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MAF’s journey in Arnhem Land began with one man’s vision and a homemade aircraft
In the 1930s, Rev. Harold “Sheppy” Shepherdson, a pioneering missionary pilot, began reaching isolated Yolŋu communities across Australia’s Northern Territory in a single-seater Heath Parasol aircraft that he built from a kit. His heart for the gospel and the people of Arnhem Land laid the foundations for what would later become MAF’s first Australian flight program.
By 1973, MAF had inherited Sheppy’s small operation – Arnhem Land’s first ever Christian aviation service – continuing his mission to connect the remote homelands of East Arnhem Land with vital access to medical care, education and the hope of the gospel.
Today, MAF Arnhem Land operates two Cessna 208 Caravans and six GA8 Airvans, flying to more than 50 destinations and serving hundreds of people every week. But beyond the miles flown, it’s the relationships that matter most.
CHECK OUT THE STORIES BELOW TO SEE WHAT ELSE HAS BEEN HAPPENING AROUND THE WORLD:
FAITH AND FELLOWSHIP IN WANDAWUY, ARNHEM LAND: MAF BRINGS HOPE BEYOND THE AIRSTRIP
In the remote homeland of Waṉḏawuy, a small crowd gathered around a campfire beside the red gravel airstrip, singing, dancing and sharing stories under the light of a white cross and a waiting MAF aircraft. MAF pilot James Gullet and his team had come not for a flight operation, but for fellowship, building relationships and encouraging Yolŋu believers in their faith.
The outreach gatherings blend food, worship and Bible story telling, offering space for connection in a culture that values relationships over schedules. During one visit, the team shared the Good Samaritan story and distributed copies of Mark’s Gospel in Dhuwaya, a translation originally completed by one participant’s grandmother, making the moment deeply personal and spiritual.
Beyond the flights that bring healthcare, education, and supplies, MAF’s presence also delivers comfort, prayer and hope in more intangible yet powerful ways. When a local man suffering chest pains declined medical evacuation, the team prayed for him and his family, an act that meant as much as any flight.
These visits have encouraged both the Yolŋu communities and the MAF team alike, reminding them that God is at work in ways often unseen, weaving faith and friendship across Arnhem Land’s vast and beautiful homelands.
HOPE FOR LITTLE LOVA IN MADAGASCAR: MAF FLIGHT MAKES LIFE-CHANGING SURGERY POSSIBLE
In western Madagascar, 18-month-old Lovasoa (“Lova”) was born with spina bifida, a spinal malformation that left him unable to stand or crawl normally. His mother, Lucienne, a farmer from Belo sur Tsiribihina, longed to find help but had no means to reach the distant capital where specialist care was available.
When a HoverAid medical safari, supported by MAF, visited their town, doctors confirmed Lova needed urgent surgery that could only be performed in Antananarivo. A gruelling two-day road journey through dangerous terrain was impossible, so MAF stepped in. Partnering with HoverAid, MAF flew Lova and his mother to the capital free of charge, turning a difficult 48-hour trip into a safe one-hour-fifty-minute flight.
There, Lova received successful surgery and physiotherapy that restored his hope for mobility and a brighter future. As HoverAid’s medical manager Maholy shared, “Stories like Lova’s remind us why we do this work… giving people in remote areas a chance at a healthy future.”
LIFE-SAVING FLIGHT IN MALIANA, TIMOR-LESTE: MAF BRINGS HOPE TO BABY ALFREDO AND HIS FAMILY
When baby Alfredo was born three months premature in Maliana, his mother Carmelita feared the worst. The local hospital lacked an incubator and the rough, three-hour road to Dili was too dangerous for his fragile condition. But thanks to MAF, hope arrived by air
Responding to a call from the National Ambulance and Emergency Medical Service, MAF’s medevac team flew the tiny newborn and his mother to Guido Valadares National Hospital in Dili – a journey that took just 25 minutes instead of hours of treacherous travel. “If we had gone by road, he wouldn’t have survived,” Carmelita said with gratitude.
MAF’s involvement didn’t end at the airstrip. Hospital Chaplain Inggrid Pinto and the MAF team continued to visit Carmelita and her family, providing encouragement and care packs during their hospital stay. “Every time we visited, we saw their faith and hope grow stronger,” Inggrid shared.
Today, baby Alfredo is thriving, his weight has more than doubled and he’s back home in Maliana. For his family, MAF’s swift response turned fear into joy and a life-threatening journey into a story of faith, compassion and new beginnings.
SIGHT RESTORED IN YIROL, SOUTH SUDAN: MAF FLIES EYE SURGEON TO BRING VISION AND HOPE
In Yirol, South Sudan, hundreds of people once living in darkness can now see again, thanks to MAF flights that transported eye surgeon Dr Emmanuel Oryem and his medical team to this remote region.
Over just ten days, Dr Emmanuel and his colleagues treated more than 1,800 patients, performing 391 surgeries, most for cataracts – one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in South Sudan. Among them was a young boy who arrived unable to see from either eye. “When the bandages came off and he could see again, I told his father, ‘Now let him go to school… maybe one day he’ll become a doctor too,’” Dr Emmanuel shared.
Reaching Yirol by road would have taken up to a full day through unpredictable terrain and areas of insecurity. But with MAF’s one-hour flight, the team could spend their time where it mattered most, restoring sight and transforming lives.
Dr Emmanuel, South Sudan’s only paediatric ophthalmologist, praised MAF for making such missions possible: “Thanks to MAF, we arrive on time and ready to serve. Without these flights, many of our patients would remain blind.”
For patients, families and young caregivers alike, every MAF flight means more than restored vision, it brings the freedom to work, learn and hope again.
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