Thread: Across Australia by Helicopter.

Ok, so renamed from slingsby.

Kenny had 3 or 4 jetrangers on the goldcoast also, all leased out. Wonder how the boys like being owned by a city boy.

Kerry Slingsby had the respect of every worker because he started it, a legend, he could do everything and more that he expected his workers to do.

In fact my first ever helicopter flight was with Kerry and it was then that I decided to go get a licence.

Originally Posted by MeMock

Originally Posted by Nawty

MeMok...were you a journilast in that area ?? If so do you remember a white water rafting trip down the Katherine gorge in the wet season that kinda went topsy tervy ?? Somewhere around 93/94

I was a journalist (of sorts) in that area yes but you must have me pegged as an old man! I didnt graduate high school until the end of 1993 and didnt start my media career until the end of 1994 so no I don't remember it sorry. Mind you although we did cover as far across as Katherine to Broome we would only report on pretty major stories or if the had a local influence that far away. Sounds like a good story though!

It was a good story, made front page katherine times and I think from memory nt news at the time.

I had tried to find it online somehow, would love to get a copy of it again somehow for old times sake.

Basics of it was 1 dead, 1 brought back to life and the rest of us airlifted out by Lloyds rescue at tindal airforce base.

Much more to it than that though.

He is a top bloke isn't he. I had a chat with him for a while whilst waiting for a flight to Darwin a few months ago. Bit of a Larrikan but good value.

Well, looks like it isn't a rumour but fact.

Ironman flexes muscles with Kimberley buy | The Australian

My earliest memory of Kerry is walking home from the school bus down our driveway Kerry swooped in and picked us kids up for a joy flight. Something about owing my Dad a favour or something.

He started off as a ringer (like a lot of chopper pilots do) before getting into flying. I remember as a wee tacker Dusty Rankin dying in a crash. His widow pat became Kerrys wife. Tragedy struck a second time only about 4 years ago when her son Kim, flying for Kerry was the pilot in another crash in almost exactly the same spot where his Dad died. He died along with three passengers. I covered that story extensively. All dead were locals, it was a shocking time.

This is one of the articles from my newspaper at the time.

Four dead in chopper crash

Originally Posted by Nawty

Originally Posted by MeMock

Originally Posted by Nawty

MeMok...were you a journilast in that area ?? If so do you remember a white water rafting trip down the Katherine gorge in the wet season that kinda went topsy tervy ?? Somewhere around 93/94

I was a journalist (of sorts) in that area yes but you must have me pegged as an old man! I didnt graduate high school until the end of 1993 and didnt start my media career until the end of 1994 so no I don't remember it sorry. Mind you although we did cover as far across as Katherine to Broome we would only report on pretty major stories or if the had a local influence that far away. Sounds like a good story though!

It was a good story, made front page katherine times and I think from memory nt news at the time.

I had tried to find it online somehow, would love to get a copy of it again somehow for old times sake.

Basics of it was 1 dead, 1 brought back to life and the rest of us airlifted out by Lloyds rescue at tindal airforce base.

Much more to it than that though.

Wow, that was a big story!

If you want to get a copy I have the perfect contact. Vince Fardone is the owner of the Katherine Times and has been since Adam was a boy

Flick him an email mail[at]kathtimes.com.au

Excellent, I going to dig out some pics now and scan.

If you are ok, can you pm me your name, would be nice to mention it in a request for him to dig up the info.

Were you around when the plane crashed at Ord River stn and killed all on board ? I was there, we pulled the burning bodies out.

PM has been sent.

The Ord River Station crash I remember hearing about as a young tacker I think. What year did that happen? I tried to find info about it online but came up blank.

What were you doing so close by?

Originally Posted by Nawty

Were you around when the plane crashed at Ord River stn and killed all on board ? I was there, we pulled the burning bodies out.

Interesting turn of the thread. Lucky MM has already done his trip, otherwise all this talk of crashes etc, might spook him.


and some nice pics MM, cheers!

^^ I was only close because it happened at the homestead, plane tried to land on the road at the homestead instead of the runway which was probably a 10/15 minute drive away.

Not sure exactly what happened, but hit some ruts in the road, left the centre and ran into the side ditches and into a tree and boom.

Pushing for the year back then, I must have been around 23/25 and 45 now.

got pm, thanks, will post it if I can get a hold of the article.


KW....aviation is not all its cracked up to be, while it is a lot of fun and I had an awesome time over the years, fishing, pig hunting, croc chasing, snorkelling etc...I have had many people I knew, some friends....all killed in crashes.

A quick count in the head would be around... 8...all seperate crashes.

in fact here is the wreckage of one heli a friend was flying at Katherine, the passenger jumped out at tree top level as he thought it was going down, the pilot lost it with sudden c of g change and inexperience, slammed into the ground pilot side first.

