PNG High on the Huon Peninsula  
For January 22, 2025
Michael MacKuen

We return to Papua New Guinea’s Huon Peninsula to examine its qualities in MSFS2024. Today we focus on the Sarawaged and Cromwell ranges. We shall visit small village strips which will engage our mountain flying skills. In addition, we’ll take a “nostalgic look” at Lae Aerodrome for a taste of the region’s aviation history. And for a “high point”, we’ll climb Mount Sarawaget itself.

This is part of the territory flown by the small independent airline North Coast Aviation, based in Lae. They are currently flying the PAC P-750. Hats off to these people for maintaining links between rural villagers and the larger commercial, medical, educational, and cultural centers. While serving the community and pursuing a true love of aviation, this can be a dangerous enterprise.


Descending from Mount Sarawaget

We begin with an early morning departure from Wasu [AYWS] and climb vigorously up a long ravine and then drop down to Derim [AYDE, DER]. (This is not the fastest but instead the prettiest route.) Then through the passes to Konge Airstrip [AYDE] which serves a local Cooperative as well as two schools. Then over to Satwat [AYSW, SWG], perched on a dramatic ridgetop. There is some terrain in the area which will ask for careful flying despite being distracted by the visual beauty. We continue a distance along the mountainside to Siwea [AYEW SWE] and then maneuver around the ridgetops to the hilltop Masa [AYSX]. Quite a view here.

After a break, we then descend to Mikini [MPG], quickly recognizable by the red dirt of its strip. Then around some terrain to land at Pindiu [AYPD,PDI], a larger village. Next is an entertainingly precarious ridgetop stop at Ogeranang Airstrip [AYOG, OGE] which requires a little attention. Good vistas, to be enjoyed once safely landed. We circle around to skirt some high ground of Mount Sarawaget to Samanzing [AYSZ]. The strip is above the village, nestled into the side of a small narrow valley with elevated terrain that makes for a challenging landing. (One possibility is to approach from the east, to skirt over a ridge [7300], and then descend to the short strip on the other side of the beautiful valley. If there are gusting winds on the ridgeline, this could be fascinating.)

We turn upward and climb to the heights of Mount Sarawaget. This may take some effort to reach 14,000ft [13800]. After reaching the top [Sarawaget], we can admire the expansive vistas in all directions. And then [13900], descend carefully 9,000ft down the correct ravine to Bandoung [AYBG, BDZ]. Some speed control is advised as the approach requires a quick turn in the close terrain to execute the uphill landing. (Rather than climbing to the mountaintop, some pilots may prefer a more “level-headed” approach around Bangdap [4900] to reach Bandoung.) And then optionally a visit to Bawan Airstrip [BWJ], a classic one-way hillside strip made especially interesting by its modest 755 ft length.

Our work completed, we head down the mountainside to Lae Aerodrome [AYLA, NGLA]. In the 1920s there was only a modest mission here when Australians built an airport and dock to service the heavy-equipment gold mining up in Bulolo and Wau (south of here). Given the unmanageable mountainous terrain, for a decade everything (including food supplies, building materials, cranes, some massive dredges ... and a piano) had to be airlifted – most notably in 3 specially-built Junkers G.31 Trimotors. This was the world’s largest airlift until WWII, a great story in aviation (see here and here). The city grew up around the airport. (This is the field from which Amelia Earhart left on her final flight while attempting to circumnavigate the world in 1937.)

After WWII, the city and regional economy continued to grow and the airfield became even more busy. Lae Aerodrome was the main operational field of the legendary local airline TAL. More investment in the infrastructure was required. And an alternative was the old military field in the Markham Valley at Nadzab (although some 25 miles to the northwest, it could handle jets). By the early 1980s, each airport had a group of supporters and a decision had to be made. Then, “in an unsolved mystery” the terminal at Lae Aerodrome burned down. The Nadzab site was chosen as a replacement. (The old airport was used until the early 1990s but it is now gone.) We see the 1970s version of the airport with its Dakotas, a fleet of TAL aircraft, and plenty of General Aviation. This model is crafted by “Mountainair” who lived and worked here during that time. So this will be a pleasant diversion for our pilots.

