| MOUNTAIN FLIGHT (David Short) |  |
Flying throughout the length and breadth of the tropical islands of PNG has been a great experience. Each trip is a mini-adventure in itself. On one such occasion, I had been invited to fly over the mountain range that separates the Madang province from the highlands. Mountains in PNG are rugged and sharp tipped resembling constricting a tablecloth from the edges thus creating a ripple effect. Taking off from the coastal airport, we climbed steadily to clear these 10,000ft mountain peaks. After a while, we found ourselves moving into cloud.
This was an interesting development that I had not anticipated. I was assured by my pilot-friend that all was well as long as the beacon signal kept sounding inside the cockpit. Without radar or satellite navigation, this beacon was our vital link with safety. After what seemed long weeklong minutes, we broke through the cloud and into the verdant Whagi Valley. What a relief and joy. Soon we were landing on the airfield in Mt Hagen having completed another successful flight.
Cloud experiences have been quite frequent during my flights in that tropical country. On another occasion, we were gracefully weaving between huge white cloud banks making our way back to the capital - seeking to make it before nightfall. I had been given a wonderful book on worship and was reading it in such an amazing setting. It was a memorable flight in many ways. After refuelling at a small airstrip en route, we finally made it to the Capital just in time.
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