New Role – Check Pilot

Since two weeks I have a different role while flying. Well, actually I am not flying at all. Instead I am flown. From Luke Newell, a new pilot, who arrived in PNG together with his wife beginning of June.
In PNG, before a pilot can fly on his own he needs to be checked into all the airstrips he is supposed to go and over all the routes that connect them. During this time he flies with a more experienced pilot who will show him all he needs to know. Mainly, landmarks helpful for navigation in poor weather and the peculiarities of the different airstrips.
Therefore, like in the Prairie days past, I now again sit in the right hand seat in order to disperse wisdom gathered during my two years of flying in the Western Province. The goal is to hand all the flying over to Luke by the beginning of November, i.e. before the arrival of our new baby.

Luke and Markus in the Cockpit of the GA8 Airvan

Flying to New Tribes

"Two 30Kg batteries, roofing iron, timber, nails, showers, toilets, furniture, food and everything, even the kitchen sinks for three family homes. This and more was needed in the middle of the jungle 1½ hours flying west from Wewak town. That was the picture as New Tribes Mission (NTM) asked MAF for help."

Here the full story released by MAF PNG:

Click here to read the story as PDF

Unloading the Airvan in Munbil

... and another one!

It seems that some people never learn from the past. Even the highly educated and wise ones, or maybe especially those. And so it happened that the stork took another go at them and caught both, as it did before, unprepared. Thus it came to be that she was with child and will give birth to a little one in the early days of November. And the Bischoffs will once more return from abroad having multiplied themselves. Is there anything new under the sun?

Checking on Baby #4

Birthday Season

And once again we had a series of birthdays. Here some pictures:

Madeleine's birthday was close to Easter

Markus celebrates after a hot day

And baby Gian is already 2!!

And here some pics from Joelle's birthday:

Birthday Party

The Tea-Party