Indo Tour 5 - 7

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End of Tour 7     (I have not photoshopped the colours ....it is definitely time to go home !)
Intriguing way to display a hotel room number
Calm seas and cloud reflections off Sulawesi
Zero Tolerance for trespassers at the Nusi Beach
Nabire airport bug
Pilot's on-board cake ration ...see post 27Mar16
Cloudy day in the Freeway
In the Ilaga Valley approaching the airstrip
Negotiation at Ilaga "Why did you say she had a broken leg ?"  see post dated 25Mar16
Papua highland agriculture
....wasn't even close !
Mea fuga incipit ...
Still from GoPro WideAngle movie - boarding in Nabire
Camcorder still - crowded apron in Nabire
We start the take off run left of centerline because .....
Taxying out for take off on a deteriorating runway
Bad patch recently repaired with sub-standard asphalt which softens under the tropical sun ...note the tire tracks
Obliging ATC request for a tight right base
Obliging ATC request for a tight right base
Flaps ...check         Ignition ...check         Man With Gun Running to Intercept Us ...cheMOTHERF%&()@r !!!!    see post Mon21Mar16 and 3rd photo down from here
High lakes seen from 10,500 ft altitude along the North Ridge of the Freeway
Happiness ...is being a chicken in a goat restaurant
High tension in Sugapa due to recent Bopati (local Governor) elections - so they put rocks on the runway ...I hit the one on the centreline during landing
One of two rocks deliberately placed on the runway at Sugapa - I hit this one with my nosewheel at 40 knots during the landing roll ...luckily no damage
Fun with the GoPro WideAngle - MiL8 ST-MGB abandoned, impounded, neglected never-to-fly-again and taking up valuable apron space since 2013
GoPro WideAngle - AMA PC6 Pilatus Porter
A new requirement at Nabire is that 'official' airport staff marshall us to the stand
There were no security problems today ...see post Wed16Mar16
Climbers cum Tourists !! ...returning to Nabire after reaching the summit of the Puncak Jaya
Clearing a runway - Indo Style
Visit to the newly-opened Kelapa Beach in the Rawawudo District
Pantai Kelapa - novel use of a satellite dish
Pantai Kelapa
Rawawudo District denizen
Pantai Kelapa - with Pulau Babi and Ahe on the horizon (the small islands where we snorkled to the WW2 aircraft wreck)
Pantai Kelapa - hermit crab left high-and-dry at low tide
Pantai Kelapa - sand bubbler crabs at work
Pantai Kelapa - sand bubbler crab putting on a ferocious display
Pantai Kelapa - a mini-jet of seawater driven by wave power squirting out of rocks 2 ft above sea level
Reflections on take off ...
Papua Highlands welcome
Papua Highlands logistics
Taking advantage of a calm clear morning to fly at 10,500 ft along the North ridge of the Freeway
Cruising along the North ridge of the Freeway at 10,500 ft altitude
Loading a bulky ornamental fence on the apron at Nabire. The mound in the background hides a WW2 Japanese bunker.
09 March 2016 ...Solar Eclipse (83% of totality) as seen in Nabire, Papua, Indonesia at 1005 local time (0105 UTC)
AsianOneAir Nabire Engineers and Ground Crew during the Solar Eclipse of 09 March 2016
New GoPro spot under the cargo pod - early left turn after take off
GoPro from under the cargo pod - approaching a cloudy Nabire at 2000 ft altitude (with a 1500 ft ridge between us and the runway)
Everybody happy to complete loading of two halves of a digger scoop (365 kg each) destined for Ilaga
Enroute to Ilaga at 11,500 ft via the high plateau passing the 'High' or 'West' Lake (elev approx 10,800 ft). The saddle ahead marks the entrance to the Ilaga valley. This route is only usable in clear calm weather.
GoPro still ...Ilaga WAYL elev 7500 ft - new asphalt and paint on runway 25
Ilaga WAYL runway 25
On the new apron at Ilaga WAYL
Unloading digger parts at Ilaga
Unloading digger parts at Ilaga. The entire digger will be flown in piecemeal over the next weeks.
