2016 Annual Report - MAF Intdownload.mafint.org/2016_MAFI_Annual_Report.pdf · 2 MAF nternational Annual Report 2016 MAF KEY FACTS - Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is a global

2016 Annual ReportMission Aviation Fellowship International

2 MAF International Annual Report 2016

MAF KEY FACTS- Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is a global movement founded in 1945 by a group of

Christian Second World War servicemen and women who shared a vision to use aviation to spread the love of God.

- MAF International is the operational wing of the organisation and oversees programmes in Arnhem Land in Australia, Bangladesh, Chad, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Mongolia, Papua New

Guinea, South Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste and Uganda. We are also in the process of establishing a new programme in Myanmar.

- Our Associate Members, MAF Canada and MAF-US, and various MAF Affiliates also run a number of programmes around the globe.

- MAF globally has around 135 aircraft serving in 26 countries.

- MAF aircraft flew more than 8.3 million kilometres in 2016 – more than 207 times around the equator.

- A Mission Aviation Fellowship aircraft takes off or lands every 4 minutes somewhere in the world.

- None of the life changing work we enable would be possible without the dedicated support – people, financial and prayer - provided by our Resourcing Groups based in Australia,

Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, South Africa, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US.

CONTENTSMAF Key Facts 02Message from the Chairman 04Message from the CEO 05Arnhem Land 06Bangladesh 07Chad 08Kenya 09Liberia 10Madagascar 11Mongolia 12Myanmar 13Papua New Guinea 14Technology Services (CRMF) 15South Sudan 16Tanzania 17Timor-Leste 18Uganda 19Flight Training & Engineering 20Our Fleet 21Safety 22Financial Report 23

Annual Report 2016 3

OUR VISIONTO SEE ISOLATED PEOPLE PHYSICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY TRANSFORMED IN

CHRIST’S NAME

OUR PURPOSESHARING GOD’S LOVE THROUGH AVIATION AND TECHNOLOGY

OUR VALUES

ImpactChanging Lives Wherever We Serve

PartnershipTransformation Through Collaboration

WitnessReflecting Christ In All We Do

StewardshipMaking Best Use Of Our Resources

ExcellenceWorking To The Highest Standards

CareNuturing And Respecting Our Staff

61 aircraft686 destinations1,567 organisations served850 medical evacuations526 staff20,910 hours flown75,408 passengers transported4.26 million kilometres flown3 million kilograms of cargo transported

MAF International

by numbers in 2016


IT HAS BEEN

A YEAR OF CHANGE, BUT

ONE THING THAT REMAINS

CONSTANT IS THE LOYAL

SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT

FROM ALL OUR STAFF,

DONORS AND SUPPORTERS ACROSS THE

WORLD

2016 was another busy year for MAF International, as our 14 programmes and 61 aircraft across the world carried over 75,000 passengers and

3 million kg of essential cargo to more than 680 remote destinations.

We are privileged to serve over 1,500 partners and key organisations across the world, from local churches and mission groups to larger humanitarian NGOs – all helping to bring healthcare, education, food and hope to the most isolated communities.

Last year we conducted 850 medical evacuation flights, offering a lifeline to the sick and injured. We flew a team of doctors creating 3D prosthetic limbs for those maimed by war in South Sudan; transported those involved in a piped water project bringing safe water and sanitation to nearly 1 million people in the Pathuakhali district of Bangladesh; and our Technology Services team in PNG ran IT training courses to equip pastors and church workers in PNG with basic computing skills to help them spread the Gospel.

One of the highlights of this year has been how our resourcing groups continue to develop and grow, especially the new Asia groups like Singapore and the Philippines, and the enhanced sense of unity we are seeing. In September at our Global Forum in Finland we saw a strengthening of the covenant between MAF International members, as well as more global collaboration and harmonisation on issues like recruitment and international staff remuneration packages. We also celebrated 40 years of MAF Finland.

During the year the MAF International Board welcomed two new members, Ndaba Mazabane from South Africa and Bill Watson from Canada.

