From behind the fence to behind the controls: Anderson’s journey skyward

At the MAF Training Centre, Anderson Wayne is living a childhood dream each time he pilots an aeroplane. But behind his aspiration lies a heart of service.

As a young boy in a village in Lae, Papua New Guinea, Anderson Wayne enjoyed visiting Nadzab Airport, his eyes fixed on the planes beyond the fence.

However, he was 24 years old before he boarded a plane for the first time in his life, and not as an ordinary passenger, but as a future pilot venturing to Australia for training.

Anderson completed a degree in Geographic Information Science studies at the University of Technology, but the more he read about MAF’s dedication to remote communities in Papua New Guinea, the more he wanted to fly.

Inspired by the story of Mike Sisimolu—another village boy who trained with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) in Mareeba, Australia, Anderson decided to apply for flight training.

“When I heard about MAF on Facebook, through Mike, and read about his graduation, I thought that’s something I really want to go and do,” he said.

The journey was not straightforward. Anderson passed the test and interview for enrolment in the MAF Training Centre in Mareeba, but funding posed the next hurdle.

“It took me a whole year to look for a sponsor,” he said.

However, persistence paid off, and with backing secured, he arrived in Australia to face the rigours of pilot training.

Training days can be long and exhausting, but Anderson finds encouragement in the centre’s environment.

“I wake up sometimes not in the mood, but everyone here is nice and friendly. You just want to keep learning, want to learn new stuff every day,” said Anderson.

The challenge and camaraderie extend beyond academics, as Anderson now works alongside people of many cultural backgrounds—a formative experience in itself.

As Papua New Guinea faces various challenges, Anderson has witnessed MAF’s critical service through videos of medevacs, solar installations, and aid deliveries deep in the most remote provinces. His aspiration now is to return and serve his own country.

“If you feel like something is hard, look to the Lord and put your heart into it. God will bring it to you.” Anderson Wayne, student pilot

“After I graduate, the plan is to go back and serve my people. If MAF gives me an opportunity, I would love that,” he said.

“Flying to me is living: it’s living the dream,” says Anderson. “Every time I fly, it just feels different, like I am dreaming. My whole life growing up, I have always been looking to the skies and dreaming of myself soaring up there and now I am actually doing it.”

To those dreaming of aviation, Anderson shares a guiding Bible verse: “People look at physical appearance or circumstances, but God looks at the heart,” he said. “If you feel like something is hard, look to the Lord and put your heart into it. God will bring it to you.”

For Anderson, distance is more than a geographic concept. From fence lines in Lae to the flight lines of Mareeba, his journey has already spanned worlds—but PNG remains close to his heart and horizon.