OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — AirVenture's action doesn't stop at the airport it goes all the way to the shores of Lake Winnebago, to their seaplane base.
Among the aircraft that made the journey to Oshkosh this year is one from Papua New Guinea, where a nonprofit called Samaritan Aviation is saving lives in one of the world's most remote regions.
Watch the full broadcast story here:
Mark Palm, the founder and CEO of Samaritan Aviation, grew up surrounded by aviation. His grandfather was a World War II pilot, his uncles flew airplanes, his cousin was a military pilot, and his father was a minister.
As a teenager, Palm visited Papua New Guinea and says he heard his life's calling.
"I found myself there as a 19-year-old living with the people. On these remote islands, no electricity, no running water, and just hearing stories. One of the things that kept coming back was people dying trying to get to the only hospital," Palm said.
That hospital, located in northern Papua New Guinea, serves more than a million people, many of whom are days away and can only travel by boat.
"It would be like if you were here at the airshow, and you had an emergency and you had to get in your car and drive to Denver, Colorado to get to the nearest hospital," Palm said.
Fueled by his love of flying, Palm started Samaritan Aviation, a nonprofit that delivers medical supplies to villages and flies critically ill patients to care.
He comes to Oshkosh to spread the word about what aviation can do beyond recreation.
"One of my passions is to inspire the next generation to do aviation and not just fly airplanes but make a difference with airplanes," Palm said.
