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

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

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