Each summer, the aviation world converges on Oshkosh for one remarkable week. At EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026, Samaritan Aviation had more opportunities than ever to share the people, aircraft, and purpose behind our work in Papua New Guinea. This extended interview with FlyWire was one of the conversations recorded during the week.
WFRV-TV (CBS Green Bay, WI)
In this WFRV Local 5 feature, reporter Daniel Schuster speaks with founder and CEO Mark Palm at the EAA Seaplane Base. Mark explains how Samaritan Aviation’s floatplanes turn a journey that can take three days by canoe into an approximately one-hour flight to the hospital, without ever charging patients for the service.
The story also looks beyond emergency transportation to the broader aviation operation. Samaritan Aviation’s pilots fly into isolated communities, navigate the challenges of operating from rivers, transport patients facing life-threatening emergencies, and deliver medicines and medical supplies that can prevent an illness from becoming critical.
Mark also reflects on the important role EAA AirVenture has played in Samaritan Aviation’s journey. When he first came to Oshkosh in 2005, the organization did not yet have an airplane—but it had a story, a vision, and a dream. Today, AirVenture remains an important place to share that vision and inspire others to see how aviation can be used to change lives.
WATCH HERE – EAA Seaplane Mission Highlights Lifesaving Flights in Papua New Guinea
