WHEN the Ramsey company AFD Software Ltd reached its 25th birthday, managing director David Dorricott and his wife Alison pondered how to celebrate the occasion.

Black tie dinner perhaps? Champagne reception? No, they decided to buy an aircraft – yet they won’t even fly in it.

GENEROUS GESTURE: David and Alison Dorricott with the aircraft they have paid for to mark AFD Software Ltd’s 25th birthday

The Kodiak 100 – with a breathtaking price tag of £1m – will be given to Mission Aviation Fellowship to deliver life-saving aid and workers to remote parts of the world.

The shiny new aircraft, fresh off the production line at Idaho, has now hopped over the Atlantic and over the weekend it was set to be put on display to the public at Andreas on Saturday and to be dedicated at a service due to be held at Hangar 5, Ronaldsway, on Sunday.

‘It won’t be shiny for long,’ said Hilary Brown, the representative from MAF, adding that the plane is destined for Kalimantan (formerly Borneo) in Indonesia.

She explained: ‘MAF programmes vary with need because of the geographical challenges. This is suited to short stops, which is what they have at Kalimantan. The aircraft there needs to be replaced and this ticked a lot of the boxes.’

The plane’s seats can be removed, making it flexible and suited for many requirements, such as transporting goods, medicines and food and building supplies, as well as carrying local government officers doing air surveys.

This is vital because of the dense rainforest and mountainous terrain, Hilary said, adding of the country: ‘A 10-mile journey in a plane is three or four days’ walk. It is really vast and very varied.’

Being given a plane – meaning MAF now has a fleet of 121 aircraft operating in 30 developing countries – is ‘an answer to a prayer’, she said, adding: ‘We really appreciated David and Alison’s support and they share in the vision to go out to the people who seriously are living in inhospitable conditions. Flying is a lifeline for these people, it surely will be put to good use.’

BORN IN THE USA: The Kodiak 100, fresh off the production line in America

David has supported MAF for 20 years and it is a very appropriate donation to celebrate a milestone for a company whose very foundation is not on making money (any profits go to worth causes), but in promoting Christian ideals. He said the donation of the plane is ‘quite an exciting chance to be involved in taking the Christian gospel with relief to the parts of the world you can not get to’.

The Kodiak, a new aircraft with higher payloads and range that also runs on cheaper and more readily-available Jet A1 fuel, was perfect for MAF’s needs, said David. He said its visit to the Island was a ‘very rare opportunity’ to see such a plane, as usually they roll off the production line and head south – straight to the world’s poorest countries.

MAF’s representative in the Island is Chris Astley, technical operations manager at European Aviation Maintenance, whose hangar will house the Kodiak during its Island stay. He has been involved with MAF since 1992 and he and his family give up their holiday time to travel to areas such as Tanzania and Nairobi where MAF operates.

Chris services the aircraft and his family helps with charitable concerns such as local orphanages.

Chris said he would value the opportunity to study the Kodiak at close hand, particularly its new avionics. He said his personal ambition is to become an engineer for MAF full time.

Hilary said MAF was ‘in awe’ of the generosity shown by David and Alison, and she also paid tribute to Chris, who has given such much of his time to the organisation.She said: ‘MAF is such a team effort – from the pilot, to people praying, to fundraising.’

Providing flights into remote and disaster-stricken parts of the world also allows other charities to function there: ‘MAF enables so many different charities to do what they need to do,’ she said. ‘Without us they would be unable to get where they want to go. Charities simply could not get there where there is the greatest need.’

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