Quote:
Originally Posted by cantankrs
I seem to recall being told that the first person to find a way in by road was John Belfield when on a 4WD trek to the top end.
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Yes he was the first to reach the strip by land.. it was a hairy trip for them .. a VMVC member was on the trip..late 70's or early 80's. The area was much more in a untouched state back then... compared to now. The 40mm AA gun pits were still dotted around the perimeter .. When the word got out, I think everyone and their dog went in there . Malcolm Douglas featured it in one of his TV shows . And Ben Cropp was there filming as well , as I spotted on late night TV . The authorities woke up and put their foot down ... understandable as much of it would have been looted by "aircraft collectors" . This has been a on going problem throughout the SW PAcific , with many aircraft being stolen and then, later appearing on the open market for a kings ransom.