By 1981, Captain Butler joined Talair, the iconic aviation company that brought life and connection to rural PNG. Over the next decade, he became a lifeline for isolated communities, navigating some of the most challenging terrains in the world. Towering peaks shrouded in mist, precarious hillside airstrips, and unpredictable weather were a test of his skill, precision, and respect for the land. To the people of PNG, Captain Butler was more than a pilot—he was a savior with wings, bringing food, medical aid, and the chance for families to reunite.
Captain Butler’s extraordinary contributions did not go unnoticed. In 2018, in a moment of profound recognition, he was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II at Edinburgh, Scotland. Standing in that historic hall, thousands of miles from the misty mountains of PNG, Captain Butler’s decades of service to the people of Papua New Guinea were honored with the dignity they so richly deserved. It was not just a medal—it was a tribute to his unwavering dedication and the lives he touched with every flight.
But Captain Butler’s story is also one of extraordinary resilience. In 2012, a Sunbird Aviation Cessna 206 crash in the rugged Goilala Mountains nearly claimed his life. The long and painful road to recovery tested his spirit, but never broke it. In an emotional twist of fate, seven years later, this time flying a Twin Otter for Air Sanga, he returned to the very crash site, sitting once again in the cockpit wreckage—this time, as a survivor and a symbol of hope.
From flying with Talair, Milne Bay Air (MBA)—later Airlines PNG—to Sunbird Aviation, to his final days in the skies with Air Sanga in 2022, Captain Butler’s 50-year journey in PNG is a story of courage, faith, and an enduring love for the people he served.
In this exclusive interview, Captain Butler reflects on:
- His unforgettable days with Talair and hopes for PNG to rebuild its aviation legacy.
- The 2012 crash that tested his will to live and the second chance it gave him.
- His deep love for family, faith, and the rural people of Papua New Guinea.
- His dreams for the next 50 years, as PNG faces challenges but continues to soar.
Captain Butler’s story is more than a tale of a pilot—it is a legacy of hope and resilience, carried on the wings of a man who gave everything for the people of Papua New Guinea.
Watch now to experience this moving story of service, survival, and the unbreakable bond between a pilot and the land he calls home.
