This Caribou pulls through

In a display of “people power”, villagers tow the Caribou back on to the airstrip for repairs.

No. 38 Squadron Detachment A members fix the damaged engine.

NO, it’s not an unusual tug-of-war contest in the highlands of PNG.
The villagers in the main photograph are helping to haul a damaged Caribou back on to an airstrip for repairs.

The aircraft ran off the end off the runway on landing at Yalumet, Papua New Guinea, on February 8.

Operation Wombats Return was launched to recover the Caribou.

No. 38 Squadron formed Detachment A for the operation, with no fewer than 20 squadron and support personnel from No. 86 Wing, No. 2 Airfield Defence Squadron and No. 381 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron assigned the task of preparing A4-204 for return to Australia.

Four ADGs provided security and lingual support. The latter skills were acquired at the ADF School of Languages where they completed a Pidgin English course.

Two C-130s delivered stores and equipment to PNG for the operation, and a second Caribou provided transport for personnel, parts and equipment between Yalumet and the support base, Menang.

A familiar sight to Yalumet villagers, the Caribou conducts regular training flights in the region.

There is little infrastructure at Yalumet and no equipment such as a tow-motor, so with the help of 200 local villagers, A4-204 was pulled back on to the airstrip. Repairs were done to the engine, propeller and wing spar.

DET A engineer and maintenance personnel completed the required repairs on location in under seven days, an impressive result at short notice.

Operation Wombats Return culminated in the successful return to service of A4-204.
38SQN DET A lived up to the squadron’s motto of being “Equal to the Task”, aided by the “people power” of the villagers of Yalumet.

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