Western Province weather

It's the south-easterly season in PNG, which means wet season in the Western Province, where I'm currently flying. Wet season means lots of clouds, both high and low, and rain. Here are some pictures of what it's like to fly in these conditions:

Flying at 10,000' over layers of broken cloud.
Dark patches indicate holes through which we can descend.

Descending through such a hole

Flying at low level - line of showers

Landing at Kawito under low cloud, before the rain arrives!

Balimo airstrip in rain

MAF Balimo temporary base

Thanks to civil unrest in Hagen on 12 July in relation to the elections, MAF management made the decision to relocate our aircraft to other bases. Two aircraft were flown down to Balimo the following day so that the flying programmes planned for the Western Province could continue. After the dust settled, I was picked up on 16 July and have been here for the last couple of weeks. It's been useful to experience the longer short-term weather patterns that you don't really get to appreciate if you're only staying for one night. But hard work too, as the accommodation we've been allocated is still very much a construction site.

MAF Balimo

Accommodation and road (on a good day...)

The work continues - dropping off a health patrol team in Ali

First solo flight, to Kawito...

...another milestone reached!

A village visit

Earlier this week we were scheduled to pick up some passengers at Kapal and fly them to Daru. We picked them up as planned but low cloud and rain meant we couldn't reach the destination, so we went back. While waiting for the weather to improve, we went for a short walk to the village. It's always interesting to see how people live in the bush places that we visit...

Kapal airstrip markings and windsock

The community comes to watch when a plane arrives

Road to the village

Houses in the village

A village trade store with the ubiquitous 'Digicel top up here' sign

 

A drive through Balimo town

I'm in Balimo for a couple of weeks. Yesterday we dropped some people off at the compound in town. The locals were out in force watching what was happening with the vote counting...

Makeshift shops set up near the voting results place

People waiting at the results board

More election news

Here are some more headlines from around the country (mostly the highlands):

Village burned by candidates’ supporters

Helicopter shot at while trying to transport ballot boxes

Roads in and out of Hagen blocked by protestors, as well as the airport. Police and defence force personnel used live rounds to disperse the crowds

Ballot boxes stolen by candidates’ supporters, 4 metre deep ditch dug across the road to stop any vehicles from getting out, another road had trees felled across it

Police shot at during counting

Candidate - named as a pastor - arrested for damaging the vehicle of another candidate

Ballot papers had been previously marked when given to voters

Some headlines from previous years, to give a flavour of what we might expect following polling in Hagen (which has been postponed several times, from 11 July to 13 July to 15 July to 18 July...)

2018: Aircraft burned in Mendi, along with the local court house and governor’s residence, after a court ruling on a local election result. (MAF still doesn’t fly there because of this event)

2017: The sitting MP for Mt Hagen was declared the winner with 28 ballot boxes uncounted. Buildings in the CBD were burned, the airport blockaded and the town water supply poisoned.

 

Election news

When I arrived in PNG at the start of the year, I was told about how tensions and violence could be expected to increase during election time. Elections in PNG are held every 5 years.

While in any country there will be stories of corruption during the process and public disappointment at the result, in PNG these seem to go to the extreme. For example:

Candidates - over 2500 running for 118 seats

Outdated electoral roll - in some places the electoral roll hasn't been updated since 2012

Vote buying is expected - everyone knows it happens, but no-one is willing to report it

Ballot boxes burned - this is how people express their frustration at being told they can't vote

Aircraft targeted - today's NOTAMs included the following for both Wapenamanda and Wabag: ACFT OPS WI VCY TO EXER CTN DUE UNREST ON THE GND AND RISK OF PROJECTILES TO AIRBORNE OPS

Vehicles torched - while transporting ballot boxes for counting 

Winning candidate announced - before voting has even opened in other parts of the country

Anecdotal stories I have heard of:
- people turning up to vote and being handed a ballot paper that was already filled out
- people turning up to vote and being told their vote had already been cast on their behalf
- businesses receiving insurance payouts in the millions of PNG kina and spending it on election campaigning instead

We'll see what happens next...

Airstrip survey training

Recently I took part in a couple of days' training in how to do airstrip surveys. This involves taking measurements of the length, width, and slope of the airstrip and obstacles around it, using a GPS and laser range finder/inclinometer (such as is used by golfers), and inspecting the airstrip condition. This information is combined with DCP (dynamic cone penetrometer) data, which measures the strength of the subsurface - there have been a few accidents in MAF's history where although the surface was dry and firm, underneath was waterlogged and the weight of the aircraft caused it to break through. MAF now has a policy of re-assessing every airstrip every 2 years, so that we are using reliable data - essential for safe operations.

The first day was in the classroom learning about the requirements, the process, and how to use the equipment.

The second day we went to two airstrips in the Goroka area that were nearing their 2-yearly due date for being surveyed. Here are some photos...

Simogu airstrip

Roping in some local volunteers to help

Measuring longitidunal slope, Guwasa

Measuring width and transverse slope

Measuring camber

Job done!