Departing runway 07 at Ilaga
Highland waterfall seen from a distance thru the side window - at least a 1000 ft drop
GoPro and Camcorder stills from our Bilorai Compilation video
Bilorai Compilation video
Bilorai Compilation video
Bilorai Compilation
Bilorai Compilation
Ground Cameraman Bilorai Airport Officer Ramli
Ground Cameraman Bilorai Airport Officer Ramli
Our Ground Crew enjoying leftovers from the pilot's coffee and cakes
Localized intense rain shower over Topo
Our Engineer Marsel at his best during scheduled maintenance
Early morning GoPro snapshot - heading East into the Freeway
Working our way through the weather during the final approach to the airstrip
Me and my shadow ....
Me and my shadow ....
Me and my shadow ....
Rain ...rain ...rain
New spot for the GoPro under the wing : passing over the Nabire VOR (unservicable)
WAYB Bilorai ...same pig, different day
Amano gold mine and airstrip on the Derewo River
Turning in the Freeway over Bilai
Touchdown on RWY27 at WAYB Bilorai
Loading PAX in the highlands
Unloading boy with broken arm (see Post dated 16Feb16)
Situation normal
Passing Yajasi PC6 in the Freeway
Bell 212 PK-USS departing for the gold mine at Amano
Typical highland airport scene - deteriorating asphalt and a pig
Engineer Meli completing our documentation while 1200 kg of building supplies are loaded
"Cleared to Taxi" after dumping 1200 kg of rice on the apron
Camcorder still - lifting off from Bilorai (elev 6960) on a dark and wet day
A poor pic on a rainy day ....with the airport security patrol chasing kids off the runway
When pilots get bored ....
Mbugulo Church and Bell
Airport WC ....signage required to prevent enterprising little capitalists (totally unconnected with the airport) from trying to extort a service fee 
Start of Tour 7 ....souvenirs from Scotland
End of Tour 6 ....Christmas photos on Pulau Ahe at the beginning of December
Ilaga WAYL - reduced apron space means they park aircraft on the [600 m] runway
Whale Shark feeding
Once the Whale Shark is clear the Tuna come streaking in
In the water of Cenderawasih Bay with 4 Whale Sharks and Tuna feeding on a baitball (No.4 is there but hidden behind the 6 m one in the centre)
...coming back for seconds
Not an enlargement ...this 6 meter beauty whose tail is bigger than I am glided in for a closer look ...as some baitfish escaped from its mouth
Lionfish on Pulau Ahe Reef
Recovering my beloved GoPro from Pulau Ahe reef
See post 19Oct15
Smoke haze from forest fires and charcoal burning
Smoke haze in the Freeway
Nabire - sunset rainstorm
Loading building materials for highland prison
Loading building materials for highland prison
1200 kg of steel frame neatly fitted together and well strapped to prevent shift in flight
Onwards logistics - Papua style
Pulau Ahe - WW2 wreck ... part of fuselage in 10m water just off the reef
Pulau Ahe coral reef - part of WW2 aircraft wreck
Pulau Ahe - part of WW2 aircraft wreck in shallow water
Pulau Ahe - WW2 wreck ... left wing in shallow water
Pulau Ahe - WW2 wreck ... right wing in 10m water just off the reef
Pulau Ahe coral reef - still from GoPro
Pulau Ahe coral reef - lionfish
Typical highland early morning weather - blue skies and then a cloud moves in and closes the airstrip within minutes
Curious whale shark in Cenderawasih Bay
This 4.5 meter teenager and his entourage stayed after feeding and played with us for 20 minutes
After the whale sharks a visit to Pulau Nuburi, last visited in January. Tragically 60% of the reef has been totally destroyed by a dragged net. Most of the fish are gone and the remaining corals are dying off 
Silk full-face masks are all the rage around here to keep the dust out - this soldier in Ilaga sports one of the more creepy ones
This will never get old (1200 kg of cement). That day we also carried 1000 badminton shuttlecocks ....proudly manufactured and branded locally by IndoCock




For photos from previous Indonesia Tours