MAFNZ - Flying For Life - September 2019

| SEPTEMBER 2019

CONNECT, EQUIP, SEND OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY!

02 THE END OF ONE ERA…THE START OF ANOTHER 04 WHAT A DIFFERENCE A PLANE MAKES! 12 A WORD FROM MAF NEW ZEALAND CEO MARK FOX FOR OUR LATEST NEWS OR TO DONATE, VISIT MAF.ORG.NZ OR CALL US (TOLL-FREE) 0800 87 85 88

Story by Todd Aebischer, MAF’s PNG Country Director Photos by Mandy Glass

2018, THE MAF PNG FLEET CONSISTED OF TEN AIRCRAFT: THREE TWIN OTTER DHC-6300, THREE CESSNA CARAVAN C208S, THREE AIRVANS GA8TC320 AND A CESSNA C172SP. 2019, BY THE END OF THE YEAR MAF PNG WILL HAVE TRANSITIONED TO A FLEET CONSISTING EXCLUSIVELY OF NINE CARAVAN AIRCRAFT. 2

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MAF PNG was one of the earliest air operators in the country, beginning services in 1951. Today, MAF is the longest serving aviation operator in the country, with international standards of safety, flight operations and aircraft maintenance.

Over the past several years, MAF PNG has found it increasingly challenging to keep its multipletype fleet operating on a regular and dependable basis. To maintain multiple types of aircraft requires a lot of logistics, e.g. two types of fuel, different inventories of parts, engineers trained to maintain three different types of aircraft and the availability of sufficient number of pilots, with required experience, cross-trained to fly the different types of aircraft—to name just a few of the challenges.

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MAF PNG is following the model of some of the most efficient and effective air services in the world—that of a single-aircraft type fleet. We are currently in a major transition and will shortly have a fleet exclusively of nine Cessna (C208) Caravans.

We serve 212 airstrips in extremely remote areas and operate 40-45 flights per day, over six days a week. In 2018, we served 36,000 passengers and 1.8 million kg of cargo. Leaving aircraft on the ground because of things like maintenance is definitely not ideal! In 2018, we were only able to keep approximately 51% of our fleet in the air on any given day. The reorganised fleet will increase that to 75%.

Todd Aebischer

Todd being interviewed in front of one of the new Cessna 208 Caravans

The first new Caravan was welcomed at the Kagamuga Airport on 11 February 2019.

Five of the six new Caravans have already been ferried across the Pacific from the manufacturer in the US to MAF’s Asia Pacific maintenance facility in Mareeba, Australia and are undergoing MAF-specific upgrades and getting registered for PNG. By the end of 2019, MAF PNG will have nine Cessna Caravans equipped with the latest in avionics and technology!

This will result in more of our fleet being in the air each day, more reliable and dependable service, financial viability for the years ahead and greater transformation in the communities we serve.

Ground staff gather to welcome and thank God for the arrival of P2-MAI at Mount Hagen, Febraury 2019

THE PURCHASE OF SIX BRAND NEW CARAVAN TURBOPROPS REPRESENTS THE LARGEST SINGLE PURCHASE OF AIRCRAFT IN THE HISTORY OF MAF INTERNATIONAL, SINCE BEGINNING ITS WORLDWIDE OPERATIONS IN 1945.

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Photo of Dedication. From left to right: Rick Velvin, Mark Fox (MAF NZ CEO) and John Neal.

What a Difference a

Plane Makes!

FOLLOWING A THREE-DAY FERRY FLIGHT FROM MAREEBA, MAF NEW ZEALAND’S CESSNA 206 FIRST APPEARED AS A TINY SPOT IN THE SKY OVER ARDMORE AIRPORT IN MARCH 2015. FOUR AND A HALF YEARS LATER, WE LOOK AT THE IMPACT THE AIRCRAFT HAS HAD IN NEW ZEALAND. 4

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Story by Tim Houghton Photos by Tim Houghton

Upon landing, a dedication service was held at which the plane was committed to the ministry of MAF New Zealand (photo above). The hope was that the plane would serve several important roles. It would be an important part of our pilot training and testing to ensure we sent well-qualified and mission-ready pilots overseas. This aircraft is standard for MAF fieldwork and would allow Candidate pilots to practice in a plane very similar to those they would be flying overseas. It would also make a range of flight assessments cheaper and more readily available. Finally, it was expected that ZK-MAF would raise the profile of MAF in New Zealand and attract more field staff to serve with MAF.

