PK-LEH  Grumman G-21A Goose                     (c/n  B.54)

                               

                                   South Australian & Territory Air Services' Indonesian subsidiary, PT Saatas East Indonesie acquired,
                                   in the early 1970s, a couple of G-21As for their operations in West Irian and East Timor.   They were
                                   used in support of Total Indonesie's Balikpapan, East Kalimantan oil field operation, transporting oil
                                   well personnel to off shore rigs.       PK-LEH was an ex US Navy JRF-5 (BuAer 37801) which had
                                   spent time with the RCAF in 1944-45 as '387'.    Civilianized as N2721A, it was sold in July 1974 to
                                   Tasman Airlines, and was noted at Miami with 'Tasman Airlines Australia' titling.   It arrived in Sydney
                                   (via London) in October of that year and appeared to have languished there for a period of several
                                   months before being granted its CofA at Essendon in 1975.   By that time Tasman Airlines was a non-
                                   runner and its Australian registration of VH-CRL was not taken up.     Instead it went to Saatas East
                                   Indonesia as PK-LEH.   Its ultimate fate is unknown, but it was stricken from the PK- register in 1990. 
                                   The above shot is from the Margaret Picard collection, whose father spent a a good deal of time in the
                                   PNG/ West Irian area.