Nowadays, Lae is a growing urban area of about 200,000. It has a busy market, active manufacturing industries, a hospital, PNG’s University of Technology, and plenty of businesses. It also has all the typical problems of a growing urban area in a developing country. Add the PNG “raskols” to the mix and sustained development appears to be a daunting challenge.

We finish by flying out to Nadzab [AYNZ] which is the current regional airport. We get some sense of the current developments as a new terminal building is being completed.

Documentation
The flightplans can be found here. These are NOT designed for “set and fly the magenta” aviation. In addition, there is a short list of the airfields with the preferred runways, nominal altitudes, and brief notes.

Aircraft
Today’s schedule includes a number of high altitude village airstrips. You will probably want a STOL aircraft capable of operating at small elevated fields. Popular alternatives include the Pilatus PC‑6 Porter, Daher Kodiak, the Cessna 208 Caravan, the PAC P-750 XSTOL and the DHC-6 Twin Otter. You can surely fly this route with any short-field capable aircraft (say the RV-14) as long as it can handle the altitudes. (BN Islanders have been used in this area, but their normally-aspirated engines are not ideal for today’s mountaintop locations. This flight is designed for small aircraft on small strips. That said, the DHC-4 Caribou should mostly work here although some airfields may be a bit small for multiple instances of the big fellow.) I shall fly the Blackbird (Milviz) PC-6 ported-over from MSFS2020. (Not completely functional, but will give it a try. The default 2024 PC-6 seems fine.) As ever, please fly what you like.

Additional Scenery
While most of the airports are in the default simulator, many are indifferently depicted. I recommend the following scenery packages for a better experience. (These scenery packages will serve today’s flight and a second follow-up flight in the Finisterre Range slightly west on the Huon Peninsula.)

Recommended:
12 Papua New Guinea airstrips. Wantok. Required.
Fixes for 425 Papua New Gunea airstrips. Wantok. Required.
31 Challenging Bush Strips in PNG. Rudolf Friedli (cebros). This set includes a number of airports that we use for these flights. Required. [Rename (and disable) two files as follows: AYFI.bgl.OFF; AYYW.bgl.OFF ].
Bambui [BCP], Bawan [BWJ], Dinangat [AYDN]. Photosbykev.
Nankina [AYNA]. Milosanx.
Finschhafen (historic) [AYFI], Nadzab (current) [AYNZ]. Mountainair.
Lae (historic) [AYLA, NGLA]. Mountainair. Required.

Thanks to these fine authors for their talent and efforts. (These are MSFS2020 sceneries ported into MSFS2024. Thanks to the authors, and to the MSFS2024 team, they work very well for our purposes.) (Possible Hints. Consider turning “Trees” to “Medium”, and turning Static Traffic to “Off”. Your tastes may differ.)

Temporarily, you can download a package that includes all the sceneries here. (603MB). [In this package, the two bgl files are appropriately disabled.]

Time and Weather
For takeoff on Saturday, set the simulator at 7:00 am local for January 22, 2025.
We typically prefer real weather. Flying into unprepared mountain strips is often prohibited by professional PNG flying organizations when the winds and limited visibility are unsuitable. The Huon Peninsula can be very wet. We shall adjust accordingly.

Multiplayer Particulars
Date and time: Wednesday, January 22, 2025. 1900 UTC
RTWR Multiplayer Discord Channel
Microsoft Flight Simulator Multiplayer: United States East server.

If you want to help others enjoy the multiplayer experience, don't forget to enter your aircraft details on the multiplayer spreadsheet (linked here). Please be kind enough to enter the title exactly as it stands in the title=”xxx” line of the aircraft.cfg file. Your courtesy will save others a lot of time and effort. Thanks!
 

I forgot to include the Huon Peninsula Airstrip Notes in the flightplan package. It is there now (Wednesday morning).