So, how has ZK-MAF measured up?

From the time the aircraft arrived we knew that giving people the chance to see and touch a “real” MAF plane (one that had flown for over 30 years overseas) would help them understand our ministry not possible any other way. To achieve this we developed what we called “Touch and Go” events, which became the mainstay of our promotional efforts.

Most Touch and Go events involved flying the Cessna 206 into a town for the weekend (although for smaller towns one-day events worked well). We took pastors, missions and church leaders on a short scenic flight, after which we shared with them the vision and goals of MAF. Many pastors expressed awe at their first experience in a small aircraft and real interest in our work. We held open times, at which the public was invited to come and sit in the plane, talk to our experienced pilots, meet the MAF NZ staff and find out what it’s really like to fly for MAF. Long-time friends and supporters of MAF came out to say, “Hi” and see the plane they had prayed for and help sponsor. People who had never before heard about MAF were introduced to our work for the first time.

We have held Touch and Go events from Invercargill to Kerikeri—and more are already planned for this summer.

SEPTEMBER 2019

John Neal

John and Rick

Rick Velvin

But the plane has made a huge difference in other ways too. We have been able to promote MAF at major New Zealand air shows including Omaka Classic Fighters, Wings Over Wairarapa, Warbirds Over Wanaka and the Tauranga Classic Flyers Airshow.

Since the plane first arrived John Neal has served faithfully as Chief Pilot and has been responsible for coordinating the aircraft’s maintenance and ensuring that it has been operated at the highest level of safety. Recently, however, Rick Velvin has taken on this role. John continues to serve as a board member and supports the work of MAF in many other ways. Many thanks to John for his faithful and committed service and welcome, Rick, to your new role!

Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Queenstown Experience ZK-MAF Team with bamboo stretcher (photo by Tim Houghton)

For the last four years, we have brought the plane to Mystery Creek in Hamilton to be part of Festival One, a Christian music festival. To help young people understand what MAF pilots do every day, we developed the MAF “Challenge”, a timed competition that required two separate tasks to be completed by teams as quickly as possible. Each year the winning team was given a free scenic flight at a later date.

This year for the first time we took ZK-MAF to the Central Districts Field Days at Feilding, where we were able to connect with a whole range of new people who otherwise might never hear about our work. We have already booked to go back again next year!

It has allowed us to help in practical ways too. After the November 2016 earthquake in Kaikoura we flew plane loads of presents, food and Christmas cheer to three large farms cut off by landslides in the upper Awatere Valley.

Looking back, ZK-MAF has created so many opportunities to get the word out about the great work of MAF! It has clearly become the “centrepiece” of all our efforts to support the work overseas and recruit new staff. It has been vital to everything we have been able to achieve so far—and what we hope to achieve in the future!

By AJ Hanke, YWAM Queenstown

When the team leaders at YWAM Queenstown told us we would be visiting a MAF plane, I was excited—because I knew what MAF stands for! When I saw the Cessna 206, I had a strong sense from God that this would not be my last time connecting with MAF. We enjoyed talking with John Neal, Chief Pilot and Mark Fox, CEO, hearing about MAF’s history and sitting in the plane.

Fast forward a year, and I was leading a YWAM team to West Papua.

We felt that God was asking us to go to villages in the mountains of West Papua, but there was no way to get there. Then I remembered seeing the MAF plane in Queenstown. We did some research and discovered that MAF could fly us into this remote region.

I didn’t realise it at the time, but the flight would be a highlight for several of the team, who said it was “a dream come true”!

It was fantastic seeing how MAF goes beyond just supplying people’s physical needs to invest into their lives.

How ZK-MAF Helped Me Get to the Mission Field

By Bridget Ingham

The first time I saw ZK-MAF in real life was on the ground at Omaka aerodrome (Blenheim) in January 2017. I was taking my pastor and his wife Becky for a private flight, when she pointed it out, saying, “Hey, look, a MAF plane! You could be flying that one day!” Almost exactly a year later, I was back in Blenheim for my MAF flight assessment.

