Astonishing Feats of Susi Air Pilots
So, here I was, living my life, blissfully unaware of this curious Indonesian airline full of adventure-seeking daredevils. Enter Susi Air, where each flight seems like an episode of “Survivor” with a boarding pass.
Susi Air: The Airline with Rookie Pilots Venturing to Remote Lands
Let me introduce you to a rather riveting YouTube series I stumbled upon, featuring Susi Air, nestled comfortably in West Java, Indonesia. With a fleet brushing close to 50 propeller-powered aircraft, from the trusty Cessna 208B Grand Caravan to the nimble Pilatus PC-6 Porter, this airline isn’t your typical fly-by-night operation. Why should you care? Well, dear reader, this isn’t just any ordinary airline gig.
Picture this: Pilots embarking on missions nothing short of hair-raising. The airline navigates flights across some of the gnarlier mountainous regions I’d rather not crash-land in, landing on airstrips so minuscule, they might as well be gravel driveways.
Susi Air is the delivery service of dreams—or nightmares—catering to passengers and delivering supplies that are nothing less than crucial to isolated tribes, who, without Susi, might just remain a mystery to the rest of us.
Ah, the pilots! A mosaic of expat adventurers. Picture them as modern-day Indiana Joneses, sans whips, fresh on the aviation scene, racking up hours like gamers collecting achievements, all in hopes of bagging a seat in the cockpit of a major airline someday. This airline? It’s their starting block, their merry-go-round for the brave—those who chose high stakes over high pay.
Tune into a few episodes from the series about Susi Air pilots and their truely nail-biting endeavors. Aviation dweeb or not, this is binge-worthy. Start with episode two, if you’re short on time—it vividly captures their stomach-lurching missions. Imagine flying solo to a tribe rumored to enjoy long pig meals on the rare occasion, with welcoming parties packing heat.
Videos: Segments of the Susi Air Pilot Saga
- Episode 1
- Episode 2
- Episode 3
- Episode 4
Working at Susi Air: A Legitimately Hazardous Affair
Consider this: novice pilots fare the skies on some of the planet’s most perilous flight paths. What could possibly go amiss? Oh, plenty might. Imagine the perils…
Susi Air’s safety record has allegedly enjoyed a slight reprieve lately, yet back in the wild west days of late 2011 to mid-2012, their track record wasn’t exactly filled with sunshine and rainbows. You know a stint wasn’t great when it involves three accidents, fatalities included, over just seven months.
Fast forward to February 2023, the airline found itself embroiled in a bonafide thriller. A Kiwi pilot wound up a hostage for over 18 months by Papuan separatists, who were quite adamant on liberating Papua “from Indonesian colonialism.” The plot thickens when the aircraft got incinerated for some pyrotechnic panache. Released at last in September 2024—the whole ordeal made me wonder aloud: Why wasn’t this a Netflix docuseries?
But hey, not everyone’s downcast—meet the bright-eyed pilots finding joy in the madness. One cheerful advocate narrates why you should join the helm at Susi Air. Now, that’s a video that piques curiosity.
The Long and Short (and High and Low) of It
Susi Air, plucky little courier of high stakes, flies off into the Indonesian wilderness, maneuvering propeller planes through the proverbial eye of the needle—mountain-side landing strips, delivering to barely-phonebook-known tribes who’d whet the appetite of any adventure enthusiast.
The juxtaposition is borderline lunacy: Rookie pilots venturing into daunting endeavors, flying on a wing and a prayer—or, at least a softly improved safety record, hostages notwithstanding. Watch your career take off—or soar off a cliff, depending on the day.
Are you as intrigued by the Susi Air escapade as I am? If so, maybe let’s explore something a bit less thrilling—like a trip to Val Seny ski resort. Four wheels this time, perhaps?