Redbird Flight Simulator

With the change to an all Cessna Caravan fleet MAF will be operating nine of these aircraft in PNG. In addition we also try to get approval for transporting passengers in these single engine aircraft while flying IFR. In order to minimise training costs we bought a Caravan specific flight simulator from Redbird.
Mid July Markus went to Hagen as a technician from Redbird came to assemble what is called an Advanced Aviation Training Device. It took two days and three people, but then we were flying circuits in Tari with severe turbulence and 20 knots cross-wind.

Knitting, Women's Conference, and Rumginae

These three events were the highlights of last month:

• Madeleine finished her second knitting course for the women in Telefomin. Five women learned different patterns in order to knit simple items they can sell at the local market.

Showing how it's done

Concentration is paramount

• Markus picked up several airplane loads of ladies in the surrounding villages. The Baptist Union held a Women's Conference in nearby Tifalmin (5 min flight from Telefomin, 2 days walk).

Celebration in Tifalmin

• Currently there is no pilot stationed at Rumginae. Therefore, we as a family had the chance of revisiting our old home. Especially the kids were all exited. Unfortunately, the weather did not play along and so it was only on Sunday that we could go for a short swim in rather cold water. Towards the end of our stay we were joined by a new pilot couple from Switzerland, who will be living in Rumginae for the next six weeks.

Where there used to be an Airvan there is now a Caravan

With the Romingers in front of our old house

Totally Linked

This last week I have been to Rumginae for three days of flying. It is so encouraging to come back to where we have served for six years and to realise, that people not only recognise me, but are actually excited to see me. So, I thought I'll post a MAF article that shows how different parties in Rumginae link together to help the isolated communities of the Western Province.

Click here to read the story as PDF

Last Days as First Officer

Last week I had my first full operational day on the Cessna Caravan. This, after almost 4 months of interrupted training, marks they end of my flying days as a First Officer on the Twin Otter. Though that last flight took place 18 January already I would like to give a quick reflection on the last two month of flying this truly remarkable airplane.
First, we flew a lot of building material into a community called Wobagen. It is only about a 30-minute flight (50nm) from the next bigger town, but the terrain makes it impossible to reach any other way. The building material was bought to build a new church, as the old one is falling apart it being build (as is usually done with houses in the bush) out of material found in the surrounding countryside.

Old church built from bush materials ...

... and new structure with milled timber and tin roof.

Plywood for flooring and inside walls

Second, we flew charters for an organisation called Rotarians Against Malaria, who distributes mosquito nets to remote communities and educates them on how malaria can be prevented. Load after load of bundled up nets were brought to places where malaria is prevalent, together with workers who were to supervise the distribution and run the workshops.

Bundles of mosquito nets for Edwaki

And thirdly, we had some medical evacuations that showed the hand of God guiding where we were unable to control. Find below an article published by MAF PNG and written by Richie Axon, my fellow pilot in Telefomin.

Click here to read the story as PDF