What an honour it was to fly it—not just a Cessna 206 painted in MAF livery, but one which has flown thousands of hours in MAF service. This contributed to the authentic feel of the flight assessment!

In November last year I hired the aircraft for two weeks, intending to offer scenic flights for my Wellington-based supporters. However, God's plan far exceeded mine and those two weeks were certainly a highlight of my Ministry Partnership period! It was awesome to see people’s excitement, especially if it was their first time in a small plane.

Each flight allowed me to share a tangible piece of MAF with them.

Having the aircraft available for people to experience is a unique and memorable way for them to connect with MAF's ministry.

I am currently based at the MAF Flight Training Centre in Mareeba.

People here still have fond memories of the aircraft and are encouraged to know that it is still being used for the work of MAF in New Zealand! maf.org.nz

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E T A R B E L CE o t d e t i v n i e You'r

IN 2020, MAF AROUND THE WORLD WILL CELEBRATE 75 YEARS SINCE NEW ZEALANDER MURRAY KENDON’S VISION FOR USING LIGHT AIRCRAFT TO ENABLE MISSIONS BECAME A REALITY.

We want as many people as possible to be a part of this event! As we say in MAF, “All pieces play a part”. From its earliest days, MAF has depended on everyone working together to keep the MAF planes flying. Pilots, aviation engineers, IT support, financial managers, people who represent us in their local churches, prayer groups, board members and more! People who pray, people who give and people who go—no matter your role in supporting the work of MAF, you’re invited!

IN NEW ZEALAND, WE ARE ORGANISING OUR OWN SPECIAL WEEKEND OF CELEBRATION! JOIN US AT TOTARA SPRINGS, MATAMATA FROM 8-10 MAY 2020.

Over the weekend, we will look back to the pioneers who joined with Murray Kendon to found MAF, including Trevor Strong, Stewart King, Nate Saint and Betty Green (MAF’s first female pilot). We will honour and thank all who have served with MAF New Zealand over the past 75 years—and remember those who gave their lives flying for MAF.

gistration Complete the re with this form enclosed to our magazine or go ter. website to regis

There will be time to celebrate the incredible work taking place today and hear stories from some of our staff currently working with MAF overseas.

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SEPTEMBER 2019

with us!

We will acknowledge and encourage the upcoming generation, those who are catching the vision for aviation and missions and starting on their path towards MAF. They are the ones who will carry MAF forward into the future!

Lastly, we will envision the future of MAF, with all of the possibilities and challenges that lie ahead and pray for new MAF ministries and initiatives.

This is going to be a weekend you won’t want to miss! Our Cessna 206 will be there to look at and sit in (with scenic flights on Sunday afternoon, weather permitting). There will be good food, activities and games for the young at heart, worship, special guest speakers, multimedia presentations, times to meet old friends and make some new ones… and some surprises too! But most of all we are going to thank God for His goodness and all that has been achieved. Spaces are limited, so register to ensure your place.

Photo: Joe Knighton

Photo by Katherine Williams

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Joe’s Tali’s Journ eys Story Story

Tali’s journey to MAF began when her Dad took her to visit PNG in 2008. On her first flight in a small aircraft, Tali sat beside the pilot and found the experience exhilarating—and the seed of wanting to become a pilot was planted.

While in Year 12, she was invited to a camp for students interested in finding out about flying with MAF. This was a significant step on her journey towards becoming a missionary pilot.

In 2016 she applied to MAF, but initially did not get a response. Her dream seemed to have stalled.

The she had two significant experiences.

First, she felt “the weighty presence of God during worship, telling her to give her dream away”. A month later, Tali had a dream about her aviation career falling apart and “everything disappearing”. Both experiences seemed to be telling her to relinquish her dream—and reluctantly she did so.

Not sure what to do next, Tali spent some time teaching in Cambodia and Myanmar, then travelled to Chin State, in a remote part of Western Myanmar. When she saw how incredibly vulnerable the people of Chin State were, she knew immediately that she wanted to do something to help.

Out of the blue, over a year after Tali had applied to MAF, she received a telephone call asking if she was still interested. Tali felt strongly that, “my dream had to die—so God could resurrect it as His”.

Within six weeks Tali had raised $25,000 and was on her way to the Training Centre in Mareeba! To this day Tali says, “I still don’t understand how this all happened”.

