Pilot Joseph Tua joined MAF in 2018 (credit: Svein Robert Solberg)

As MAF PNG celebrates its 75^th year, senior pilot Joseph Tua chats to Josh Carter on MAF’s ‘Flying for Life’ podcast about a few milestones of his own. MAF’s first ever Papua New Guinean floatplane pilot looks back on his incredible career…

Reporting by Tajs Jespersen and Claire Gilderson

Listen to episode 15 of MAF’s podcast: ‘75 years of help, hope and healing in PNG’

Joseph Tua – one of nine siblings from Pangia District in Papua New Guinea’s Southern Highlands – dreamed of becoming a pilot, just like his father Rex.

Rex flew for MAF for a year before moving to commercial operator Air Niugini, but it was Joseph’s mother Annah who encouraged him to serve with MAF for the long-haul:

‘I did not plan on joining MAF. My father had joined MAF at the beginning of his flying career and flew with them for a bit, but it wasn’t long enough for him to tell me many stories about it.

‘I grew up watching him go to work every day. I thought the uniform looked cool and I loved the idea of flying – just defying gravity! You have this little person sitting in this big aircraft controlling it – I found it very fascinating, and I was sold! That was one thing that I was going to be good at.

‘It was when I finished flight school and started to look for a job that my mum encouraged me to apply to MAF, because it was a Christian mission organisation. She strongly believed in giving your first harvest back to God and I’m her firstborn son, so I applied just to make her happy!’

Joseph pilots first ever Aerial Health Patrol for SDP

Joseph – also affectionately known as ‘JET’ – applied to MAF in 2017. The journey hasn’t been easy, but God has been with him every step of the way:

‘Joining MAF was the biggest leap of faith I’ve ever had because you have to raise funds and go to Bible college. The training is intense, so I didn’t even think it was possible.

‘I applied and the doors just kept opening, and the Lord just kept providing. One thing led to another, and eight years later, I’m still here flying for MAF!’

Joseph Tua, Senior Pilot & Floatplane Pilot for MAF in PNG

Joseph celebrates PNG’s independence on 16 Sept (credit: Annelie Edsmyr)

Based in Mount Hagen in central PNG, Joseph became an integral part of MAF’s new partnership with the Sustainable Development Programme (SDP), which launched the Aerial Health Patrols in 2019.

The Aerial Health Patrols enable medical teams to reach the most isolated communities in Western Province where healthcare is extremely limited. Instead of patients travelling many hours or days by boat or overland to access treatment, MAF flies healthcare to the people.

Each outreach is undertaken every six weeks by a seven-person team, which lasts from several days to up to three weeks. For patients in dire need of urgent care, MAF medevacs them to hospital.

Joseph medevacs a pregnant woman from Balimo (credit: Joseph Tua)

Joseph recalls piloting the inaugural flight for SDP’s first ever Aerial Health Patrol in 2019:

‘I remember the day when we were all in Balimo – the sky was grey with low clouds and light rain. During the launch, there were speeches and they were taking their time to cut that ribbon! I was just standing there watching the weather roll in thinking, “Are we going to make this or not?”

‘I was really nervous but my instructor, Volkher Jacobsen, was as calm as a cucumber. Eventually the speeches ended, we cut the ribbon and got going. We loaded up the team, flew to Kamusi – which is a long, slippery airstrip – and picked up some drugs.

‘After loading up the plane, we followed the Aramia River all the way to Wawoi Falls, which is absolutely beautiful. We were at 500 feet cruising on top of the trees, just under the clouds and dodging rain showers. Coming in to land, there’s the amazing waterfall on the left. It’s spectacular, but as a pilot, you’re not allowed to look because you’re so close to the ground to land, so that’s a bummer! Fun memories…’

Aerial view of Wawoi Falls in Western Province (credit: Jasmine Puk)

SDP’s land plane is met by Mougulu residents in Western Province (credit: Mandy Glass)

Joseph qualifies as MAF’s first Papua New Guinean floatplane pilot

But the fun didn’t stop there! Not only is Joseph now one of MAF’s senior pilots, he’s also MAF’s first ever Papua New Guinean floatplane pilot.

