With mountains rising to 14,000 feet and villages that are days from the nearest road, Papua New Guinea is a location that demands weeks of intense preparation for MAF pilot Matt Kaye.
Story by Mandy Glass
For Australian Matt Kaye, stepping into Papua New Guinea has been an experience of new extremes.
“Seeing the mountains at 13 or 14,000 feet is pretty insane,” he says, having viewed towering ranges that hide deeply isolated communities.
After two years of flying in Arnhem Land and a short stint training new pilots at MAF’s Training Centre in Mareeba, Australia, Matt arrived in PNG at the beginning of March following a season of prayer, discernment and fundraising. This is a whole new chapter in his journey with MAF.
“I’ve been in PNG for about five weeks now, and it’s really flown by,” he says with a smile, standing in the maintenance hangar in Mount Hagen. “I’ve loved getting to know both the team and the local people — everyone’s really friendly.”
Flying into a strip like Ambi in the Western Highlands, people have to walk for days to even access the next village.”
Though he’s not flying missions just yet, his days are full. Matt is currently undergoing induction – a vital season of preparation that includes time in several MAF departments including engineering, flight operations, bookings and programming.
“As new pilots, we spend some time in the maintenance hangar,” he explains. “That’s part of our induction before we actually hit the line and start flying.”
His time in the hangar isn’t just about tools and technical specs — it’s about connecting with the people on the hangar floor and with the backbone of MAF’s operation in PNG.
Learning the ins and outs of the Cessna Caravan, the aircraft he’ll soon fly across rugged terrain, is essential in case he encounters problems whilst out in a remote community.
He is also intensively learning Tok Pisin, one of PNG’s widely spoken languages. It’s a season of foundations, and Matt is embracing it with excitement, humility and gratitude.
One of the most impactful experiences so far has been participating in ‘observation’ flights, where a new pilot sits in the right-hand seat as an observer only, becoming familiar with the terrain, weather and procedures at a metered pace.
“I’ve had the absolute privilege of jumping on a number of different flights,” Matt says. “Flying into a strip like Ambi in the Western Highlands, people have to walk for days to even access the next village.”
On those flights, Matt saw first-hand the difference MAF makes — delivering food supplies, transporting locals and their produce and bringing hope to places unreachable by road.
Originally from Melbourne, Matt first heard about MAF as a teenager. A seed was planted that would grow into a calling — one now bearing fruit in the mountains and valleys of PNG.
Once he completes his induction, Matt will head to Balimo in the Western Province — ready to fly, serve and live out God’s calling on his life.