    Normal
Pilot:    Skywagon Scout
Company:    PNG Flight Services
Aircraft:    ALABEO C207 Skywagon Bush 2
Flight Date:    February 28 2016
Departure:    10h15 (01h16 GMT)
Arrival:    10h33 (01h33 GMT)
From:    AYKO
To:    ----
Nbr of Passengers:    0

Report:

Flight Distance:    15 Nm    Landing Speed:    36.98 kt
Time Airborne:    00h13:31    Landing Touchdown:    43.08 ft/m
Flight Time (block):    00h17:36    Landing Pitch:    12.79°
Time On Ground:    00h06:11    Landing Weight:    2246 lbs
Average Speed:    68.89 kt    Total Fuel Used:    2 gal
Player real flight time:    00h13:31 (airborne w/o time acceleration)
 

[Kilstorm]

So I did two flight into Luanumu in the Aerosoft Twin Otter Extended using their flight data recorder.  On the first flight I took screen shots hoping to get in with no issues but that didnt happen.  I use real weather so it was raining and cloudy but I was able to see the field okay.  I came in what I thought was too hot but could of made it. Instead I went for the go around and crashed due to a stall at the opposite end of the runway as I was trying to climb out.

On the second flight, the weather had moved out which allowed for a much better visual but this time, not wanting to make the mistake again cut the power too soon and stalled just over the threshold.  Both flights were using FSPassenger for its detailed flight info enen though the Flight recorder also does a good job of this.

When I was there in the C207 I used avatar to walk the field with his portable GPS (shift+z) to read the altitude at each point of the field.
When landing Northeast, the preferred approach the threshold is 5020' alt. The runway climb up to 5080' alt but its listed as 5082'.  Heading towards the Southwest facing threshold it drops down 2 feet to 5078'Alt.  So as one can see, the steeper side is when landing Northeast and once close to mid field its only a little declined on the other side allowing for braking when landing and once turned around, its a small incline before you start dropping down the runway 62' in alt as you start to roll out.

 Attached is the kml file which will show the flight path of the second flight in 3d over the terrain.  Its a really good way to create your approach and have a feel and tool to see how you did and where you could better yourself.

I'm currently uploading the video. Nothing fancy but the first part will be a slideshow of the first flight and then from inside the sim.

Flight.kml

[Kilstorm]

Heres the video. Password is: png
 

 

[Tim Harris]

Haha thats brilliant, love your set up

[Voyager]

Fine vid!

Voyager

iPhone Tapatalk

[Kilstorm]

Well I've switched into the C207 Skywagon to get use to the fields and then will go back to the Twin Otter. The Alabeo C207 works great at every field in the AYPY package. Having landed and taken off at every field now I can list the most challenging top 3 in this order:

#1 Milei. Nestled low in the valley at 2064' alt this strip is short slightly dog legged with a slight dip then hill.  You really need to come in low on an almost eastern heading in the 080-090 range. Then plan to bank into a right turn at very short final while avoiding the tall trees at the end of the runway. You drop into it the strip once clear of the trees below and continue a slight right yaw after touch down as you climb the hill to the village.  Take off, you better be light because you have to clear the trees again and then climb out of the valley so its almost all climb right after take off.

#2 Boridi. Sitting at 4040'alt what makes this mounded strip hard is its dog leg layout.  You can land at about 4,206' elevation, climb up the bent mound to 4,335' elevation and then roll slightly down hill still on a turn to 4,331'

#3 Launumu.  The approach into this higher strip that is at 5,082' elevation looks deceiving. The field looks really short (which it is) as you come in on a Northeast heading and like Boridi it too is a mount but this one has a more steeper incline up.  You land in the 5,020' feet range then quickly climb up to 5,080' and then have to hit the brakes as you drop down two feet to 5,078'.  Power management is key as you want enough power to power a flare and once on the ground to get up the hill but not so much that you are too fast once there at the top. This is also a very short field at just 1,200' long.

