Matt Dearden’s journey from computer programmer to bush pilot in Papua is the kind of story that grabs you by the collar and refuses to let go.
A British commercial pilot with an appetite for adventure, Matt’s career took a dramatic turn when he traded the safe, predictable world of programming in the UK for the skies of Indonesia. He set his sights on something bigger, something wilder — landing a job with Susi Air. Seven years of flying through the uncharted and dangerous landscapes of Papua transformed Matt’s life, his experiences in this remote frontier became the heart of his memoir Flying from Shangri-La. His story, both in the air and on the page, is one of resilience, daring, and the human spirit’s hunger for something more.
Hello Matt, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself? Who is Matt Dearden?
I’m a British commercial pilot and author who started life in the UK working as a computer programmer. I re-trained as a pilot in 2009 but due to the recession, I was unable to find a job in Europe so I looked worldwide and found Susi Air. I then lived and worked in Indonesia for seven years, starting as a co-pilot for Susi Air on their Cessna Caravans before being upgraded to Captain. I eventually ended up flying the Pilatus Porter bush plane in Papua which reshaped my entire life and idea of what being a commercial pilot is.
What inspired you to write Flying from Shangri-La?
I’ve always enjoyed reading true stories of people who have lived interesting lives and who have done things different from the normal life most people lead. I knew the sort of flying and the life I was leading with Susi Air was unique and as yet, no one had written a book about it. So, I kept a diary with the intention of writing the book one day. Like many authors, the covid lockdowns provided me with the time to get it done.
How did your experiences flying in Papua shape the stories you chose to include?
Papua is one of the world’s last frontiers. Plane crashes are sadly quite common. It’s incredibly remote, dangerous, and offers some of the most extreme flying on the planet. The local people are interesting and still live relatively primitive lives which are being modernised by the continued development of the major towns and cities there. The mountains and weather create a unique and challenging flying environment which demands very skilled pilots to safely navigate over. Almost any time you left your front door, a story would unfold as it’s just a unique place.
In writing this book, you had to transition from being a pilot to a writer chronicling his experiences. Was it difficult to capture the thrill and intensity of flying in such a remote region in words?
I’m quite lucky in the sense that writing comes quite naturally to me which is strange because I’m actually quite dyslexic. Thankfully, it only seems to affect my ability to read rather than write. I have been told that my writing style is very good and easy to read. At times, it was tricky to encapsulate just how exciting and dangerous some events were, but I’m told by those who’ve read the book that I did a pretty good job!
Your book appeals to both aviation enthusiasts and those looking for adventure stories. How did you strike a balance between the technical aspects of flying and the more personal, human stories in your writing?
I knew the primary audience would be aviation enthusiasts, but it was important to me that anyone can read this book. Any time I did need to write about something technical, I ensured to keep the language simple so anyone can understand it. I’ve had many readers tell me they’ve learned a lot about flying and being a pilot from my book. There’s plenty of non-flying stories in there which I’m sure many of your readers will relate to from living in Indonesia themselves.
Is there a particular chapter or story in the book that you feel best encapsulates the essence of flying in Papua?
Half of the book is devoted to my experiences in Papua, so it’s very difficult to pick just one story! I think the following couple of paragraphs give a good taste of what flying in Papua is like; for more, you’ll have to read the book!
There was a small layer of cloud as I climbed away from Timika but I was soon above it as Puncak Jaya came into view. The beauty of the mountain ranges was stunning as you climbed up towards them. It would start with thick, dense jungle covering everything in trees over 100 feet high. These slowly thinned out as you got higher, eventually ending up as jagged rocks and cliff faces. The route to Beoga takes you to the east of the really big peaks but it still required climbing to 13,000 feet to clear the ridge just before the upper plateau at around 10,000 feet. Any time spent above 12,000 feet required supplementary oxygen from the on-board supply, which I’d use whilst cruising past the ridges before descending down towards the plateau.
Crossing this wet, desolate marshland then brought you towards the Beoga valley which you then descended down into for the approach. Once again, the thick tall trees would appear and you had to hug the side of the valley as close as you could to manage the descent rate and keep an eye out for fog forming ahead. Assuming none, you kept coming down into the valley with the mountains now towering thousands of feet above you and giving you this incredible sense of just how small and insignificant you were in your little aeroplane.
Flying from Shangri-La has received great reviews. What has been the most surprising or rewarding feedback you’ve received from readers so far?
I think the most rewarding comments I’ve had have been from both people I’ve inspired to get into aviation and from people who have been struggling with their mental health. Before I left the UK for Indonesia, I was struggling with a general anxiety disorder and I felt it important to write about this in the book. Mental health in aviation is often not discussed and I want readers to know that it’s ok to talk about it, even as a pilot, and that by doing so things will get better.
After the success of Flying from Shangri-La, do you have any upcoming projects or plans for another book? Perhaps more stories from your aviation career, or even something entirely different?
I suspect I will write another book in the not-too-distant future, although I haven’t decided what on yet. Outside of my job flying a corporate aircraft for its owners around Europe, I fly, instruct and examine pilots on a 1943 WWII Catalina flying boat which is definitely something a bit different that people are always asking me about.
How can our readers get in touch?
The best place to contact me is via my website, https://mattdearden.co.uk or on any of the major social media outlets via my handle, @IndoPilot.