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Touring Africa

11/3/2016

My training role includes responsibility for the operation of C206 aircraft that MAF has based in East Africa in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. For some time it has been planned that I would visit these programmes to see first-hand how the procedures differ and the operating environment.

I arrived in Uganda on Saturday (5 March) and then travelled to Tanzania, to observe the conduct of the routine flight checks on the Arusha base pilots. This was close to Mt Kilimanjaro, although never seen in its entirety due to the cloud cap! Our training flights took us south of Arusha and over the Maasai settlements and herdsmen.

I have been in Nairobi, Kenya, to meet the programme team there, look at the equipment in the C206 fleet aircraft and join a flight to the new MAF base dedication at Log Logo, 400 km (90 mins) north of Nairobi. (A 6-seat C206 is now available at Log Logo for shuttle and charter services to the surrounding area, connecting with the MAF shuttle flights from Nairobi.)

On Monday I return to Kampala, Uganda, to conduct an Instructor Pilot renewal course for two of our staff.

From 17-19 March the African C208 ‘Caravan’ Instructor Pilots are gathering, along with two of my colleagues from Cairns, for a conference on training. I will be presenting to the C208 IPs the new flight checklist system I developed last year for the piston fleet aircraft. I am also explaining how we calculate our take-off and landing distances in the Asia Pacific region to better understand the differences and work towards a common system.

Jen and the boys are in Cairns and we have managed a few calls and messages when I can find a WIFI network. I should be back in Cairns in time for Easter.

The difference between lost and found ...

2/6/2015

William Nicol, MAF International Aviation Director, recently wrote:

A couple of weeks ago I was involved in some flight training up in PNG. As we came into land at Hewa, pilot Irwin Hodder mentioned that every single man in that village had killed a man. I took a deep breath as Irwin was forced to shut down the engine, rather than become airborne again immediately. Any time on the ground in this place was too long for me!

New training role with MAF International

19/8/2014

In mid-July, David attended interviews in Cairns for a role in MAF International’s Aviation Department. He has now been offered the position of Training Captain for the single-engine piston fleet of MAF aircraft worldwide, known as the FTC-SEP.

This role is based in the MAFI regional office in Cairns with the training performed at the new MAFI Flight Training Centre. This is being established at Mareeba Aerodrome, about a 70 km drive from Cairns. He will be involved in both new and experienced pilot training in the Africa and Asia Pacific regions.

We will therefore be moving to Cairns in mid-September for David to attend an initial induction course starting on 22 September. He will be renewing some of his lapsed ratings in the following months. We had been anticipating a move within six months but this is a lot sooner than we expected!

Whatever became of Gillian?

29/3/2014

TC Gillian off WA

We waited and waited. The thunder intimidated us and the light rain teased us, but nothing came. Tropical cyclone Gillian kept moving northwards and lost its energy before it passed by Nhulunbuy. It was Monday before we experienced some real wet season weather at Elcho.

The main thanksgiving event took place in calm conditions with the briefest of showers, and we all remained outside under a largely blue sky. It was probably the most settled thanksgiving weekend we have seen in eight years. The Yolngu seemed unperturbed by the cyclone predictions and enjoyed fellowship into the evenings. With no planes to fly, we were able to take part and enjoy the exuberance and joy of the celebrations. There were many testimonies of how Yolngu felt called to follow Jesus at a deeper level.

Tropical cyclone Gillian made a third appearance to batter Christmas Island before rising to a category 2 system off the coast of Western Australia. The search for the Malaysian Airlines aircraft was suspended for 24 hours as result and high winds continued to hamper the search for debris.

Getting cosy in the hangar

15/3/2014

Here are eight GA8 Airvans and a solitary C206 snuggled tightly into the MAF Hangar at Gove Airport. The hangar, completed in 2009, is rated to withstand moderate cyclonic winds.
Can you find the C206?

A waiting game

15/3/2014

After two days of planning the weather has changed from blue skies and light winds to a more ominous dark grey, with light rain and constant thunder in the background. The spiral arms, reminiscent of those of a distant galaxy, are now starting to sweep over NE Arnhem Land bringing instability and rain. The red and amber returns in the image above are associated with storm cells.

MAF brought all of its aircraft into Gove yesterday afternoon and left the families in the communities in accordance with our wishes. We are now waiting for the strong winds and finalising our preparations. We have gas stoves, water stored in readiness , torches and candles, and inverter backup from car batteries to try to keep fridges and freezers running if we lose power for an extended period. The garden has been cleared of loose objects and we are restraining items at risk of turning over or becoming airborne.

Thanksgiving Threat

13/3/2014

The middle of March has been the time for a Thankgiving Celebration weekend since a spiritual revival started on Elcho Island in 1979. Ex-cyclone Gillian is forecast to pass over Nhulunbuy on Saturday afternoon and then Galiwin'ku on the Sunday morning.

MAF is making contingency plans to remove all the aircraft to the Gove hangar and possibly evacuate the families, too. This will allow the aircraft to become part of any subsequent relief effort that may be required.

People are starting to arrive in Elcho today for the Thanksgiving and will add to the number of people at risk. Thankfully this is only forecast to be a Category I cyclone with expected steady winds of 60mph and gusts to 90mph.

Please pray that there will be no loss of life and that the cyclone will track away from these two major population centres. Nhulunbuy and Yirrkala communities house about 4,000 and 2,500 in Galiwin'ku.

Matthew 5:3-12

27/2/2014

Morning devotion

Every Thursday, a pilot based in a community presents a devotional to the Gove-based staff through the wonder of modern techology. Below is the transcript offered on 27 Feb.

Building for the future

31/1/2014

There’s a saying that nothing is for ever, and when you live in a remote setting that certainly holds very true. Many people come to work in remote communities only to leave again within a year or two. It’s not for everyone and there is no question that it takes a certain type to not only
live, but flourish in a community so foreign to your own culture. Isolation also takes its toll and it’s not uncommon for people to come for a relatively short period before leaving.

In many cases it’s not necessarily a problem, more a part of life in the area, but it does have an
effect when it comes to missionary work of any kind. These days there is a lot of shorter term
missionary work carried out and whilst it can be very beneficial, there is a work at a deeper level that can’t be rushed. In a cross-cultural situation it takes time to build a relationship and it takes time for the real deeper trust to be formed with the local people, especially when they have seen so many outsiders come and go. However once that relationship is established then there is a wonderful foundation to build something really worthwhile for the future. In order to do that it takes people with a more long term view of things, such as the family we are about to meet.

To read the full article from MAF Arnhem Land Communications, click here.

MicroSD cards for Christmas

17/1/2014

Peter Higham, MAF Learning Technologies

As I was walking through the community of Yirrkala, I had a conviction in my heart that another Christmas could not go by without people having more opportunities to hear the good news of Jesus Christ! Sadly so many around the world choose to not have anything to do with Jesus at Christmas. I wondered what I could do? What skills or gifts do I have to help spread the incredible truth of Christmas? Surprisingly MAF’s area of work with ‘Technology Services’ came to mind! Nearly all people in Arnhem Land have mobile phones so why not use this device to share the Christmas message?