A spear in the back
An urgent call had come from Balimo Hospital asking for an immediate medevac. But MAF pilot Markus Bischoff knew there was a big problem: Balimo airstrip was closed. Two men had been out hunting in this swampy area, and as dusk descended Gawak’s friend mistook him for prey and accidentally speared him in the back! […]
Read MoreMAF use helicopters to bring hope and help to Nepal
Story and photos by Dave Forney Please donate today! nepalrelief.maf.alphasys.com.au On Tuesday 5 May 2015, MAF helped facilitate several flights for a UK medical team to a couple of isolated villages deep in the hard-hit mountains of Northern Nepal. This medical team from the UK are a group of doctors and medics volunteering their time […]
Read MoreNepal Earthquake: MAF assessing how to help in disaster response
MAF’s Disaster Response Team has been working to assess how we may be able to help after a serious 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the country on Saturday. The scenes emerging on the media are horrifying. More than 5,000 people are confirmed dead, with a further 8,000 injured. The Nepali Government suspects the death toll may […]
Read MoreCyclone Lam Update: 25 February
by Peter Higham More than one week ago, Arnhem Land was put on high alert due to a slow moving cyclone. By Tuesday the 17th, MAF had begun evacuating their remote base staff (Milingimbi, Galiwinku, Lake Evella and Ramingining) as well as securing staff, planes and houses in Nhulunbuy/Yirrkala. The cyclone intensified further and turned […]
Read MoreMAF Training Centre – Now Open!
by Angela Harding Pictures Below: Inside the MAF Training Centre It is with great excitement that we announce that the MAF Training Centre in Mareeba is now officially open! On Friday February 20th, MAF Mareeba held the long-anticipated opening day. More than 100 MAF staff and supporters gathered to worship, pray and dedicate the new building […]
Read MoreCyclone Lam Update: Houses and families
The evacuated MAF planes have now left Darwin. The Weeks family and Vallance-Webbs returned to their homes in Gove over the weekend. Galiwinku, Elcho Island Ian Purdey and Jason Job have returned to Elcho Island to help with cleaning up, while their families remain in Gove until there is normal power and clean running water. […]
Read MoreAfter the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004
Ten years after the Boxing Day Tsunami devastates Sumatra, MAF reflects on the crisis in Aceh On 26 December 2004, the ground shook and the ocean rose, engulfing the western coast of the Aceh region of Indonesia. An estimated 170,000 people died, 550,000 were displaced, and communities were forever changed. MAF was one of the […]
Read MoreMore than a feeling
In our recent magazine, we told the story of an incredible day of medevacs in Timor-Leste. One of the many calls that day was a truck accident, where 6 people urgently needed to be taken to hospital. (If you missed it, you can read the story here.) Angela Harding was able to visit 2 of […]
Read More36 Yirrkala children publicly declare their faith in Jesus!
Report by MAF Arnhem Land Another year of children’s ministry in Yirrkala (Arnhem Land) is coming to an end, however for those in Kids Club, 2012 will be remembered as a year of progress, change and children who have grown in their faith. From January through to December the Yolngu Christian leaders and MAF staff […]
Read MoreFlight Training Centre – Update
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters, the new MAF Flight Training Centre is well on its way to being built! MAF has been training pilots in Australia for more than 50 years. The Flight Training Centre at Mareeba will give pilots a chance to hone their skills on short difficult strips, navigate mountainous […]
Read MoreLasting Impact
by Janelle Tyson “All that I am, all that I’ve achieved, all that I’ve become is because of Rob Hadfield,” shared Rumi, the Chief Engineer of the Bangladesh Flying Academy, with tears brimming in his eyes in anticipation of seeing Rob Hadfield, his former teacher, after 30 years. In the 1980’s, MAF Australia members Rob […]
Read MoreOur new Flight Training Centre
In the lead up to this year’s End of Financial Year, we are excited to be asking for partners to come alongside us and help build a new MAF Flight Training Centre in Mareeba. MAF has been training pilots in Australia for more than 50 years. The aim of consolidating all Australia based training in […]
Read MoreMAF visionary Murray Kendon passes away (1917-2014)
It is with sadness we inform you of the death of Murray Kendon, the visionary who founded Mission Aviation Fellowship and the use of aircraft to bring help and hope to people living in isolated parts of the world. As a WWII veteran, Murray considered the destructive power that aircraft could deploy: ‘How come thousands […]
Read MoreA life-saving coincidence
Story Glen Sim A broken down aircraft is a frustration for both the pilots and the engineers. Sometimes it is hard to see God’s workings in the breakdowns. Not this time though… There is a lot happening this Wednesday morning. Pilot Martin Koehler is preparing to fly to Malamaunda with Engineer Bert Mostert. Bert is […]
Read MoreAirstrip open again
Rumginae strip was first opened in the 1960s but underwent several closures in subsequent years. Stephen Charlesworth was the first MAF pilot back there in 1999 after one closure. Before it was built, MAF used bases at Tari and Kawito to serve Rumginae. Too dangerous Recently, the Rumginae strip has been closed for over 1¼ […]
Read MoreNumbers That Count
by Paul Beck The barriers to the Gospel in New Guinea are considerable. The mountainous terrain on this island that is politically split between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea make it hard for missionaries to reach isolated people groups. A further challenge is the hundreds of languages that are spoken there, many of which do […]
Read MoreHe’s done it!
At 4:30pm on Saturday, Ron complete his 140th flight. This means he now holds the records for the most flights performed in one day! Of course while that is exciting, what is even more exciting is the way so many people rallied around Ron and sponsored his attempt. We are desperate to send a second […]
Read MoreRon’s record attempt
After months of preparation, the day has finally arrived! Tomorrow morning, at Parkes airport in NSW, 64-year-old Ron Watts will attempt to break the record for the most flights performed in one day. He’s aiming for 140. The reason Ron is doing this is to raise money for a much need second aircraft for Timor-Leste. […]
Read MoreMountain Top Experiences
Story by Angela Harding Angela harding, MAFI’s Legal and Communications Officer recently led two prayer retreats for the women of Mt Hagen, PNG. The first was a one day retreat held on October 3rd specifically for PNG National women that are employees of MAF. The second, held from October 4th- 6th involved 37 women. Of […]
Read MoreVerna Chapman: In God’s care
It is with mixed emotions that we announce that one of the MAF greats, Verna Chapman, passed into the presence of her Lord last Saturday, 10 August 2013. Verna had been suffering declining health, particularly over the last couple of years. Husband Max and one of his daughters (who has been an attending nurse) were […]
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