Any info on Biak airfield, Dutch New Guinea

[ian elliot]

To any Dutch friends and simmers or anyone, after the release of the Sea Hawk and the Karel Doorman carrier group by Jens, im curious about Biak used by the Dutch in the 50's-60's, also interesting as a staging post for the Royal Australian Air Force on deployment to Malaya and Vietnam in the 60's, so there's a lot of Seahawk, Hunter and RAAF F-86 action from there. FSX has provided just a single runway but i'd like to know just what the layout was, Google earth reveals 2 airfields pretty close together, one a modern ( im guessing ) passenger strip and one dating back to WW2, im not making a scenery or anything but i'd like to amend the Afcad and maybe add a few buildings if i had the right info.

cheers ian

 

[ian elliot]

Looks like Mokmer is the main civil airfield and Sorido used by the Dutch military until 1962, intresting, do like a good cold war airfield to get my juices flowing.

cheers ian

 

[Cees Donker]

Ask Huub!



Cees

 

[ian elliot]

Well, ive just retro'd Mokmer, and i'll be easy enough to add a second runway to the Afcad, and that'll do for Sorido, just need to examine the google earth image closely to work out dispersal's and what ever buildings were present---

 

[Ferry_vO]

Ian, my information shows that there were three former US bases in that location: Sorido which wasn't used again after WW2, Borokoe which was the new Dutch MLD base and Mokmer which became the civilian airfield.

Sorido was the field to the west, Borokoe in the center and slightly to the north and Mokmer to the east.

Looks like what you labeled Sorido in your photo is Borokoe.

 

[ian elliot]

ok, thanks, its getting a bit confusing, but i'll figure it

thanks again, ian

 

[Ferry_vO]

I have a small drawing which I'll try to scan for you tomorrow Ian.

 

[leuen]

There are several pictures of Boroekoe on the web, as it was an important Hunter airfield during the Netherlands New Guinea Conflict.

 

[Timmy74]

To any Dutch friends and simmers or anyone, after the release of the Sea Hawk and the Karel Doorman carrier group by Jens, im curious about Biak used by the Dutch in the 50's-60's, also interesting as a staging post for the Royal Australian Air Force on deployment to Malaya and Vietnam in the 60's, so there's a lot of Seahawk, Hunter and RAAF F-86 action from there. FSX has provided just a single runway but i'd like to know just what the layout was, Google earth reveals 2 airfields pretty close together, one a modern ( im guessing ) passenger strip and one dating back to WW2, im not making a scenery or anything but i'd like to amend the Afcad and maybe add a few buildings if i had the right info.

cheers ian

Hello Ian,

The RAAF Sabres (3 and 77 Squadrons) only flew in and out of Biak for two weeks as part of "Operation Sabre Ferry". Biak was part of the flight plan to get the Sabres form RAAF base Williamtown (Australia) to Butterworth (Western Malaysia) via Garbutt, Townsville, Darwin, Biak, Guiunan (South Phillippines), Labuan (British Borneo) finishing in Butterworth (a total of 9,700 km's) in support of the "Malayan Emergency". The dates of the total ferry flight was between 27th October 1958 and finished up on the 11th November 1958.

For something different there is a great article in the -August edition- English publication "Flypast" about Biak and the amount of surplus WWII aircraft that were dumped there after the pacific conflict had ceased. Very interesting reading.

Also my father has a few maps of WWII airstrips all over the pacific region in his collection. I could dig them up when I visit him at Christmas time and maybe shoot you a copy of them if you like? Just PM me if you are interested in anything?

Cheers,
Tim..

p.s the RAAF Sabres were not F-86's. They were CAC Avon Sabres....

 

[jmfabio]

hello Ian,

try this link over at Flightsim sw_pacific_airdromes.zip CFS2/FS2002/FS2004/FSX Airdrome Guide. Official USAAF Airdrome guide for SW Pacific. Includes detailed airdrome maps with detailed runway and use information for each airdrome. Useful document for all scenery designers and flyers of FS.

Joe

 

[ian elliot]

Thanks for all the input guys, once i worked out that it was Borokoe i was interested in, things feel into place a bit more, i was'nt intending a full blown scenery but you know how things happen , ive only used stock objects so no librarys should be needed, and its no way accurate, MS placed the Biak civil airfield some way inland from where it is on Google earth, and i'll also change the landclass and realine a few roads but not bad for a couple hours work. And thanks Joe for the airfields guide, i'll keep that for further reading.

cheers ian

 

[Ferry_vO]

Bit late, but I had some troubles with my scanner and with photobucket, but here it is :

 

[Daveroo]

hey all,i was wondering if Dutch New Guinea is the same as the current New Guinea?

stupid question i know,but i've always been confused by Papua New Guinea as well.

a friend of mine,who is also buying our house,is just back from a week working in Cambodia ,home this week and off saturday for New Guinea until dec 16th,OR his trip could be extended to January 25th,i told him if it is,and it holds us up from moving again (we were to close on oct 19th,now it wont be until nov 11th,and our new (old) place will close the 15th of nov)i told him id "hurt" him,so if i disappear and no one can find me,check the california court systems,i may need "correspondence" letters....ok..i am kiddin...but ya know...................

BTW,the hold up from the 19th caused us to lose the home we wanted as the sellers wanted cash only from the start without a contingency.but allowed it until the 31st,which would have been no problem,as we were to close with them on the 25th and we could have moved in yesterday,but we needed the extension to the 12th of nov,and nope,they wouldn't do that,so scratched that one.was their choice so mom got her $3900.00 deposit back thank god.