The Smythes @ MAF

MAF Airvan - P2-MEW, Papua New Guinea

MAF has been flying into remote jungle areas of Papua New Guinea for 60 years. P2-MEW is one of MAF’s GA8 Airvans based in Papua New Guinea. It is the newest aircraft – a turbo charged airvan – to be based in PNG.

These were the first 4 days of MEW’s service in the Western Province in Papua New Guinea. Not all days are quite this action packed, but you can see that in the course of only 4 days with MEW we were able to provide an invaluable ministry to national pastors, teachers, and health workers, missionaries, and save the lives 4 four people in serious need. Thank you for your gift of P2-MEW it has already made a difference in the lives of many here in PNG and will serve countless more through the course of its life here in PNG.

18/06/11

Loaded up all of my family in MEW and headed to Rumginae to provide a week of coverage in the area for a pilot on leave. After the trip to Rumginae I headed back to Muluma airstrip to bring another mother with a retained placenta to the Rumginae hospital. This young mom had had and lost the baby 3 days earlier and was still bleeding. She had been carried for 4 hours to get to the airstrip that afternoon. As we loaded her on the aircraft we noted that in addition to the problem of blood loss she also had a fever from the toxins in her body. I flew her and her husband 55 minutes to Rumginae Hospital. The doctors at Rumginae commented to me that they were glad I had brought her in she was in very bad shape and would probably not have lasted much more than another day in the bush. The trip to the hospital by ground would have required over a week of trekking and crossed two major rivers that terrify even able body travelers. It was a relief to see her husband at the aircraft a few days later reporting that she was well and looking for a flight home.

19/06/11

Matthew Scheurich was speared in the chest by two arrows after stepping in to protect his girlfriend from a tribesman

Enjoying a quiet Sunday afternoon at Rumginae when a radio call came in for a medivac from at Suabi. A French anthropologist and her boyfriend from New Zealand were studying in the area and he had been attacked. The initial report was that he had been stabbed, had lost a lot of blood and was having a lot of trouble breathing. I readied the aircraft for the 45 minute flight as Dr Daniel and Dr Sharon from the Rumginae Mission Hospital boarded the aircraft with their medical equipment. Upon arrival at Suabi we found the young man had been speared in both lungs and in the stomach as well as having been beaten in the head with a rock. As the doctors assessed him and stabilized him for the flight I provided the aircraft oxygen tank and pilots oxygen mask from the plane to help him breath for the 50 minute flight to the Kiunga Hospital. We left Suabi with two doctors, the anthropologist, the patient on a stretcher and one more empty seat to spare, had we needed it. By Gods grace there were doctors, surgeons, a pilot, and a capable aircraft all in the right place to save this young man’s life that day. The doctors commented on the way home that evening that, had we been an hour or two later he would likely not have been alive.

20/06/11

I flew 3 pastors and their wives from Rumginae to Obo, the pastors and their wives had just completed a course on marriage with about 50 other couples. At Obo there was another patient in bad shape. The day before this young mother who lived about 5 hours up river from Obo had successfully delivered a baby, but it’s twin was still stuck inside and refused to come out. With no other options she canoed 5 hrs down river to the Obo aid post. The community health workers at the Obo aid post could do little to help her, so called for the aircraft to take her to Rumginae Hospital for surgery. Upon arriving at Rumginae doctors spent over seven hours in surgery to remove the unborn baby and repair the damage inside.

Drs Daniel Priest and Sharon Brandon from Rumginae tend to Matthew Scheurich

As the doctors worked on her I flew another plane load of pastors and their wives (who had completed the same course at Rumginae) to their villages at Suabi and Hesalibi. As I left Rumginae I was advised by the doctor that a lady had been bit by a death adder (snake) at Hesalibi. As he had been unable to get radio contact with the community since the initial report that morning, Doctor Daniel said “examine the patient when you get there and if she shows any signs of envenomation bring her in”. As I flew from Suabi to Hesalibi I was relieved to hear via radio from Rumginae that the patient was doing much better and I would not be required to bring her into the hospital, or examine her for symptoms of envenomation.

After Hesalibi I picked up Sr. Missionaries Tom and Salome Howey from Mogalu to Kiunga where they would depart on an international flight for Australia the next morning. With them I also carried 4 Papua New Guinean teachers and health workers who were headed out to Kiunga for supplies for the next term at the remote school at Mogulu.

Nick Swalm

MAF Pilot – Papua New Guinea

Betty Greene began her professional aviation career by serving with the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II. After the war, her strong faith motivated her to use her skills for Christ where she eventually became a pioneer in mission aviation with MAF.

On February 23, 1946, Betty Greene embarked on the first MAF flight that took off from Los Angeles, California with Mexico City as the final destination.

