A flight to forget
Oh what a flight
Okuk's Last Flight
B707 Anecdotes
B707 Introduction
A Biblical Story
A Biblical Story 2
A Biblical Story 3
Forbidden Fruits
Joe's Jolly (Poem)
The Golfer
Suitably Restrained
PX Advertisment 1
PX Advertisment 2
PX Advertisment 3
PX Article 1
PX Article 2
PX Article 3
The Check Ride
First and Last Flt.
First Command
DC3 KOK - POM
The Holiday
Friends at Last
History of P2ANQ
Ferry Flight
Crayfish
FO Cassanova
Larry Blackman
Secret Revealed
Airbus A300
Cargo Capers
Doing it Differently
Side Slip
Larry Blackman
4th Floor Memo
International Arsonist
Office Works
Thru Eyes of a Hostie
Airline Anecdotes
FLIGHTS WITH “FO CASANOVA” Posted by Alistair (Jasper) Maskelyne
In 1980 I was paired to fly with “FO Casanova” on several blocks. He was the best of first officers, cheerful and competent. I would look forward to these flights. He had one irritating quality: wherever our nightstop might be, however unlikely the venue, he would manage to align himself with some very attractive young woman and then disappear for the evening.
At the time, the company had an overnight in Honiara, stopping at the Mendana Hotel, where good food was to be had, the rooms were comfortable and cold beer was obtained at the close by Port Cruz Yacht Club. Not too many females to be found. Except if your name was Farrington. Upon check-in we very soon found ourselves in the hotel bar. Suddenly “FO Casanova” excused himself. It appeared there was a dance starting at the hotel next door, and, most surprisingly, “FO Casanova” recognised a former girl friend there. We did not see him again.
Sometime that year, a rumour spread that the APU in P2-ANE had been mistakenly topped up with Skydrol hydraulic fluid, rather than the correct lubricating oil. The Air Niugini engineering division would not admit any such error. When questioned, the reply was: "Continue to use the APU".
“FO Casanova” and I were rostered to make the evening Cairns shuttle. Weather that night was not good. Cairns required alternate Townsville, and Townsville had thirty holding. We made an ILS into Cairns, and landed in heavy rain. As we braked outside the TAA terminal, I said "Cut both!". “FO Casanova” did this, and at once there occurred a loud bang at the rear of the aircraft, cabin lights went to emergency, and the cabin started to fill with an oily smoke. Passengers were disembarked and the airport fire service attended. The firemen found that the suspect APU had well and truly dropped its guts, the smoke was coming from oil dripping on to a hot case.
The TAA tarmac engineer was a dedicated man. Our company in Moresby instructed us to get an air start, load the return pax and return as scheduled. Our TAA mate told us that he would not despatch the aircraft in its present state. Despite the rain and humidity, he burrowed inside the rear cargo locker, with an air powered screwdriver. He peeled back the protective sheeting to reveal a turbine wheel lodged in the pressure vessel.
The aircraft was very much U/S.
“FO Casanova” then revealed that he owned a beach cottage at Trinity Beach. Normally tenanted, it was then empty. There he had whisky. Out of duty hours, we rapidly removed ourselves to the little house and got drunk to the sound of waves.
“FO Casanova” and I were rostered later that year to take 75 PNG Defence Force infantrymen to Port Vila, to assist the Vanuatu forces in quelling the Jimmy Stevens rebellion in Santa Cruz. Due to leave Moresby at midday, with a flight navigator, to cover the over water direct flight, our aircraft was delayed in Mt. Hagen, and did not arrive at POM until 3.30pm. By this time our navigator was due to join the ANG B707 UN charter with Fijian peacekeepers for Palestine. He left us for dead, but gave us the let down charts and forecasts for Port Vila. We had never been there before.
Unable to fly direct without the navigator, we went to Honiara, refuelled and left for Vila about 5.30pm. On the cruise we thought it would be a jolly good idea to have a look at the Vila approach charts, and to get the latest terminal forecasts.