Tali believes that her future is in Myanmar, a country she fell in love with, as part of the new programme MAF is developing there.

n o i t a n i Dest Story by Katherine Williams Edited by Tim Houghton

EACH PERSON WHO JOINS MAF HAS THEIR OWN UNIQUE JOURNEY— BUT THE DESTINATION IS THE SAME: SERVING WITH MAF IN MISSIONS. HERE ARE THE STORIES OF TWO PEOPLE WHO ARRIVED AT MAF AFTER VERY DIFFERENT JOURNEYS.

Growing up in England, Joe’s first flight was at the tender age of 14 as an Air Cadet. This led to his first solo flight at 18. He was all set to enter the Air Force, when, at just 19, Joe had a debilitating motorcycle accident, which left him paralysed. While in hospital he was told repeatedly, “You are likely to be in that wheelchair for the rest of your life”.

Yet Joe simply refused to be limited by his condition.

Just one short year after his accident Joe went to South Africa, where he gained his Private Pilot’s Licence through Flying Scholarships for Disabled People, a UK based charity dedicated to helping disabled people learn to fly light aircraft.

He returned the following year as Flight Operations Manager. His cadetship paid for him to attain his Commercial Pilot’s Licence and Instrument Rating.

Joe met his wife Emma and began to settle down, yet he felt that he needed to do something more worthwhile with his life.

He resumed flying, re-qualified and became a Flying Instructor in the UK in 2011.

This quickly led to the role of Chief Flying Instructor.

Emma and Joe had always wanted to be involved in humanitarian work, but didn’t think it would be possible now that they had young children. They contacted MAF to see if Joe’s skills were needed—and in 2015 he started work at the newly developed Mareeba Training Centre, near Cairns in Queensland.

Today Joe is the Senior Flight Instructor at Mareeba Flight Training Centre, specialising in multi-engine instrument rating training and instructor training, which enables him to carry out advanced training, internal upgrades, course development and mentoring of junior staff. He is also a CASA approved flight examiner.

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Where We Work!

NEW ZEALAND STAFF LIVE AND WORK IN SOME VERY UNUSUAL PLACES! WE CURRENTLY HAVE 22 STAFF SERVING WITH MAF. WE URGENTLY NEED MORE STAFF TO FILL CRITICAL ROLES.

ARNHEM LAND MAF has been in Arnhem Land for almost 50 years.

Country Profile: Arnhem Land is a remote region in the northeast of Australia’s Northern Territory. It is home to about 12,000 indigenous Yolngu who live in an area of about 97,000 km2. (The North Island of New Zealand is 113,000km2).

The challenges of living and working here include the “build up”, where daily temperatures can reach 36-38°C and the humidity increases to 80%. There are also complex social problems, especially among the youth.

The programme is one of MAFI’s biggest, operating 11 aircraft flying to 56 airstrips. MAF flights support a network of Christians who serve the Yolngu communities, including staff of Pioneers, two Christian schools, health workers, teachers and various other missions. MAF is able to work alongside and encourage the indigenous church, help “bridge the gap” between the Yolngu and the majority balanda cultures and is involved in the on-going development of digital resources to strengthen Yolngu pastors and leaders.

Number of NZ staff: 2

KENYA MAF has operated in Kenya continuously since 1959 and operates two Cessna 208 Caravans and a Cessna 206.

Country Profile: Kenya is the world's 48th largest country with a population of more than 52 million people. Nairobi, the capital where MAF is based, has been described as “frantic, noisy and grey”.

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TIMOR LESTE MAF began working in Timor Leste in 2007. It operates two GA8 Airvans.

In Kenya aviation is much more established than in some surrounding countries, which means dealing with airport officials is generally more pleasant and professional, and the airspace MAF operates in near the bigger cities has clearly defined procedures.

Country Profile: Timor Leste is one of the poorest countries in South East Asia. More than 70% of the population live in rural areas and suffer from a variety of medical and health issues. Many health clinics in these rural areas lack essential medicines and equipment.

MAF carries out over 250 medevacs each year.

Number of NZ staff: 1

Number of NZ staff: 1

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SEPTEMBER 2019

MAREEBA The heavy maintenance facility, 70km inland from Cairns, plays a key role in MAF International’s work in the Asia/Pacific. It moved to Mareeba in 2003, to better serve the needs of the programmes in Arnhem Land, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Bangladesh. It is equipped to provide major overhauls, repairs, modifications, repaints, avionics upgrades, stores support and more.