[Tim Harris]

Pinned this for you, great thread and great tips!

[Kilstorm]

Thanks Tim! I'm hoping others will join in and post there experience and knowledge of all these great PNG bush strips.

[Hobnobs]

Freshly downloaded yesterday. So I loaded up the Cessna Grand Caravan with tins of baked beans and flew an introductory flight from Tapini to Woitape. The roll down the incline at Tapini was interesting and I bounced into the air rather than gracefully lifting off. I opted for a right hand turn after take off after cleaning up the flaps. Not sure if this is the departure route but I didn't smash into the mountain side and scatter baked bean sauce everywhere. 

 

After routing around that initial mountain I made a left turn towards Woitape following the valley between the mountains on either side. I climbed to 8500 figuring that Woitape with its high elevation I would need a couple of thousand feet in the bag.

 

The 19nm or so were uneventful and I was surprised that it was easy to visually identify my destination on a reasonably flat plain. I opted for a left hand downwind join, flying past the strip for a couple of miiles before turning left base and then onto a 2 mile final.

 

I dumped in full flap and made an 80 knot approach speed. The windsock was showing about a 10 knot tailwind.

 

I touched down okay, slightly left of centre but dropped to taxi speed with plenty of strip to spare. It was baked beans on toast all round.

 

Really nice experience, hoping to explore later today. 

[Kilstorm]

Fane.  Fane is certainly a fun and challenging field. I've been trying to get in there in a C207 light on fuel and flying two other passengers for weight.  One being a local "bush pilot" and another being our "translator".  The thing with Fane is its more harsh terrain ledges in the runway as you roll. What I've learned about the strip is that although there is about 150o feet of usable runway as you come into land, it is the first 150' that is almost the most rough and pitched, creased or twisted and when landing in that zone it sets you up for a bumpy landing roll which you might want to avoid.

Ideally you would want to shoot for landing abeam the windsock thats about 150 feet up from the runway ledge where theres a relative flat area before the next creased incline. You would also want to hug or favor more of the left side of the strips edge.  towards the top you might feel like you're at the top as the tall grass encroaches the runway in a way that gives feel to its end but up over the last mound is the turn around point. 

On the roll out for takeoff, you really want to know your lane as you wont see much as you roll over the mound and start down the hill.  You will know that there are two angles creases in the strip that are off set in a way that is kinda like a "V" which might bounce you around a bit.  For me, there was never a feeling of successfully taking off but more of an amazement that I didnt crash!

Luckily theres a nice drop off to pick up some speed but know you have a hill infront of you that you have avoid or climb over.  It being late summer down there, I've noticed nightly temps are in the 80s with highs in the 90s at MSL so really know your planes performance at density altitude. As the chart indicates this strip is only 1,500feet long at a 4,491 altitude but landing abeam the windsock its more in the 4,300 foot range.

[Ken Hall]

Great thread, love the video

[toriu]

Nice video and thread. Lived and worked in PNG for a few years in the 60s and in that time flew into quite a few strips.

As a passenger I think it was more nerve racking than piloting ones self!

Where is the music from? Sound's like they are singing in pidgin but cant be sure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kilstorm]

I just google Papa New Guinea music...yeah your really putting a lot of trust in the pilot on these flights. So far according to FSPassengers I've injured a few pilots but none have died....the passengers are a different story.

[Bram Stikkel]

This reply just to let know everyone who is searching on the internet for the png airstrip Koispe, that this name is a case of type mismatch: I searched the internet for Koispe, but you won't find it anywhere. The correct name is Kosipe, and that airstrip one can find info about.

Most places in the description of the Tapini addon, you find the name Koispe, now and then you find the correct name.

[Kilstorm]

Thanks for that. I also noticed that Milei is spelled as Milie on the sign at the strip that also states the altitude when you land there.

[lthendrix]

your breathing during final got really heavy ....... is that the set up in your trailer you showed a while back.... I like how you have the gtn on that external device 

cool vid

[Kilstorm]

Yeah that my setup in the Van...the external device is a 10" touch screen monitor made by Faytech...very handy to have for GTN, FMC, FMS, C-1 (A2A B-17autopilot) and engine clusters.