In December our Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Janet Busk stepped down after 10 years in this role. I am so grateful for Janet’s service to the organisation and for her professionalism and support to the Board. It was also pleasing that her Deputy, Anna Beck, was willing to take on the CFO position.

At the end of 2016, MAF International CEO Chris Lukkien announced his decision to leave MAF to return to the Netherlands in May 2017 to become CEO of ZOA, a Christian charity which provides humanitarian relief and recovery in many parts of the world.

Chris made an enormous contribution to MAF during his 20 years of devoted service, firstly in Africa and then in Ashford where he became CEO of MAF International. Chris has been an exemplary leader, helped by his great understanding of MAF, his many qualities and his open and caring style, all grounded in the love of the Lord. He will be greatly missed.

I would like to thank Chris on behalf of the MAF International Board for all he has done over the years. Thanks also to his wife Annet and their three children for their unstinting support. We wish them every success and happiness for the future. (Photo above: John Quin with Annet Lukkien, Chris Lukkien and Stuart King).

Following a successful recruitment process in early 2017, we have appointed Dave Fyock as the new CEO of MAF International. Dave has spent the last twenty five years with MAF-US as a pilot, programme manager, Regional Director, Vice President Resources, CFO and Vice President Operations. He therefore has enormous experience and knowledge of MAF work in helping to reach the most isolated people in the world. Dave will take up the CEO role in September 2017. MAF International Development Director Bill Harding has kindly agreed to become Interim CEO until Dave takes up the position. Bill also has extensive experience of MAF, both in the field and in the most senior executive positions within MAF. We are grateful that Bill will provide continuity during this period of transition.

It has been a year of change, but one thing that remains constant is the loyal support and commitment from all our staff, donors and supporters across the world. I wish to thank them for all that they do to help continue our vision to transform lives wherever we serve.

John QuinChairman

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN


This was a year of transition for MAF International with some pleasing successes as we started to embed our new Strategic Plan, but along

with change, 2016 also brought some significant challenges.

Over the year our teams saw a deterioration in security in several places where we serve, including terrorist incidents in Bangladesh and Chad and we have even had attacks on staff in Papua New Guinea and South Sudan. In July we were forced to temporarily evacuate staff from our South Sudan programme following renewed fighting in the country. Due to the dedication of our South Sudan staff, alongside colleagues from our Uganda and Kenya programmes and the MAF Disaster Response team, we were able to mobilise a co-ordinated effort to help evacuate many other partners from South Sudan as well as fly resources in to those who remained.

Recruitment generally remains one of the toughest challenges for us, and despite all the effort we have put into it, the number of new international staff joining to serve in programmes dropped in 2016. Fortunately, fewer people left our programmes this year, meaning that we still saw a net increase to staffing levels. 2017 already looks a lot more promising with several key programme leadership roles filled and a steady pipeline of pilots, as well as the appointment of a new CEO. One of our themes of strategic change is to become ‘more international’ and as the result of promotional efforts in Singapore and India, there were 6 Asian staff in international roles by the end of 2016.

Like many global organisations, the financial implications of Brexit have created a substantial challenge for MAF International – especially the devaluation of both the British pound and the Euro. We have already adopted a fiscally cautious approach to spending and revised our 2017 budgets and forecasts accordingly.

On a more positive note, our Liberia programme grew last year, with increasing demand from customers who are seeing the benefits of our service; we continue to make progress in Myanmar, especially in the area of airstrip development; and we celebrated 50 years of serving in Chad. Safety statistics again showed a healthy trend, with no accidents in 2016. In fact, the key performance indicators of safety were the best we have had. We also celebrated the launch of the new Regular Public Transport service in Arnhem Land in November, after 5 years of complex negotiations and documentation, and it is already proving a great benefit to local Yolŋu people.