You blokes familiar with the country round Yarralin? Near VRD on the Whickham River.

I used to fly into VRD regularly for maintenance.

Hit a tree with the tail rotor once and flew there 3 days later to get it fixed.

But never did any work or flying in that exact area.

No worries, just wondered. I ran the school in Yarralin for nigh on 4 years. The VRD boys were good. Every Xmas I'd drive over there, dress as Santa and they'd fly me back to the school. Chopper would land in the oval, out jumps Santa with a mass of prezzies.
All the little kids start crying in fear and the older ones try to act cool 'cos they know it's me. They're really excited though. Give out gifts and the party starts. Good fun.

Same as Nawty jandajoy, I know of the place but have never visited.

Nawty: I asked my Dad about the Ord River Station crash and he said he remembered it. Mainly because one of the people who died was doing some work for him (building something) and left the job half completed!

Nice pic you posted. Times that by half a dozen and you have VRD's back yard! Did you hear about the crash at Tennant creek 2 weeks ago? At the rodeo grounds in full view of everyone put it into some power lines.

Sorry it was Mataranka.

Investigators have interviewed witnesses and inspected the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed at Mataranka, 100 kilometres south of Katherine, on the weekend, killing Territorian cattleman Duane Fishlock.

The 45-year-old died instantly when his Robinson chopper hit powerlines at the Mataranka Rodeo Grounds and crashed on Saturday.

Four investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) have visited the site to inspect the helicopter.

The Bureau's Richard Davies says it is too early to know what went wrong and a preliminary report will be released in 30 days

"We are finding it very difficult to determine what the pilot's intentions were on departure," he said.

"We know he was on the cricket field there, he did become airborne, he was airborne for a short period of time and we do not at this stage know his intentions or his destination," he said.

Some more pics for this wonderful thread.....


Parked on some rocks, there was a river on the other side of these rocks, goin fishin.



Chasing some cows on the QLD/NT border.



This is Katherine Gorge....




This is the Katherine river at the bridge in Katherine township at the start of the wet seasn...brown water....notice the height of the river on the bridge at the start of the wet season...




Same river same bridge in the middle of the wet season.....now imagine a white water rafting trip down the Katherine Gorge where the narrow walls of the canyons turn this mass of water into a foaming thunderbox of death and destruction...



Parked outside the Crab Claw resort on Bynoe harbour south of Darwin. A friend ran this place and we would sneak in at tree top height and full speed and throw crackers out of the heli on the roof and into the pool.



Landing on a cargo ship in the torres straits..this was always fun, landing between cranes and cargo equipment in a heaving sea, ship bobbing up and down meters at a time....also the added bonus that on some ships, particulalry fuel carrying ships. on each corner of the landing pad would be a trigger happy indian with a huge fire gun pointed at you, ready to fire and launch you over the side of the deck if you fucked up and hit one of the cranes...




Picnic to the Tiwi islands north of Darwin




I owned a tour company for several years, here is what my drivers used to do at least once every wet season. The tourists in this particular case climbed out onto the roof and waited for rescue while the crocs floated by...



And finally my pet croc 'bruce'...notice the dog chain around his waist and tethered to the glovebox....also notice my dog 'Floss' sitting on my swag above him...caught him in the spillway in Kununurra by the way...

coor i want one of those^ amazing pics lads

^ Nah, that's just a freshy (but a big freshy, mind you). If you want some real action, get yourself a salty.

try driving with a salty on your lap....

and my name is Billy Hunt...not Silly cu..

Fuck off Nawty, you're from Melbun.

None of these are yours.

Originally Posted by Nawty

I owned a tour company for several years, here is what my drivers used to do at least once every wet season. The tourists in this particular case climbed out onto the roof and waited for rescue while the crocs floated by...

I hoped you sacked the driver.

I used to help with a tour company doing the old telegraph track up the Cape to the tip. Bloody hard work, but fun. You'd generally find a German prepared to walk the creeks and rivers before crossing. Always good for a laugh.

We had a new bloke who set up camp at Kennedy bend, famous for a 4+meter salty. The silly bugger set up camp on the lower level!

Yes, they got a visit!

Some very scared campers and a very embarrassed driver/guide.

No damage done, thank God.

here tis... Tour guide knew crocs were in billabong - National - www.theage.com.au

Worked for me for a long time...in fact I got a pic of him also, wirey little half cast crossed looking afghan camel jockey

^ Yes, I remember that. Daft bugger.

I knew this guy also.

We hijacked a crop of weed from his property one time we found hiding in the bushes.

Colin Hewitt.com - Rod Ansell

Geez...I could write a book....hey Bob ??