Flying a red 1933 four-place Waco cabin bi-plane, Betty began the flight with two passengers, Wycliffe workers Ethel Lambotte and Lois Schneider. Ethel worked in Wycliffe’s office in southern California while Lois was rejoining her husband Bob, who was a linguist, on the field.

The initial flight took much longer than the expected three days after Betty grew disturbed by something coming off the engine. She decided to land in Tuxpan, Mexico and have the plane examined. Ethel and Lois went ahead to Mexico City on a commercial flight the next day. Betty later discovered the debris coming off the engine was nothing more than flaking paint.

The next morning, Betty took off from Tuxpan and headed to Mexico City where she connected with Wycliffe Bible Translators founder Cameron Townsend. He asked Betty if she could take him to their Jungle Camp near Tuxtla Gutierrez, a city located south of Mexico City. And away they went.

On Betty’s first attempt to reach Tuxtla after refueling in the village of Minatitlan, she turned back when a heavy storm rolled in. However, during the return to Minatitlan, the Waco’s engine died. Betty decided to switch gas tanks and quickly attempted to re-fire the engine. It worked and they safely returned to Minatitlan. She later discovered that water in the fuel drum from which she filled the left tank caused the engine to shut down.

The next morning, Betty flew Cameron to Tuxtla on a short flight, reaching her destination one week after taking off from Los Angeles on the first MAF mission flight.

Betty went on to serve as a pilot in the field for MAF until 1962 when she began working at MAF headquarters. She later served as an advocate until her death in 1997.

A huge celebration including MAF staff and families from all over East Arnhem Land along with special guests accompanied the opening of MAF’s new hangar at Gove Airport on September 19.

The new MAF Hangar - Gove Airport, Arnhem Land, NT Australia

The fly-past of a helicopter for some overhead photography heralded the start of proceedings which took place before a gathering of about 200 people under the new hangar roof.

And what a roof! �Around 37 metres long, 26 metres wide and three times higher than the old hangar still standing a few minutes walk away at the edge of the runway.

The new dimensions are more than mere statistics for the engineers and pilots who will begin to occupy the new hangar this week. In essence it’s about space: the room to store aircraft and equipment and the ability to maneuver planes in and out speedily and comfortably for maintenance and repairs.

In the old hangar that simply wasn’t possible. In addition, engineering staff had to cope with excessive heat under a low roof, flooding during the wet season, antiquated facilities and cramped offices.

Funding for the new hangar was provided by numerous donors, the largest of those from the Collier Charitable Fund, MAF United Kingdom and MAF Netherlands.

MAF International Asia Pacific Director and Vice President, Bill Harding, expressed deep gratitude to the large donors but also acknowledged many who had given smaller amounts of money, professional skills, materials and time. These included businesses, churches, local people and volunteer workers from Mobile Mission Maintenance and churches from all parts of Australia and New Zealand who had “personally paid a big price.”

“It’s been quite a journey,” he said. “We had long delays during fundraising, massive cost increases due to the price of steel and fuel and all sorts of other setbacks from transport to termites.

“But finally it is finished, it is fantastic and we really can rejoice and give thanks. God provided all the funding one way or another and a number of people put in monumental efforts.

“Many sacrifices have been made. It has been an incredible and personally costly effort but something great has been achieved.”

Both Mr Harding and MAF Arnhem Land Program Manager Ian McBride paid special tribute to young MAF airman Hadleigh Smith who died on October 16 2008 when the GA8 Airvan he was piloting went down in nearby Buckingham Bay enroute to the mainland. To this day, the aircraft has not been located.

A framed series of photographs of Hadleigh, a brass plaque and Bible passage will hang in the staff room of the new hangar as a memorial to the young pilot.

Mr McBride said Hadleigh’s story would forever remain a part of MAF’s story in Arnhem Land.

Regarding the new hangar, he said that, to really appreciate it, visitors needed to go down and take a look at the old hangar which was prone to flooding, had a leaky roof and was a victim of termite damage.

“But the biggest problem,” he emphasised, “was the shortage of space.”

“With this new hangar we can look forward to the future and begin to achieve the level of professionalism that we want.”

Mr Banambi Wunungmurra representing the local indigenous (Yolngu) community, acknowledged the long journey that MAF had been on in Arnhem Land, standing alongside aboriginal people, learning the Yolngu Matha language and being sensitive towards cultural issues.

Mr Wunungmurra, Chairman of the Uniting Church Yirrkala Parish and President of the East Arnhem Shire Council, said he wished to thank his “MAF brothers” many of whom were his good friends, for maintaining good relationships with the Yolngu people and providing services to Yolngu (Laynhapuy) Homeland communities.