We have been blessed with the provision of funding for key projects and assets this year, including several aircraft - a C182SMA for Madagascar, a C208 for PNG and a C172 for the Mareeba training centre, and we undertook the refurbishment of the second Twin Otter in PNG. We completed a staff housing project in Juba, South Sudan, a national staff housing project in Wewak, PNG, avionics upgrades on a number of aircraft and implemented several solar power projects. We are very grateful to all of the resourcing groups for the contribution they make to the ministry of MAF and we give thanks especially to MAF UK, MAF Netherlands, MAF Switzerland, MAF Germany and MAF Norway for the funding of these projects.

Every few minutes somewhere in the world a MAF aircraft is taking off or landing – and I know how valued these flights are to our customers, partners and the isolated people we serve. Our circumstances, challenges and strategies may change from year to year as we seek to use aviation and technology to share God’s love, but He does not and His love and provision for us and the isolated people we serve is unchanged.

NEW CEO - DAVE FYOCK

WE WERE ABLE TO MOBILISE A CO-ORDINATED EFFORT TO HELP EVACUATE MANY OTHER PARTNERS FROM SOUTH SUDAN AS WELL AS FLY RESOURCES IN TO THOSE WHO REMAINED

Bill HardingInterim CEO

In April 2017, the MAF International Board announced the appointment of Dave Fyock as the new CEO of MAF International.

Dave has spent the last twenty five years serving with MAF-US. He joined in 1992 as a Pilot and Mechanic and has served as programme manager in Albania, Latin America Regional Director and finally as Vice President of Operations based in Nampa, USA where he oversaw Field Operations, Aviation Resources, Technical Resources, Safety and Quality, and Special Projects.

Dave’s wife Hilda worked for MAF-US as the Corporate Training Manager and they have two adult sons, Sean (22) and Micah (18).

On his appointment, he said: “I am honoured to have been chosen to lead MAF International. I absolutely love the ministry of MAF. Our use of aviation and technology provides us with an incredible platform for ministry and uniquely positions us for gospel influence. Our vision to see the most remote and most needy communities transformed, I believe, aligns fully with God’s heart.”

MAF INTERNATIONAL TO WELCOME NEW CEO IN 2017

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO


MAF in Arnhem Land Statistics for 2016

13 aircraft

52 destinations

76 organisations flown

37 staff (5 national, 32 international)

5,187 hours flown

19,029 passengers transported

893,707 km flown

5,360 kg of cargo transported

2 medical evacuations

THE SINGLE BEST THING

THAT MAF COULD DO FOR ARNHEM LAND IS TO LAUNCH THE REGULAR

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

SERVICE

Yolŋu elder

MAF IN ACTION• MAF has been serving in Arnhem

Land in the Northern Territory of Australia for over 43 years – providing a vital bridge for the many remote indigenous communities. The highlight of 2016 happened in November when, after several years of planning and preparations, we were able to launch our new Regular Public Transport service in Arnhem Land. The new service means passengers can purchase a seat rather than having to charter the aircraft which makes it much more affordable and will give the Yolŋu greater opportunities to move around Arnhem Land in smaller groups, making air travel accessible to many more people.

• Another exciting moment this year was welcoming a new larger aircraft to the Arnhem Land fleet - VH-MEP – a Cessna Caravan which can carry 10 passengers or 900 kg of freight. The Yolŋu people call the plane the ‘Yindi’ aircraft – which translates as “the big one”. It’s first commercial flight in Arnhem Land was on 30 April to fly eight church people from the Northern Regional Council of Congress Congregation from Elcho Island to Jabiru so they could attend the annual indigenous Christian Convention at Katherine.

• MAF is often called on to fly groups of children to participate in sports carnivals. In June we flew 27 children in three flight loads from Gove to Elcho Island to take part in the carnival, returning them a few days later tired, yet happy.

• The same month one of our aircraft became Noah’s Ark for the day as we received a request to transport a family and their unusual collection of animals from Darwin to Elcho Island. Our precious cargo that day included 7 python snakes, two dogs, 1 bearded dragon, 1 shingleback lizard, 1 goanna, 1 galah, 1 baby saltwater crocodile plus the owners and their belongings.

