A friend in need

Many of Australian Aviation’s readers would have started their careers as young, inexperienced pilots in Papua-New Guinea, one of the world’s most challenging flying environments. Names such as Tapini, Menyamya, the Kokoda Gap, the Black Cat Gap, and the Owen Stanley ranges, together with images of volatile weather and rock-filled clouds, can evoke memories that might never be equalled for professional excitement and satisfaction. PNG’s unique test of skill and nerve has underwritten many Australian pilots’ careers.

Unfortunately, Australia’s aviation connection with PNG has been allowed to deteriorate in the past decade, at least at the military/security level. This is both disappointing and short-sighted.