“They have become adopted (into Yolngu families),” he said. “A unity has developed between us. MAF has helped our people to move back out to their homelands, they work with us in a spirit of unity and I thank God for that. I really do.”

The new MAF hangar in Gove, a wonderful testimony to the provision of God, the hard work and dedication of a vast army of people and the generosity of donors large and small, is nearing operational status. It will enhance and increase the ability of MAF to serve the indigenous people of East Arnhem Land.

The old hangar will be retained as a storage facility and workshop.

via www.maf.org.au

Boats float. Some specially-equipped cars float. Some planes float. But what about an airplane hangar? You wouldn’t think it could float, but Mission Aviation Fellowship now has one that does.

Nearly complete - kalimantan floating hangar

MAF Program Manager in Kalimantan, Indonesia David Holsten says, “An engineer from Holland helped us design a floating hangar. It is comprised of Styrofoam encased in cement — about 350 tons of cement.” And it floats!

MAF had been using small docks to aid in their work. However, Holsten says it’s not easy to maintain an airplane on a dock. “If we drop a tool, it goes right to the bottom of the river. We’re out in the sun, and in a tropical area, that’s fatiguing. With this full-size hangar, we’ll be able to lift our planes out of the water and maneuver them inside the hangar, allowing us to do inspections on the plane and make needed repairs.”

Holsten says this isn’t any old project. “To my knowledge, this is the first time we’ve had a system like this. So it’s created a lot of interest from other programs, as well as local Indonesians. They really couldn’t believe a building made of cement could really float.”

This new facility will also help medical patients. Instead of having to carry them on a stretcher for 200 yards upon arrival, ambulances will be able to pull right up to the aircraft.

The new project also gives MAF a unique opportunity in the community. Holsten says, “This new hangar has created interest from the community. Residents ask, ‘What are you doing?’ And our guys are able to tell them. So it has opened doors for witness and ministry.”

Even before the hangar was operational, it was having an impact. “While working on this project, one of the workers became a believer,” Holsten says.

Once the nearly $300,000 project is completed by the first part of the summer, it will enable MAF to be even more effective in its ministry and better stewards of the resources God has given them.

Pray that God will provide even more opportunities to share the Gospel.

Mission Network News

Delivery of a new GA8 turbo-charged Airvan to MAF in Papua New Guinea adds much-needed power for highlands flying. �MAF’s first turbo-charged GA8 Airvan was flown to Papua New Guinea in April to work with remote communities across the highlands.

GA8 Turbo with pilot Nick Swalm in PNG

The brand new 8-seat aircraft left Mareeba bound for PNG on April 21 following a ferry flight up from Victoria. MAF took delivery of the plane in February but the actual handover was delayed by certification approvals and modifications.

By all outward appearances, the turbo-charged (TC) Airvan is identical to its normally aspirated cousins, 11 of which are currently operating with MAF in the PNG lowlands, Arnhem Land, Cambodia and East Timor.

The big – or little – difference only becomes apparent when the engine cowling is removed to reveal the addition of a TC converter about the size of a 2-litre soft drink bottle tucked away neatly and almost out of sight.�But big things can often be achieved by small objects. That small device will allow PNG pilots to soar with ease over mountain ranges and greatly reduce flight times between highlands airstrips. It will give them additional power for rapid climbing through breaks in the cloud.

Aviation Resources Manager, Stephen Charlesworth, explains that it is all about the ability of the TC Airvan to convert or compress – via the turbo-charger – the thinner air taken into the engine at altitude. �”To date, (non-TC) Airvans have been particularly useful in the lowlands of PNG, Indonesia, Cambodia and East Timor where MAF has a number of Airvans operating,” he said.

GA8 Turbo Airvan in flight, PNG Highlands

“But they have been less successful in the PNG highlands. As you go higher, air pressure reduces and the air is less dense. Therefore, the higher the altitude, the less power becomes available to a normally aspirated aircraft. There is less energy for the engine to burn.�”The turbo-charger or compressor overcomes that problem by compressing the air prior to it entering the engine enabling more power for greater rates of climb. As a result, the aircraft is better able to move from valley to valley in the PNG highlands.”

Mr Charlesworth said the new Airvan would readily climb to heights of 10,000 feet and above, had a greater load-carrying capacity than the Cessna 206 and required less maintenance. The Airvan GA8-TC 320 is powered by a Lycoming turbo-charged fuel injection engine turning a Hartzell three-blade propeller.

Worldwide, 135 of the Victorian-manufactured Airvans are flying in 32 countries. MAF has the second largest fleet of Airvans after the USAF Civil Air Patrol.

MAF Australia – www.maf.org.au