Engineers from Mareeba are also sent

PAPUA NEW GUINEA MAF has operated in PNG continuously since 1951 and is currently transitioning to a single-type aircraft fleet.

Country Profile: PNG is a country of rugged terrain and changeable weather, which makes flying there among the most challenging in the world!

Daily life in PNG is made more difficult by poor infrastructure (especially roads), insecurity and immense cultural diversity, which sometimes results in tribal conflicts.

Acting Country Director Todd Aebischer leads the team of around 100 national and more than

40 international staff. MAF PNG’s headquarters is in Mt Hagen, where most staff are based, aircraft come for regular maintenance and the flight program is coordinated. Since 1956, Christian Radio Missionary Fellowship (CRMF) has been serving the isolated communities and churches through technology, including HR radio communication, computing, solar lighting and digital audio Bibles. The most recent development is MAF’s Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) course for Papua New Guinea nationals. It provides the skills required to become a commercial pilot in PNG through a full-time, 20-month programme.

Number of NZ staff: 5

MAF INTERNATIONAL OFFICE (MAFI), CAIRNS MAF International has two centres, one in Ashford, UK and the other in Cairns, Australia.

Dave Fyock is the CEO of MAFI. The Cairns office provides operational support to MAF programmes throughout the Asia/Pacific region. Six New Zealand staff work in roles

ranging from IT, Disaster Response, legal oversight, International Development, Quality Control and Pastoral Care. However, at any one time most NZ staff will be found out of the office, working in remote developing nations to support MAFI’s programmes.

Number of NZ staff: 6

TREE TOPS LODGE, CAIRNS Tree Tops is a joint venture between MAF and Wycliffe Bible Translators. It provides motel-style accommodation for mission personnel who need a restful place for medical attention, rest or recuperation.

Number of NZ staff: 1

to these countries to help when needed to keep the planes flying. Fourteen engineers currently work at Mareeba.

Number of NZ staff: 1 The Flight Training Centre at Mareeba opened its doors in February 2015 and currently has six instructors. Partnering with Aviation Australia in Cairns, the Training Centre provides quality flight training.

NEW ZEALAND Some staff, especially those with specific skills, are able to complete their duties while based in New Zealand and working remotely for programmes around the Asia/Pacific. They supplement this with regular short to mid-term trips overseas to complete specific tasks as needed.

Number of NZ staff: 4

Number of NZ staff: 1 maf.org.nz

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Myanmar Briefing:

Story by Emily Davies | Edited by Tim Houghton

IN JUNE 2017 MAF NEW ZEALAND RAISED FUNDS TO HELP THE WORK IN MYANMAR GET UNDERWAY. IMPORTANTLY FOR MAF, THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF AN EXCITING NEW CHAPTER IN OUR HISTORY—ADDING MYANMAR TO OUR LIST OF OPERATIONAL PROGRAMMES. MANY OF YOU PRAYED AND GAVE TOWARDS THIS EXCITING PROJECT. WE THOUGHT IT WAS TIME FOR AN UPDATE!

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An update on MAF’s progress in Myanmar

For many years the community of Lailenpi, an isolated state in the west of Myanmar, had a desperate need for access to the outside world. There was very limited road access. For seven months of the year heavy rain made travel unreliable at best, impossible at worst.

The airstrip will bring vital development, socio-economic progress as well as education and health to 40,000 people living in this remote part of the country.

Flying into some of the most isolated places in the world is the foundation of MAF’s ministry—but without working airstrips we can do nothing.

Developing an airstrip in a place that has no outside access is often the first step to establishing a MAF programme and this is precisely what is happening in the mountainous jungle community of Lailenpi.

Progress, as is often the case with these things, can seem chronically slow. Permissions must be sought from governments, discussions must be had with aviation authorities, and assessments must be carried out to see whether plans can ever be achieved with the available resources. But persistence has paid off, and great progress has been made.

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THE LAILENPI STORY SO FAR… 2013 MAF decides to do some survey work in Myanmar to look at development opportunities. They visit Lailenpi after being invited by Health & Hope to consider building an airstrip.