[TigerTigerM]

Landing at Tapini, (TAP) - the strip faces due East, with tall hills opposite the end. 

Most approaches are from the valley that runs roughly North/South across the end of the runway, & from the Southern end.

So you line the right wing tip up with the goat track & then do a 90 degree left to approach the threshold.

I have actually found its easier getting in coming down the valley & turning right as the way the runway opens up as you approach from that direction seems to be cleaner.

If you have enough fuel I suggest you go up the Eastern side of the hills opposite the Tapini runway & then as they drop away, turn left & cross them, then left again & run back down the valley looking for a gentle right swing into the runway.

TTM

[dabscheck]

Hi Guys   Am new to this forum. Glad I discovered it and pleased that so many virtual Pilots are enjoying this awesome scenery. Hats off to the  developers. As an ex C185 driver in the mountains of PNG I cannot believe the standard of realism obtained in this scenery. I use the Carenado C185 into the more bumpy  strips and with min fuel{operational} and proper Pax Weight I can get the speed right back for a successful touchdown. Full flap is always the go.The hardest part of any Mountain flying is determining a Natural horizon and my technique is to use only  the threshold of the strip as  guide to this. Plan to be all set up in approach config by threshold plus 100ft. A stabilised approach instills a good touchdown. Dont worry about the windsock on a one way strip because in most cases because of the low latitude the winds are mostly light.. For the developers, one strip I went into Nambaiufa out of Goroka, 5500 ft Alt and Length about 1400 ft {oneway] had two bloody great white arrows pointing up the strip at the threshold. Hope some of these comments have bin helpful. Cheers.

[Malafor]

Watched the vids and realy enjoyed them. The van convert was amazing shows what you can do if you put your mind into it.

Am trying my best here to hand make a desent set-up ( takes a little time not being able to use all my limbs properly ) but i will get there might even post the before and after picks on here.

Its just nice to see what people can do,

Keep up the good work fella

[Jotayhen]

Great thread.  I like your idea of those of us interested in flying in this area getting together and sharing information.  Pretty much the same thing that would happen in real life if we were all together and operating in this area.  We'd have coffee.....maybe a beer.......and share experiences and information.  I enjoyed your video also.  I also fly Aerosoft's DHC6-300 here and I appreciate being able to benefit from your experiences.  I'll be back.

[Allanj63]

Hey Guys, Looks like I found a few more bush strips addicts. These strips are nothing if not challenging and fun. Who would have thought that flying into and out of strips carved out of the jungle and stretched across hilltops would be so addictive. Flying a DHC-4 Caribou into and out of these strips is definitely interesting

[Sniper31]

That runway looks curved! Crazy! 

[Allanj63]

Hi Sniper, Yeah the runway is curved and it is midway up the side of a hill.

[Sniper31]

3 hours ago, Allanj63 said:

Hi Sniper, Yeah the runway is curved and it is midway up the side of a hill.

That is impressive....I need to Google some takeoff video's from that runway or similar ones.

[Allanj63]

Yeah Sniper mate, When I was in the Army I used to hear stories of our Airforce Caribou crews flying in and out of New Guinea bush strips and having seen videos of the old Caribous doing this I wish I could have been on one flight just to see for myself. I suppose this sim flying is the next best thing. 

[TerribleT]

Perhaps you were fortunate mate - for many years local villagers at Tapini were living in a 'Bou fuselage in a gully next to Tapini airstrip - the RAAF only took the engines, wings and tail away after the prang and subsequent investigation. 

Then there was the bunch of Cadets and instructors who were killed in a 'Bou movement. 

Tough country up there.

Simming is much safer.

[Allanj63]

Thanks TT. I had heard about the villagers using the old fuselage, I didn`t know about the Cadets and instructors though. So sad to hear of that. Surely is tough country.