Postman Matt

Aside from enjoying flying around the jungles of Borneo, I do actually so some work in the form of flying people and cargo from A to B. But what exactly do I fly around out here? Well, the main bulk of the weight I carry is local people and their possessions.

Some local children from Data Dian about to take their first flight

Most of the routes are subsidised by the local government in what they call “Pioneering Routes”. This means the bulk of the operating costs of the flight are covered by the government and the passengers just have to pay a token amount towards the cost. This is great for the local people who otherwise would not be able to afford to fly and would be forced to either remain where they are or opt for week long treks through the jungles. This is especially good for those who need to get to a major town for medical help which happens quite a lot. There’s not many hospitals in the jungle.

Loading up the back of the Porter

The main form of cargo we take is passenger baggage. This can be anything from a suitcase full of clothes for a trip to a DVD player and portable generator (guess some folk just can’t do without TV!). Other things people like to take are instant noodles, bags of rice, bags of meat (dead), chickens (live), eggs, laptops (really!), building materials, solar panels, boating supplies and various fruits from the jungle, including the rather pungent Durian.

Crickets – just hope they don’t bust out during flight!

Some of the more unusual things I’ve taken include crickets (which are used to feed birds that some people keep as pets), large chunks of wood (which I believe are used for rituals/medicinal purposes) and various arts and crafts (which are sold as far away as Jakarta).

Beautiful hand made carrying case from Long Alango

Very expensive ($1000+) wood from Long Layu

Of course, flying around in the jungle also means I tend to carry rather a lot of mud too which always seems to find itself not just all over the outside of the aircraft but inside too. I should probably factor that in when I check cargo weights…

Dirty cockpit after a day’s flying

And if you’ve ever wondered why it took so long for your letter from Jakarta to reach Long Nawang, I apologise. It all got a bit backed up due to the bad weather last week. Think we’re back on schedule again now after I took nearly 70kgs worth there today!

Mail bag being delivered to Long Nawang