Rabaul Daily Photo: Air Niugini

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Air Niugini

I go on leave tomorrow. I am flying to Brisbane to see my girls, then a week later I leave for Vietnam with my family for two weeks. I have another week in Brisbane, and then back to Rabaul on October 9.

So with all the flying I am about to do, this post is for Air Niugini, the national Airline of PNG. The people of PNG have a love/hate relationship with the company we often call Air No Going. We are often FANGFU'D, flights are cancelled, planes are late, and we moan and yell and whine but….. we couldn’t live or fly without them.

This is the Air Niugini office in Kokopo – notice the clever design of the building.

18 comments:

david mcmahon said...: Great design on the building, Jules. Hope your flights are on time. Have a great holiday.; September 13, 2007 at 7:25 AM
Tom said...: A building with wings.. great. I hope you have a great time and I know from past post you can't wait to see your girls. Have a great time and I promise to be good whist you are away.
Keep safe and keep smiling; September 13, 2007 at 7:28 AM
Fabrizio Zanelli said...: Ahah Jules, the design of the building is the first thing I noticed before to read your caption. If may relief in some way in Italy the national Company, Alitalia, is a step to be bankrupted... Sad but true. So keep tight Air Niugini.

State that, have a nice trip in Brisbane and in Vietnam (interesting country) but overall enjoy with your dauthers. Ciao !!!; September 13, 2007 at 7:51 AM
Anonymous said...: Well, Jules, "happy holidays." Have a safe trip and have a lot of fun on your holiday with friends and family. I will miss your comments on my blogs. And shortly after you get back on October 9, I will turn 73 on the 25th. My wife, of 52 years, will turn 71 on the 27th.; September 13, 2007 at 7:59 AM
Felicia said...: Hi Jules, this is my first visit to your blog and now you're going on holiday! I love your photos - I don't know much about PNG, but I feel like you've captured the beauty and spirit of the place in your photos. Hope you enjoy your time with your daughters and your vacation.; September 13, 2007 at 10:42 AM
ASHE said...: Have fun, Jules! Thanks for coming to visit my blog, and now you're off to go visiting in the real world, too. I hope that "Air No Going" doesn't live up to its nickname! :)

I think all passengers have a love/hate relationship with flying, no matter which airline you have to fly :); September 13, 2007 at 12:24 PM
Annie said...: A small airport building and that leads me to wonder if the planes that fly in and out are also small? Small planes so-going?

Have a fine time in Australia and Vietnam, Jules. I've never been either place but my father has been to both and has told me all about his visits. I'll imagine you both places.; September 13, 2007 at 12:56 PM
• Eliane • said...: That building is very cute.
Seems like exciting weeks ahead!
Bon voyage! And, bonnes vacances!; September 13, 2007 at 1:26 PM
Jules said...: Thanks all for your wishes - i am so looking forward to the break and seeing my girls!!! But I will miss you all.

Even though I’ll be away I hope you can still pop in for a visit as I have been slaving over a hot computer putting a month of posts into drafts – I have blisters on my fingers. I have even got my October Theme day organized – how dedicated is that????

He-Who-Doesn’t-Blog-But-Has-Been-Talked-Into-It is going to post for me until he flies down next week (and also during the week after we get back from Vietnam while I am still in Brisbane). I hope you can leave a comment or two to encourage him!!!! If there is a day missing now and again don’t be alarmed!

Denton has kindly offered to post for me (and feed the cat) while we are in Vietnam. Please pop in and say hi to him .; September 13, 2007 at 3:41 PM
Anonymous said...: Hi Jules,
All I can say is wanem samting Wilma, yu no nup harim gutpela tok tok long me yet. Yu i bagurupim tok bilong me na tupela pren i nu nup tok long wia. o yu wa, het bilong me i pen. Hope you bring your pidgin dictionary with you Jules. I just lurv speaking it at every opportunity. And you,re it, total immersion.
By the by, we are both using the same dictionary publication, you'd think the language crowd in the Hihglands would have brought a new one out by now; they've only been working on it since my time- time bilong ol Tumbuna.
Looking forward to speaking to you Pia

Flying in PNG.
Just about the most hairy thing I ever flew was a single engine Cessna down to an active volcano around Kimbe way. Gianna the geologist was an excitable Italian from Rome who freaked us assistants out by wanting the pilot to fly closer to the volcano than the pilot was comfortable with. Sanity prevailed and we landed safely at the small strip and commenced our hike to the lava flow to take samples.
PNG lava is not as spectacular as Hawaii but our volcanoes do produce a very dangerous hot gassy cloud of chemicals, abrasive articles and sundry projectiles. The lava itself is slow moving so the the crust has time to cool and then crumble and flow and cool etc. We were in more danger from Gianni's enthusiasm and the possibility of a nue ardent (?) flow and of course the real risk that our sinl;e engine Cesna would come out of the sky on the way home because of volcanic dust particles.
I loved flying around in the small planes though because they flew close to the tree tops and it was a real flying experience, kind of like Out of Africa where Dennys-Finch flies the Merryl Streep character over the veldt.
My favourite airstrip was Tufi with its two stage airstrip, land on runway one, taxi, accelarate up an incline and then, decalerate and hopefully come to a stop on runway two. Magnificent fun if you're sitting in the co pilots seat.
Cheers to all Pia; September 13, 2007 at 6:24 PM
dr. filomena said...: Enjoy your holiday!!! I look forward to your photo report :); September 13, 2007 at 6:58 PM
quintarantino said...: Jules, my goog friend from the other part of the world, please tell those chaps of Air No Going they better change their name to Air Going and Arriving because if that doen't happen they are going to get themselfes in serious problems with all your friends here.
Brisbane and the Vietnam? No that´s what I call a jolly good trip.
I guess you will come back with a bag full of photos and a bunch of stories to tell us.
So, please have a good trip.Enjoy the best of it with the ones you love. And, sob, sob, we will be missing you.; September 13, 2007 at 7:56 PM
M.Benaut said...: I hope you enjoy a well-earned break and we will go very easy on HWD/NB
Happy travels and have a little rip snorter, Jules!; September 13, 2007 at 11:21 PM
Neva said...: I'll still check in...have a great visit with your girls!!! and then a great vacation! and the building with wings....how fabulous.; September 14, 2007 at 12:17 AM
Denton said...: Enjoy your trip ... Your play on words is funny ... Say hi to He-Who-Doesn’t-Blog-But-Has-Been-Talked-Into-it ... Kiss the cat good bye.; September 14, 2007 at 2:49 AM
Jules said...: Thanks all for your wishes - lukim yu

I miss you already!!!; September 14, 2007 at 4:17 AM
Lavenderlady said...: Ah Jules...have a wonderful holiday! I hope we get to see some photos of your ttrip to Vietnam.

thank you for the birthday wishes and the condolences on the loss of our our mom. It was a hard time, but made easier by the loving presence of my bothers and sister.; September 14, 2007 at 4:21 AM
viagra online said...: appears that the company is well established with you, Air Niugini should be grateful to have customers like you!; May 27, 2010 at 12:33 AM