HOW A PILOT’S SECRET MISSIONS IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA INSPIRED A FAMILY LEGACY IN FLYING AND QUALITY COFFEE.
This story starts back in the 70s with a young man named Perry Taylor. Carrying the reputation of a troublemaker at school, 18-year-old Perry always had a thirst for adventure. Not long after finishing school, he earned his pilot’s licence — putting him on a path that would take him on wild adventures as a MacAir pilot to the highlands of Papua New Guinea, one of the most unpredictable flying environments on earth.
His missions were clandestine and daring, like something out of a Tom Cruise blockbuster. He was flying gold, silver, and precious arabica coffee beans from deep in the highlands, in and out of mining air strips like Lihir Gold Mine. Perry himself didn’t even know what was in the cargo hold, to keep everything top secret. It was Perry’s job to bring it all back to Australia by air, dodging unpredictable weather and landing on steep ridges — the isolated nature of Papua New Guinea making it near impossible to transport these precious items by vehicle due to the lack of roads and the danger of tribal ambush. “I would wake up in the morning, brew my coffee and set off to fly the plane over the rugged mountains and through thick clouds,” Perry remembers his morning routine in the good old days in Papua New Guinea.
Perry’s son Jaxon reflects on his dad’s adventures and stories he used to tell of his time in Papua New Guinea. Outside of his flying stories, most of his stories revolved around interacting with the locals and learning from their way of life. “The coffee they drank up there was unlike anything else. It was strong, earthy, bold – no milk, just black. But the locals had a trick. They’d squeeze in lime juice to balance the flavour,” said Jaxon. Sure enough, Perry kept squeezing lime into his coffee back in Australia, craving the taste of the coffee he used to drink flying in and out of the highlands.
Perry’s flying career eventually evolved from jungle pilot to commercial aviator. He flew for East West Airlines, Ansett and even competed in the 100th year anniversary of the London to Sydney Air Race. One of his proudest (and most harrowing) moments came during that race when an engine failure in his Aerostar forced an emergency callout approximately 200 miles offshore from Singapore. Perry also went on to corporate jets, flying medevac missions, organ transplants, and celebrities throughout the South Pacific. The most attention his flights attracted was when he flew Johnny Depp’s dogs Pistol and Boo back to Los Angeles after Barnaby Joyce’s deportation order. Today at 74, Perry has stepped back from commercial aviation, having sold his beloved Lancair last year. But his legacy flies on with his son Jaxon, whose future in aviation was almost inevitable.
Inspired by his father, Jaxon started his flying journey two decades ago, but life took off for Jaxon in other ways. “My dad said, ‘if you’re not going to be flying regularly, park it. Come back when you can commit’”. So that’s what he did. Jaxon is the owner of Clandestino Coffee — with the name, its coffee, and business practices inspired by Perry’s secret flights out of PNG with coffee. His business has grown substantially since 2011 into a successful, specialty coffee roastery and café located within Belmondos Organic Market in Noosaville, Queensland. Did we mention there is a plane hanging from the café ceiling? “About 40% of the coffee we bring in is from PNG,” Jaxon says. “It’s a bold, rich chocolate flavour that Australians have become familiar with, there is very little acidity in PNG coffee, hence why they added lime juice to the cup. Today, instead of the lime, we blend it with Colombian and Ethiopian coffees to add the delicious floral acidity that gives Magneto the balanced mouthfeel our customers have come to love.” One of their popular blends Magneto, nods to that familiar pre-start call “Mags on!” as well as a nod to a morning coffee ritual that gets both engines and minds firing.
Beyond the cockpit and the café, Jaxon has another constant companion on his travels: the AeroPress. For those who haven’t come across the contraption, an AeroPress is a compact, lightweight coffee maker that brews a smooth, rich cup using air pressure. It’s easy to use anywhere with just hot water and ground coffee. It has become a popular item for aviators to pack as it’s portable and doesn’t require electricity. It’s perfect for brewing quality coffee in remote or space-limited environments. “It’s the one tool I always pack,” he says. “Wherever you are; on the tarmac, at a remote airstrip, or in a hotel room, you can make a great cup of coffee.”
In 2024, Jaxon finally found the time in his busy schedule to complete his RPL and more recently, his PPL. Today, flying isn’t just personal for Jaxon, it’s practical too. With a network of wholesale partners and customers scattered across Queensland, using a plane to service regional clients is just smart business. So much so, Jaxon has set his sights on buying a plane to make this a reality.
“We’re looking at small towns with airstrips five minutes from the CBD. Flying allows us to run routes, deliver fresh coffee, and meet with partners without the logistics headache. It’s cost-effective and keeps the connection strong.” To brew good coffee wherever you land, you can pick up an AeroPress and Clandestino’s specialty beans online at clandestino.com.au.