• In September, we flew a plane load of banana suckers to start a new plantation at Gäwa Island. Several years ago this community was hit by a cyclone and their banana plantation was wiped out. These new suckers will give them the opportunity to start again and grow food within the community.

• A key aspect of our work is flying for health, transporting patients from remote communities into Gove to visit the main hospital. In just one day they can see the doctor, receive treatment, pick up medicine and then be returned home.

• This year the MAF Arnhem Land team welcomed two new staff members - Jamie Wanambi and James Marawilli (see photo left) – both local men who come from the Aboriginal homelands of Yilpara and Barratjpi. Jamie works in the Building and Maintenance team and has been very busy helping to make sure the MAF buildings are safe and liveable. James joined MAF in February and currently works in the bookings office arranging flights and dealing with our Yolŋu customers in their local language.

ARNHEM LAND


MAF in Bangladesh Statistics for 2016

1 aircraft

55 destinations



381 hours flown


83,305 km flown

723 kg of cargo transported

1 medical evacuation

MAF’S HIGHLY PROFICIENT

SERVICE, EXCELLENT CARE

AND SAFETY GIVES US PEACE

OF MIND

Mr Md Abul Fazal BBC Media Action

MAF IN ACTION• MAF has had a long and fruitful

partnership with Friendship floating hospitals. In March we flew a team of HumaniTerra surgeons and medical staff to the ships to carry out 237 life-changing surgeries and 158 medical procedures for patients who would not normally have access to medical care. Rifu was one of the patients they successfully treated (see photo right). At the age of two, she burnt her hand on the family’s mud stove. The level of care which the family could afford at the local hospital was not sufficient and gradually Rifu’s right hand contracted along her wrist towards her elbow. Emotionally bullied at school, she faced a lifetime of physical disability, until the HumaniTerra doctors were able to operate on her right hand.

• In January MAF flew members of the Bangladeshi men and women’s cricket teams to the remote southern district of Satkhira through an initiative arranged by BBC Media Action. Using various communication and media platforms, BBC Media Action seeks to provide interesting material to educate and inform the Bangladeshi people to help reduce poverty. The cricketers participated in a special episode of Amrai Pari (‘Together We Can Do It’), a TV series helping communities adapt to extreme weather. The group were surprised by the desperate living conditions in Satkhira. “I’ve heard about these things, but this is the first time I’ve seen it with my very own eyes,” Men’s Captain, Mashrafe Mortaza, told reporters

as he picked up some bamboo and started to help members of the community build a bridge to ensure that local children can still get to school during floods.

• In November 2016 we launched our Northern Shuttle Service, flying to several locations along the Jamuna River. Terre des Hommes (TdH) was one of the first organisations to use the new service and flew to Kurigram, where they have set up specialised nutrition units to tackle severe malnutrition which affects 20% of children living in the area. Children are given a special feeding plan to enable them to gain weight in a couple of weeks; and mothers are taught about hygiene, cooking, and nutrition, to help them ensure their children do not become malnourished again.

• Currently just 40% of rural households in Bangladesh have access to grid electricity, and even those who do have access suffer frequent and prolonged power cuts due to lack of supply. On Monpura Island in southern Bangladesh the World Bank are boosting local power supplies as part of the agency’s Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Development (RERED) project. Flying with MAF to Monpura saves the World Bank enormous amounts of staff time, which would otherwise be spent on exhausting overland car and ferry journeys. This enables the agency to work much faster towards its goal of providing electricity to 2.5 million people in rural Bangladesh through solar power.

BANGLADESH


MAF in Chad Statistics for 2016

2 aircraft

33 destinations



549 hours flown

814 passengers transported

127,736 km flown



IT IS SUCH A REASSURANCE TO KNOW THAT MAF WILL NOW BE AN

OPTION FOR ME IN CASE OF A MEDICAL

EMERGENCY. THIS PLACE IS REALLY

SO FAR AWAY FROM EVERYTHING

Johannes Bocher Mission Evangelique au Tchad

MAF IN ACTION• In 2016 MAF celebrated 50 years

since we started serving in Chad. We launched our service in 1966 and we are needed by our partners as much today as then, as they try to access remote communities across a very hostile terrain.