2015 Health & Hope contact MAF to say the whole community is praying, and have started clearing land in faith that we will come.

2016 MAF visits Lailenpi with an engineer to check the feasibility of an airstrip. The decision is that it will be difficult, but possible.

2017

INTERVIEW WITH ANDY K* (ENGINEERING MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL, INDIA, AND PROJECT TEAM LEADER FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW AIRSTRIP IN LAILENPI) BY EMILY DAVIES.

What’s the chosen site for the airstrip like?

Lailenpi is on the ridge of a mountain, with very steep slopes on all sides. Some of the slopes are steeper than 45°, so you can imagine it will be very difficult to build on!

Sounds complicated! Why have you decided to build the airstrip on the ridge of a mountain if it’s so difficult?

In a region that had nearly 4.5m of rain in 2017, dealing with storm water runoff is a serious issue. The ridge placement makes the runway less susceptible to long-term erosion problems that would otherwise need addressing, as the 850m long strip crosses small valleys. In heavy rains these small valleys carry significant amounts of water, which would have to go under or around the runway. So placing it on the ridge as much as possible greatly simplifies the construction and future maintenance of the runway.

JAN-MAR

Health & Hope meet the Vice President and discuss the possibility of an airstrip at Lailenpi. Within three months a Phase 2 plan is put in place, assessments are carried out to verify MAF’s findings and the Vice President has approved our plans.

Construction can begin!

NOV'17 - JAN'18

Geotechnical surveys are carried out.

2018 SEP

Site preparation

2018 NOV

PROJECTED TIMELINE

Construction began, requiring two dry seasons

2020 APRIL

Estimated completion date

There seems to be a lot of drilling happening, what’s that for?

That’s geotechnical investigation. It involves drilling holes along the runway centreline and in the sloped areas on all sides of the runway survey; 28 shallow holes (up to 4m deep) were drilled by hand and 20 with a diesel drilling rig, between 9m and 30m deep. This drilling helps identify the soil and rock properties of the earth, which will be used by the civil engineers for nearly every calculation.

Lailenpi is really isolated—that’s the reason we’re here.

But how will you get all the materials on site so that you can start building?

The only reason building this runway is possible is due to the fact that a local road contractor is based in Lailenpi. MAF has contracted with this company to utilise their tracked excavators, bulldozer and other equipment. Taking advantage of this equipment is a huge benefit to the project.

Logistically it must be a huge challenge?

Logistics would be a challenge even if the project were near a big city! Being at least two days drive from anywhere will require a lot of advance planning and placement of material. More than 1000 litres of diesel will be consumed daily, and all will be delivered in the back of small trucks in barrels. Transport by road is very limited during the monsoon season from May-December. This means that once we get started, equipment and fuel—or anything that needs to be transported by truck—needs to be pre-positioned before the monsoons so that construction can continue during breaks in the rain.

2020 APRIL

Last name withheld.

*

Airport to open maf.org.nz

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x o F k Mar

O E C Z N F MA M O R F D R A WO

Photo: Mark leading a missions trip in August to help renovate MAF housing in an isolated town in PNG called Telefomin. Photo courtesy Mark Fox

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SEPTEMBER 2019

WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH SO MUCH OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AND MAF IS BETTER KNOWN IN NEW ZEALAND TODAY THAN EVER BEFORE.

Having the Cessna 206 in New Zealand has been vital in building awareness about our work and ministry, as have the “Touch and Go” events we have run around the country. Our Flying for Life magazine, new website, and growing social media presence and radio ads on Rhema Media have all contributed to more and more people hearing about our ministry.

But as CEO of MAF New Zealand I am very aware that we can’t afford to become complacent or allow ourselves to “plateau”. We need to keep growing and asking; how do we achieve our goals most effectively with the resources we have, and then how do we increase our resources and outcomes so that MAF’s ministry across the world has greater impact?.

To keep pressing forward, I have been leading our team through a SWOT analysis and Strategic Planning development process to set a path for the next five years.

Through this process, we have confirmed that over the coming years our first priority is recruitment. Our primary mission is to promote, recruit, resource and send. MAF’s greatest need at the moment is finding the right people to fill key roles in order to keep our overseas programmes fully staffed. This includes people with management skills as well as pilots and aviation engineers.

