PNG Revisiting Kokoda and Tapini

[MM 426]

PNG Revisiting Kokoda and Tapini
For Saturday, April 29, 2023
Michael MacKuen

Here is a salute to Tim Harris and Ken Hall, whose extraordinary sceneries popularized PNG aviation for our community. We shall fly from Port Moresby over the Kokoda Track and then up over the mountains to the Tapini region. This will certainly be bush-flying in high terrain. But unlike some other remote villages on the island who have just recently established regular connections with the outside world, these Central Province communities have enjoyed air service for nearly fifty years. On our return to the area, we shall fly in MFS and take advantage of the current World Update 13 which improves the PNG area. While any comparison with Harris and Hall will necessarily come up short, we shall have some fun.


An RAAF Caribou enjoying a little R&R at Woitape

We depart from Jacksons [AYPY] at Port Moresby to land at one of the airstrips on the Kokoda Track [AYMA, AYEF, AYNC, KGW, BRM, AYME, or BPB]. Each pilot should pick one of these small strips  to execute a quick “stop-and-go” – we might coordinate because many of these fields have room for only one plane at a time. Here we merely remind ourselves of the rewarding challenge involved in mastering these lovely little strips. Afterwards, we shall meet up at Myola [AYMY] where there is plenty of space. Then down the north side of the Kokoda Track, passing the Isurava Memorial [ISRVA] to land at Kokoda [AYKO] near the now familiar palm oil plantation.

Next, we head north and ascend to land at steeply-sloped Yongai [AYJO], a mountaintop airport that has helped the locals connect with the national agricultural market. This field can be a challenge. Then around the valley and over the ridges to Kosipe [AYOP], a district town hall and mission site. This approach and landing can be more interesting than one might think. We leave and climb again to reach Guari [AYGF], a classic ridgetop airstrip in a more remote part of the province.

Then we re-trace our steps southward to set up a careful valley-constricted approach to Tapini [AYTI] which is a district headquarters and site of several schools including an internet-connected high school. This is a relatively busy center for regional aviation. We depart to the south along the valley and over ridges to Fane [AYFA]. This is the site of Fane Mission made famous by Sister Simona Noorenbergh who dedicated her life to the local people. Our final destination is Woitape [AYWT] where the Owen Stanley Lodge was once a popular expat getaway from the heat of Port Moresby. Both Tapini and Woitape have small lodges with electricity and running water; they site police stations, schools, missions and district offices; and they have regular air service to the larger cities. (Or at least this was true a few years ago.)

Documentation
The flightplan is available here.

Aircraft
Today’s flight is 177nm with an emphasis on unpaved mountain airstrips. This is a mission for STOL-capable aircraft including the Cessna Caravan, Quest Kodiak, DHC Twin Otter, and Pilatus Porter – all of which are a common sight in the area. I’ll fly the recently released DHC-4 Caribou, an aircraft that spent parts of its life operating in PNG for the RAAF. As ever, please fly what you like.

Additional Scenery
Most airports are in the default simulator, but not all. I would recommend the following freeware sceneries. Thanks to these fine authors.

Port Moresby Jacksons [AYPY]. Mountainair
Kokoda Track Bodinumu [BNM]. Callsign1065
Koiari (Kokoda Track) Bush Strips [BPB, AYME, AYMY]. Stearmandriver
Woitape [AYWT]. Mountainair

You can get a package here.

Time and Weather
For takeoff on Saturday, set the simulator at 8:00 am local for April 29, 2023. We typically prefer real weather but may need to adjust.

Multiplayer Particulars
Date and Time: Saturday, April 29, 2023. 1900 UTC
AVSIM Discord Server: https://discord.gg/K5Vy6UxWNm  - AVSIM GROUP EVENTS-SAT. COM3
Microsoft Flight Simulator Multiplayer: United States East server.

If you want to help others enjoy the multiplayer experience, don't forget to enter your aircraft details on the multiplayer spreadsheet (linked here). Please be kind enough to enter the title exactly as it stands in the title=”xxx” line of the aircraft.cfg file. Your courtesy will save others a lot of time and effort. Thanks!