Oh dear! Our alternate, Tontouta, was closed with heavy rain, vis 300 metres and base 600 feet. Rain was falling at Vila. Nandi was clear, but we had no charts for Fiji. Honiara was now dark, and had no runway lights. It was Vila or else. We looked at the let down charts with some surprise. Locate over the VOR, track out on a radial, leave the VOR and track inbound on an NDB, and when abeam of a different beacon, descend to minimum and look ahead for strobes curving to the right, to the threshold of the main runway amid the hills at Bauer Field. Rain was falling heavily as we followed the procedure. I commented to “FO Casanova” that I landed with ten degrees of drift that we didn’t have. Our arrival was slightly unexpected, so I paid for the fuel and our hotel accommodation with my Diners Card. Established in the hotel bar, I turned to discuss these events with “FO Casanova”. Too late! He had spotted a stylish young French lady and was taking her out for a night at the BESA Club. Goodbye “FO Casanova”!
In 1980 I was paired to fly with “FO Casanova” on several blocks. He was the best of first officers, cheerful and competent. I would look forward to these flights. He had one irritating quality: wherever our nightstop might be, however unlikely the venue, he would manage to align himself with some very attractive young woman and then disappear for the evening.
At the time, the company had an overnight in Honiara, stopping at the Mendana Hotel, where good food was to be had, the rooms were comfortable and cold beer was obtained at the close by Port Cruz Yacht Club. Not too many females to be found. Except if your name was Farrington. Upon check-in we very soon found ourselves in the hotel bar. Suddenly “FO Casanova” excused himself. It appeared there was a dance starting at the hotel next door, and, most surprisingly, “FO Casanova” recognised a former girl friend there. We did not see him again.
Sometime that year, a rumour spread that the APU in P2-ANE had been mistakenly topped up with Skydrol hydraulic fluid, rather than the correct lubricating oil. The Air Niugini engineering division would not admit any such error. When questioned, the reply was: "Continue to use the APU".
“FO Casanova” and I were rostered to make the evening Cairns shuttle. Weather that night was not good. Cairns required alternate Townsville, and Townsville had thirty holding. We made an ILS into Cairns, and landed in heavy rain. As we braked outside the TAA terminal, I said "Cut both!". “FO Casanova” did this, and at once there occurred a loud bang at the rear of the aircraft, cabin lights went to emergency, and the cabin started to fill with an oily smoke. Passengers were disembarked and the airport fire service attended. The firemen found that the suspect APU had well and truly dropped its guts, the smoke was coming from oil dripping on to a hot case.
The TAA tarmac engineer was a dedicated man. Our company in Moresby instructed us to get an air start, load the return pax and return as scheduled. Our TAA mate told us that he would not despatch the aircraft in its present state. Despite the rain and humidity, he burrowed inside the rear cargo locker, with an air powered screwdriver. He peeled back the protective sheeting to reveal a turbine wheel lodged in the pressure vessel.
The aircraft was very much U/S.
“FO Casanova” then revealed that he owned a beach cottage at Trinity Beach. Normally tenanted, it was then empty. There he had whisky. Out of duty hours, we rapidly removed ourselves to the little house and got drunk to the sound of waves.
“FO Casanova” and I were rostered later that year to take 75 PNG Defence Force infantrymen to Port Vila, to assist the Vanuatu forces in quelling the Jimmy Stevens rebellion in Santa Cruz. Due to leave Moresby at midday, with a flight navigator, to cover the over water direct flight, our aircraft was delayed in Mt. Hagen, and did not arrive at POM until 3.30pm. By this time our navigator was due to join the ANG B707 UN charter with Fijian peacekeepers for Palestine. He left us for dead, but gave us the let down charts and forecasts for Port Vila. We had never been there before.
Unable to fly direct without the navigator, we went to Honiara, refuelled and left for Vila about 5.30pm. On the cruise we thought it would be a jolly good idea to have a look at the Vila approach charts, and to get the latest terminal forecasts.
Oh dear! Our alternate, Tontouta, was closed with heavy rain, vis 300 metres and base 600 feet. Rain was falling at Vila. Nandi was clear, but we had no charts for Fiji. Honiara was now dark, and had no runway lights. It was Vila or else. We looked at the let down charts with some surprise. Locate over the VOR, track out on a radial, leave the VOR and track inbound on an NDB, and when abeam of a different beacon, descend to minimum and look ahead for strobes curving to the right, to the threshold of the main runway amid the hills at Bauer Field. Rain was falling heavily as we followed the procedure. I commented to “FO Casanova” that I landed with ten degrees of drift that we didn’t have. Our arrival was slightly unexpected, so I paid for the fuel and our hotel accommodation with my Diners Card. Established in the hotel bar, I turned to discuss these events with “FO Casanova”. Too late! He had spotted a stylish young French lady and was taking her out for a night at the BESA Club. Goodbye “FO Casanova”!