We have to find ways to help potential new staff overcome the hurdles they face in joining MAF and create pathways for them to get to the mission field.

Ministry Partnership is fantastic in that it encourages Candidates to go out and speak in churches and home groups, build relationships, share the vision and develop a strong base of prayer. Yet for some, their support-raising can be daunting and I would like to find ways to support Candidates more effectively through the process.

Another opportunity is to find new ways of connecting with the church in New Zealand. Looking into the future, one of the key roles I would like to develop is that of a Relationship Manager, someone who can keep building on our relationships with local churches. I am also very keen to develop the role of our Church Reps so they are able to take a very active part in representing MAF in their own churches.

Many of our current staff caught the vision of aviation and missions when quite young, and I would like to see MAF Youth established in New Zealand to encourage and mentor young people towards MAF. We just need some great young leaders to head it up!

One of my long-term goals for MAF in New Zealand is for the “Kendon Strong Training Centre” to be established, at a local airport like Ardmore or Tauranga. In partnership with other Christian aviation and training organisations, it would become a “hub” for aviation training, a place that would build pathways for pilots and engineers to get to the mission field.

People could come, stay, learn and prepare through conferences, block courses and practical experience. Finally, it would allow us, as a Christian aviation organisation, to be a witness to the dozens of other aviation organisations at these airports.

These are exciting times for MAF New Zealand. I am looking forward to our 75th Anniversary in May next year and I am excited to see what God is going to do. I hope that it will create momentum so people leave the event with renewed vision and purpose for the future. I look forward to seeing you there!

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Why Not You?

Bryan Eygabroad doing aircraft maintenance in Lesotho.

Photo by: Joe Adams

MAF Liberia Engineer does maintenance. LuAnne Cadd

Each of us has a choice about how we use the gifts and abilities that God has given us. Matthew 25:25 says, “I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground”. We know that the story doesn’t end well for the man who was afraid (and therefore lacked vision and faith). Why not pray about the opportunities below? We would love to talk with you about any of these roles. To find out more, contact our office.

If accepted by MAF as a Candidate, they will be bonded by MAF International and trained as a Flight Instructor, before being contracted to Singapore Flying College (under the Singapore Airlines Group) in Perth.

After two years as an instructor to build experience, they will join MAF. This is an exciting and much needed development that provides a viable option for some of our low hour pilots in New Zealand.

PILOTS

ENGINEERING

We are currently experiencing a unique situation with both a surplus of low-hour (entry level) pilots and a shortage of experienced pilots.

MAF is also experiencing a critical shortage of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers, with AME’s, LAME’s and Chief Engineers all urgently needed in countries including Australia, Uganda, PNG, South Sudan and Bangladesh.

Currently MAF is desperately in need of experienced pilots (with over 1,000 hours of flying) who are willing to serve in programmes like PNG, South Sudan, Liberia and Bangladesh.

At the same time, Arnhem Land, the only programme which currently accepts entry-level pilots (with approximately 200 hours of flying), has such a long waitlist that we are currently unable to process applications!

However, an exciting new route for low-hour pilots has become available.

After applying through the usual MAF application process, pilots will be assessed for instructor potential.

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There are several different paths available to those interested in pursuing a career in this area.

First, MAF International is keen to develop MAF’s own capability through recruiting and mentoring more engineering apprentices via our engineering base in Mareeba.

For those who would prefer to train in New Zealand, however, we are exploring a number of possible routes. One of these paths begins by gaining a two-year, full-time New Zealand Certificate in Aeronautical Engineering. These certificates are

SEPTEMBER 2019

designed to provide individuals with all the skills and knowledge needed for a successful engineering career.

After these two years of theory, successful applicants would then be placed in one of the MAF Engineering bases (either PNG, Arnhem Land or Mareeba) to complete the practical side of their qualification.

MANAGEMENT ROLES There are also many management opportunities within MAF at present, with roles including Programme Manager (Arnhem Land), Country Director (Mongolia), Head of Finance (PNG) and Area IT Manager (Uganda). Not only do these roles offer the experience of a lifetime, but they will help develop professional and personal life skills as well.

MAF YOUTH DIRECTOR Do you have a passion for MAF, youth and leadership? We are looking for a volunteer MAF Youth Director who has a desire to connect with youth around New Zealand to spread the word about MAF and what we do on a global scale. In the UK, MAF Youth is charging ahead and challenging the next generation to make a difference with their lives—and we are looking to do the same here in NZ.

