PNG'S TRUSTED OUTBACK TAXI

 

MAF WILL FLY YOU ANYWHERE IN PNG

Pictures courtesy of MAF PNG

INDAGEN is a small dot on the Morobe provincial map. It is a mountain. On that peak is an airstrip.

Last week, PNG's trusted bush taxi MAF flopped into Indagen.

The co-pilot was Glenys Watson flying with Missionary Aviation Fellowship Operations Manager Brad Venter on a survey trip.

Venter says "Communities are incredibly excited to see the 'meri pilot', in fact at Indagen, she had a major reception and they were all so happy to see her and that gives us a great deal of reassurance that when she starts flying around solo, she'll be fine and that the communities will look after her."

 MAF is as old as some of the airstrips. Since 1951, MAF has pioneered and opened many of this bush flying strips.

To outback Papua New Guineans in some of the most remote harsh settings of the countryside, MAF is their lifeline to the outside world.

In its recently posted update, MAF reported: "Our current status of operations and the progress since we shut down flying in Mar 2020 after our landing incidents. MAF has identified that the condition of airstrips was one of the contributing factors and as you are aware commenced fresh surveys of every airstrip based on ministry effectiveness and needs.

"While the restrictions imposed on domestic travel by the Government due to the global pandemic did affect our operations, we have been engaged in health patrols to remote communities as a part of COVID response and have carried out more than 80 medevacs. Though the international travel restrictions are affecting our training and return of staff, we have been working diligently to be able to return to full-fledged operations in order to serve our remote communities.

"The efforts of our ‘survey teams’ all through the year have resulted in us completing surveys of 136 of the 216 strips we regularly operate to. Planning and executing surveys need coordination between several agencies and we have been affected by weather on several occasions. We are aware of nearly 80 strips and several new airstrips that still need to be surveyed and are consciously working towards the same.

"As per the end of January 2021, we now have exactly 100 airstrips open. Please bear with us as we have to balance the need for more surveys, the training of our pilots and the ongoing high demand of service and medevac flights. MAF is still intent on our mission of reaching isolated communities while at the same time doing this in the safest manner possible!

Airstrips open for MAF operations as per 1 February 2021.

East Sepik (8): Ambunti, Malaumanda, Samban, Tamo, Wewak, Wuvulu, Yagiap, Yambaitok

Eastern Higlands (14): Aiyura, Ande, Aziana, Boikoa, Gema, Goroka, Guwasa, Marawaka, Owena, Simogu, Sindeni, Usarumpia, Wonenara, Wuyabo

Enga (5): Kairik, Kompiam, Maramuni, Pyarulama, Yenkisa

Gulf (3): Kerema, Kikori, Wabo

Hela (2): Tari, Wanakipa

Jiwaka (2): Koinambe, Tsendiap

Madang (4): Madang, Nankina, Simbai, Teptep

Morobe (7): Derim, Finschhafen, Gusap, Nadzap, Sapmanga, Wasu. Yalumet

NCD (1): Port Moresby

West Sepik (18): Angugnak, Buluwo, Edwaki, Eliptamin, Green River, Kwieftim, Lumi, Munbil, Nuku, Oksapmin, Sibilanga, Sisamin, Tadji, Tekin, Telefomin, Tumilbil, Vanimo, Yapsie

Simbu (3): Bomai, Chimbu, Karimui, Manu

Southern Highlands (1): Muluma

Western Province (29): Aiambak, Awaba, Balimo, Bensbach, Daru, Debepari, Dimissisi, Dodomona, Fuma, Hesalibi, Honinabi, Kamusi, Kapal, Kawito, Kiunga, Lake Murray, Morehead, Mougulu, Nomad River, Obo, Rumginae, Sasereme, Suabi, Suki, Tabubil, Tapila, Wawoi Falls, Weam, Wipim

Western Highlands (1): Mount Hagen

Airstrip Surveys in the Finisterre Mountains

Brad Venter is MAF PNG’s Flight Operations Manager and has about 10 years experience flying with MAF in Papua New Guinea:

“We've been doing Morobe Province surveys the last couple of days (Jan 25-29). We did three surveys a couple of days ago and went to Bungawat, Yawan and Tapmange. We also did a resurvey at Sapmanga to check the clearway after the community reported that they had cut them down.

The following day we did surveys in Indagen, Isan and Satwag, we were planning to survey Saidor but it was raining. We are trying to get airstrips surveyed and open in the Morobe Province so that we can start clinic runs in partnership with the Etep Lutheran hospital and also provide service to the people in Morobe Province.

Everywhere we go, the people are very excited to see us. In fact, on one day, we were given 26 cabbages by various communities. We shared them out with the Goroka base staff and the Goroka compound families and all our security guards. Glenys Watson was flying with me. She will be one of our main Morobe Province pilots. Communities are incredibly excited to see the “meri pilot”, in fact at Indagen, she had a major reception and they were all so happy to see her and that gives us a great deal of reassurance that when she starts flying around solo, she'll be fine and that the communities will look after her.

It's been really good for these communities to see us coming back again and that we haven't forgotten about them. We keep telling them we're talking with the Morobe government, and that we are just working on it slowly. We are going to try and get a program going little by little and that, yes, we as MAF are still interested in coming back to the Finisterres.

There is still a lot of work to do because there are many more airstrips to survey. Satwag is the furthest airstrip on the Huon Peninsula that we've been to so far. Beyond that, we have no Caravan experience in that area.

Additional surveys were conducted in the Simbu Province and Southern Highlands. We surveyed Mt Tawa, Appa, Woposali and Aue. These communities had not seen an aircraft in nearly one year. On one day alone, we flew 3 medivacs as there were people in these communities that needed urgent medical attention.”

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