Port Moresby → Kaintiba 

Leaving the safety of Papua New Guinea's largest airport, the route quickly climbs into the Owen Stanley Range toward the isolated mountain settlement of Kaintiba. The airstrip sits among steep ridges where weather changes with remarkable speed.

Leaving Civilization Behind

Every bush pilot remembers the moment the city disappears.

Behind you, Port Moresby stretches along the coast with its paved runways, radar, and modern aviation infrastructure.

Ahead lies another world entirely.

Within minutes the landscape transforms into endless jungle. Roads vanish beneath thick rainforest. The mountains begin rising like walls from the earth itself.

These are the Highlands—young mountains still being pushed upward by colliding tectonic plates. Their valleys have isolated communities for thousands of years.

Here, flying is not simply transportation.

It is survival.

The first landing at Kaintiba offers only a glimpse of what awaits deeper into Papua.

Kaintiba → Marawaka

Marawaka is hidden within steep terrain where visual navigation and energy management become critical. Mountain winds and confined valleys demand absolute precision.

Into the Green Labyrinth

The further inland you fly, the less forgiving Papua becomes.

Mountain ridges force aircraft through narrow valleys where every turn must be anticipated. Morning fog clings to river systems while afternoon thunderstorms grow with astonishing speed.

There are few straight routes here.

Pilots follow rivers, saddles and valleys because the mountains leave little alternative.

Every successful landing becomes another lesson in humility.

Marawaka → Yalumet

Yalumet is one of Papua New Guinea's classic bush strips, requiring careful airspeed control and precise positioning throughout the approach.

Flying Where Maps Once Ended

Not long ago these valleys remained almost unknown outside Papua.

Missionaries became some of the first regular pilots here, carrying supplies into communities accessible only by aircraft. Many of today's airstrips were cut by hand using little more than basic machinery and determination.

Each strip represented hope.

Each landing connected people separated by mountains that roads could never conquer.

Today you follow those same aerial lifelines.

Yalumet → Komo

The approach into KOMO is surrounded by towering terrain and rapidly changing weather. Precision and patience are rewarded.

The Mountains Decide

Experienced bush pilots often repeat the same saying:

"You never beat the mountains. They simply allow you through."

Papua constantly reminds pilots that schedules mean nothing.

Cloud can close a valley within minutes.

Wind can transform a stable approach into an impossible one.

Sometimes the smartest decision is turning back.

Knowing when not to land is every bit as important as knowing how.

Nankina → Borme

Dense jungle and twisting valleys characterize this spectacular route toward Iwam.

Rivers of the Rainforest

From above, Papua resembles an endless green ocean.

Only rivers reveal pathways through the jungle.

These waterways have guided explorers, traders and pilots alike for generations.

The aircraft follows them because the surrounding terrain leaves little choice.

Villages appear briefly between the trees before disappearing once again beneath the rainforest canopy.

Civilization here exists in scattered islands surrounded by wilderness.

Leg 7 — WAUF →  AYLB

Iwam → Lab Lab

Kiunga offers another demanding short-field operation where approach discipline is everything.

Margin for Error

As fatigue begins to build, discipline becomes more important than confidence.

Bush flying rewards consistency.

Not bravery.

Small mistakes compound rapidly.

A little high.

A little fast.

A little late.

Papua has punished experienced pilots for far less.

Leg 8 — AYLB → AYTB 

Lab Lab → Tapini

Tapini sits among dramatic mountain terrain where changing weather and optical illusions often challenge visiting pilots.

The Weight of Experience

By now, your flying has changed.

Control inputs are smoother.

Decisions come earlier.

You no longer chase the airplane.

Instead, you stay ahead of it.

Papua has quietly become your instructor.

Every landing has added another lesson impossible to learn from a textbook.

Leg 9 — AYTB → AYDU 

Dumpu → Kokoda

The legendary Kokoda Airstrip provides a fitting conclusion to the expedition. Surrounded by history and challenging terrain, it remains one of Papua New Guinea's most iconic bush flying destinations.

The Last Landing

The mountains begin to fall away as you follow the historic Kokoda Track.

Below lies one of Australia's most significant World War II battlefields, where soldiers fought through some of the harshest jungle on Earth.

Today the challenge is different.

The enemy is terrain.

Weather.

Fatigue.

And complacency.

The runway finally appears between the ridges.

There is no dramatic celebration.

Only concentration.

Power.

Flare.

Touchdown.

The aircraft rolls safely to a stop.

Another bush pilot has earned the respect of Papua New Guinea.

Final Reflection

Few places on Earth test aviators quite like Papua New Guinea.

Across ten demanding legs, you have crossed knife-edge ridgelines, navigated cloud-filled valleys, and landed on airstrips where precision was not optional—it was essential. Every successful arrival represented careful planning, disciplined flying, and respect for some of the world's most unforgiving terrain.

The bush strips of Papua New Guinea are more than isolated runways. They are lifelines connecting remote communities, symbols of human determination, and enduring reminders that aviation can overcome even the greatest natural barriers.

This tour was never about speed or distance.

It was about mastering judgment under pressure.

As you shut down the engine at Kokoda and the propeller slowly comes to rest, you leave with something far more valuable than a completed logbook.

You leave having conquered one of the greatest bush flying challenges that Microsoft Flight Simulator has to offer.

Welcome to the ranks of Chernair's finest. Fly safe, fly smart, and remember—every great bush pilot earns their landings.