Mark Palm is the Founder and CEO of Samaritan Aviation (SA), a Christian nonprofit aviation organization serving isolated communities in Papua New Guinea. Mark founded SA with a friend in 2000, and in 2010, he and his family launched full-time aviation operations in PNG.

Growing up as a pastor’s son in a family with a history in aviation, Mark developed two lifelong passions: helping the physical and spiritual needs of people, and flying airplanes. Those passions were shaped through his work with his parents at a homeless mission in Santa Cruz, California, mission trips to Mexico, and a life-changing trip to Papua New Guinea in 1994.

Mark graduated from Miramar College with a degree in Aviation Technology and holds a Commercial Pilot Certificate with Instrument and Seaplane ratings, as well as an FAA A&P mechanic certificate. He also served for more than eight years as a youth and worship pastor while helping establish Samaritan Aviation.

Since pioneering SA’s floatplane operations in PNG’s East Sepik Province in 2010, Mark has flown into some of the most remote communities in the world. He has served as lead pilot for close to 2000 lifesaving medical flights, transporting critically ill patients, medical supplies, humanitarian aid, and ministry teams throughout remote regions of PNG.

Mark is frequently called upon as a consultant by the PNG government, humanitarian organizations, and faith-based nonprofits. He has served on the PNG Air Transport Sub-Committee since 2018 and also serves on Reach Aircraft’s Advisory Board.

Marks story and Samaritan Aviation have received international media attention, with features in People Magazine, Surfer Magazine, AOPA, Seaplane Magazine, Relevant Magazine, CNN, Headline News, and other media outlets around the world. His story and the ministry of Samaritan Aviation were also featured in the 2025 film Saman Balus: The Story of the Flying Canoe.

Mark and his wife, Kirsten, live in Southern California.  They have three children, Sierra, Drake, and Nolan. Kirsten holds a master’s degree in Cross-Cultural Education, a teaching degree and has been Mark’s partner in the vision and development of Samaritan Aviation from its beginning.