Be a Part of MAF! TOGETHER WE CAN KEEP THE MAF PLANES FLYING. HERE ARE SOME WAYS THAT YOU CAN GET INVOLVED AND BE A PART OF MAF’S WORLDWIDE MINISTRY. LEAVE A BEQUEST Today many MAF flights are made possible by legacies left in wills. Gifts are an important part of keeping MAF flying. Large or small, each gift is valuable and will help change lives for the better. To find out more, go to our website: Resources/Donate or contact us.

BE A CHURCH REP Have you thought about becoming a Church Rep and “flying the flag” for MAF in your local church? This includes looking for opportunities to promote MAF at your church or missions events and being the “go to” person for anyone with questions about MAF. The most important “qualifications” are to be passionate about what we do and a good communicator. We’d love to hear from you. (We provide guidance and resources).

FUNDRAISE There are many ways to fundraise for MAF NZ. One is to put on a “Frying for Life” breakfast! It doesn’t have to be complicated; fry up a cooked breakfast, invite your friends, family or home group over and show a video about MAF—while at the same time raising some money for MAF. Go to our website: Resources/ Hold a Fundraiser or contact us for suggestions and ideas!

PROJECT PACKS

Each Project is designed to take between 1 and 1.5 hours. They are ideal for Sunday school classes, home groups or missions events and include activities, quizzes, discussions, Bible reflections, team exercises and stories from the front line of MAF. They are interactive and engaging, while at the same time providing real insights into MAF’s amazing work around the world. Find the first two Projects on our website under Resources. More to follow soon!

VOLUNTEER If you live in the Auckland area, we would love to have you join our small team of volunteers who help with mail-outs. If you are able to commit more time, we need someone to assist with the administrative side of preparing for our 75th Anniversary celebration through to May next year.

Contact us to find out more.

USE OUR CHILDREN’S RESOURCES Did you know we have resources for families with children or youth groups on our website? These include activities, games and quizzes for children that will help them learn about MAF’s work around the world.

We will be adding to the resources, so check back to find new ideas.

JOIN A PRAYER GROUP We would like to see Prayer Groups established throughout New Zealand, lifting up our work in prayer. Most Prayer Groups meet once a month and we provide resources. If you would like to join one—or find out about starting one in your own area—please contact us.

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FAREWELL THANKS

RYAN CAMERON

Ryan began as a pilot in Arnhem Land. In May 2016 he transitioned to Africa to serve with MAF South Sudan, where he took on a number of additional roles. During his time as Facilities Manager, Ryan supervised the team that took care of both of MAF’s compounds in South Sudan. He could be found on rooftops installing solar panels in sweltering heat. Later he became MAF South Sudan’s Airport Office Manager. But beyond this, Ryan also had a heart for the local vulnerable street children. On Saturdays he helped run a kid’s club in one of the local slums and handed out footballs to the local children. We wish Ryan all the best wherever God leads him in the years to come!

DALLAS PATTEN Dallas joined MAF in January 2015, and began her time as a pilot in Papua New Guinea. She moved to South Sudan in mid-2017 to fill a need in the programme for pilots. Dallas later took on the Operations Manager role, where she was able to use her experience and background in aviation to help manage flights. She found great satisfaction working as part of the South Sudan team and was glad that she could leave MAF with a new Operations Manager in place to take over her role.

MAF is an international Christian aviation organisation serving around 30 developing countries to reach people living in some of the world’s most isolated communities Operating more than 135 light aircraft, MAF flies into 2,500 remote destinations, transporting essential medical care, food and water supplies, relief teams and church workers enabling physical and spiritual care to reach countless thousands of people cut off due to formidable geographical barriers, natural disasters and political unrest.

FLYING FOR LIFE is the official magazine of Mission Aviation Fellowship NZ. Articles may be reprinted with acknowledgment.

MAF New Zealand PO Box 76502 Manukau City, Auckland 2241 PHONE 0800 87 85 88 EMAIL info@maf.org.nz WEB maf.org.nz EDITOR Tim Houghton LAYOUT & DESIGN WindsorCreative PRINTING Roe Print Services