Joseph qualifies as a floatplane pilot under Chad Tilley in 2025 (credit: SDP)

Joseph began his floatplane training in August 2025 under the guidance of Chad Tilley. After three months of hard work, he finally qualified to fly MAF’s amphibious aircraft ‘P2-WET’ in November 2025 – something he never imagined:

‘When I joined MAF, I didn’t know I’d make it this far. Training to be a floatplane pilot requires a lot of focus and reading. God Himself ordained this. In my human capacity, I couldn’t have planned it. It’s an honour and a privilege to upskill, fly the floatplane, and serve Western Province’s water communities.’

The villagers of Kapikam receive ‘P2-WET’ as it lands on Lake Murray (credit: Terry Fahey)

P2-WET, along with land planes P2-AHP and P2-SDP are all used for the Aerial Health Patrols in Western Province. The first Aerial Health Patrol team in 2019 reached six communities. Today, there are 12 teams.

In 2025, the Aerial Health Patrols gave 127 isolated communities access to healthcare – approximately 120,000 people. This would not have been possible without Joseph and his colleagues.

Joseph meets HRH King Charles III

As part of MAF’s 80^th anniversary celebrations and to mark the 50^th anniversary of Papua New Guinea’s independence, Joseph was privileged to attend a special event at RAF Northolt in West London last April. It was Joseph’s first time in the UK.

MAF’s special guest was none other than His Majesty King Charles III who unveiled a new Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft, which was destined to serve in Papua New Guinea that same year.

The King has a longstanding relationship with PNG, which he has visited several times.

Joseph and Sereh were the first people to shake the King’s hand (credit: Andy Aitchison)

Joseph proudly painted his face in his national colours for the meet and greet, which promptly advanced him to the front of the queue much to his delight:

‘Meeting the king was incredible. Myself and my colleague, Sereh Michael, were supposed to be five or six in line to shake his hand, but after I painted my face and came out, the media saw me and moved us to the front of the line. When the King walked in, we were the first ones to greet him!

‘I had so many questions, but as soon as he walked in, all of them just faded away. The King had a solid handshake and he asked about MAF’s flying. He talked about his flying days because he’s also a pilot and we used some pilot jargon, which was cool.

‘He was just standing in front of me chatting away. It was like going back to the village, chatting with your grandparents. They have that eye contact where you feel like you’re the only person that matters in the world. There were flashing cameras, the media and everyone else, but after 10 seconds, they all just faded away. It felt like myself and King Charles were just catching up on old times – it was beautiful.’

Joseph (front 2nd from right) celebrates MAF PNG’s 75th birthday (credit: Aquila Matit)

Joseph reflects on MAF’s 75 years in PNG, and is proud to be part of an organisation which has achieved so much despite brutal beginnings:

‘In 1951, Harry Hartwig did the first operational flight for MAF PNG from Australia into PNG. Unfortunately, after four months, he perished. You pray, plan and get confirmation from the Lord that this is where he wants us to go, but then four months later, the pilot and plane perish.

‘Any other organisation would have packed up and left, but no, MAF came back. They had stronger resolve than anyone thought. They’re still here 75 years later. MAF PNG is older than when PNG got its independence, and they’re still serving with the same passion since 1951. That just blows my mind!’

Joseph Tua, Senior Pilot & Floatplane Pilot for MAF in PNG

Despite the tragedy of Harry Hartwig, MAF carried on in PNG (credit: MAF Archive)

Although Joseph didn’t plan to join MAF in the beginning, now he feels very much at home:

‘I feel like I’ve found my purpose – flying and just serving people out here. I’m using the skills that the Lord has blessed me with. I just really love and believe in the work that we do. It’s a very holistic approach to the Gospel.

‘Through joining MAF, I’ve met a lot of cool people – I’ve learned a lot from the older pilots. They’ve helped me and are very good mentors. They’ve shaped my character into what it is today. So MAF isn’t just about flying, it’s changed my whole life.’

And on a lighter note, Joseph isn’t just a talented pilot:

Find out more about Joseph’s story and his partnership with SDP on episode 15 of MAF’s podcast:‘75 years of help, hope and healing in PNG’

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