Have been reading PNG threads for years and this activates me to contribute. Those with experience and common sense stand out. My first year in TPNG was in 1970 which Jim Sinclair reminded us in Balus was a notable year for fatal crashes. In September I had lunch at Kokoda where I was based with Water Resource passengers waiying for their Aztec from Moresby. Two hours later I was airborne in normal afternoon wx looking for their wreckage. During this search I was directed to a shiny flash observed on the normally cloud enveloped Mt Scratchley. It turned out to be a US Navy C47 missing since 1944 from memory and had not been seen before because it was at 12,000 ft.
I very much identify with flying under limited VFR conditions in the mountains as most commercial helicopters back in the 70's were only equipped with engine instruments and a magnetic compass. A Bell 47 with its limited power was a wonderful training ground for later operations in larger machines which still lacked artificial horizons. As a helicopter pilot I envied the fuel endurance of fixed wing but will admit to a preference for the emergency landing options of a helicopter should the mist fully clag in