
The Worst Place to Be a Pilot: Bush Flying Papua's Deadliest Airstrips | Matt Dearden
From Adventure Diaries: Exploration, Survival & Travel Stories by Chris Watson: Storyteller & Micro-Adventurer
June 11, 2026 · 1h 26m · Season 5 · Episode 11
About this episode
Matt Dearden shares his experiences flying dangerous bush pilot routes in Papua, Indonesia.
🎧 Follow the show here— it really helps Adventure Diaries reach more listeners. Thank you. From a desk job in IT to flying one of the world's most dangerous bush pilot routes — Matt Dearden spent seven years flying the Pilatus Porter into 30% gradient mountain airstrips in the remote highlands of Papua, Indonesia. After landing a Susi Air co-pilot job with just 10 days' notice, Matt sold his car, rented out his house, and boarded a one-way flight to a country he'd never visited. In this epis...
People in this episode
Host: Chris Watson
Guest: Matt Dearden
Topics covered
- bush flying
- aviation
- Papua
- adventure
- survival
- mountain airstrips
Keywords
- bush flying
- Papua
- aviation
- mountain airstrips
- Susi Air
- adventure
- survival
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Susi Air
Places: Papua, Indonesia
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