Annual Pilot's Meeting

The annual MAF PNG Pilot's Meeting again took place in Mt Hagen. We went as a whole family, as Madeleine gave a talk on how to control fatigue with what you eat.

Pilot's Meeting at Kanal House, Mt Hagen

The Red Bird Takes its First Flight

Thursday, 22 August marked the day when our new Cessna Caravan simulator spread its wings for the first training session. Hansjörg Schlatter MAF International Fleet Training Captain for the Caravan taught the first two MAF PNG instructor pilots how to use the Redbird CRV for pilot training. Read the full story in the MAF press release below.

Click here to read the story as PDF

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