• The importance of these long term partnerships was demonstrated in June when MAF was able to re-open Gogmi airstrip in the remote east to support the work of Johannes Bocher, a German missionary working with Mission Evangelique au Tchad. Gogmi is one of several airstrips that MAF opened in 1967 to support the work of several mission agencies working in the area at the time. Over the years this airstrip fell into a serious state of disrepair and MAF stopped flying there in 1983. Over the last two years, Johannes and the people of Gogmi have been working hard to re-open this airstrip, motivated by the issues the lack of an airstrip has caused, including poor access to medical care. Only a few weeks after the re-opening of the airstrip, MAF arranged to fly in a medical team from Bebalam Hospital, run by the Africa Inland Mission, on a medical safari. This meant that after many years the people of Gogmi did not have to endure the long and treacherous journey to the nearest medical centre. For two days people came in from all corners of the area to receive medical treatment. Their local clinic was also re-stocked with some vital medicines.

• In April we flew Dr Mark Hotchkin and his wife Dr Andrea Hotchkin from the Baptist Mission Society to Bardai, in the north of Chad, to explore the possibility of relocating to these remote northern communities to help provide urgently needed medical services. During this visit, the Hotchkins were able to see the brand new hospital that was built four years ago but has been sitting empty because there are no doctors willing to be based there.

• MAF provides regular flights to the pastors of the ENTENTE Eglise Mission Evangelique au Chad. They have been organising workshops to bring Muslim, Catholic and Evangelical communities together to discuss differences and similarities in perspectives, strategies for non-violent conflict management, and mediation techniques. These workshops are specifically designed to attract high level government and community representatives, religious leaders, women and young people. In January we took Pastor Potifar, the head of the ENTENTE and Djidda Mahamat, one of the senior Imams from N’Djamena, to one of these workshops held in Am Timan in the east of Chad. The ENTENTE interfaith conflict management workshops have been credited with promoting peace among the communities they are working with and there is now a growing demand to expand these workshops throughout the country.

CHAD


MAF in Kenya Statistics for 2016

3 aircraft

67 destinations



1,261 hours flown


306,441 km flown



WE LIVE IN A REMOTE AREA WITH POOR

MEDICAL AND OTHER RESOURCES, AS

WELL AS INSECURITY. MAF HAS BEEN THAT

BACKGROUND PARTNER, GIVING US PEACE

OF MIND IN CASE OF EMERGENCY AND

ENABLING OUR MANY VISITORS TO REACH OR LEAVE US QUICKLY AND

COMFORTABLY

Rob Martin Bishop

MAF IN ACTION• On 10 March we officially opened

our new MAF Kenya base at Loglogo, just south of Marsabit in the north of Kenya (see photo above).

• In April, we flew a number of visitors to celebrate the retirement of the Bishop of Marsabit, Rob Martin, and the enthronement of his successor, Qampicha Daniel Wario at the Anglican Church of Kenya in Marsabit. The vast Marsabit Diocese is home to eight distinct tribal and language groups, plagued by inter-tribal conflict and Bishop Qampicha will be engaged in significant peace and reconciliation work as part of his role.

• Another organisation we flew to Marsabit was GOAL Kenya. GOAL works with communities to address issues of child protection and empowerment and is part of a project aimed at addressing all sorts of violence against children. Engaging young people through football matches is one of its key strategies in reaching out to all community groups, including parents and community elders, to tackle this problem. Working with the Marsabit County Sports Department, GOAL organised a three day football tournament, attended by 320 young people, in a commitment to end child violence and to learn how to resolve conflict peacefully through team work.

• Sustainable renewable energy is hugely important to the remote communities we serve. One of our partners, DREAM, (Developing Renewable Energy in Africa and Middle East) took MAF flights to Marsabit where they are developing a wind project and off-grid solar projects for remote communities that would not typically be part of the Kenya Power Grid Network.

• In October we flew to Migori in the far southwest of Kenya to support a team from Oasis for Orphans who were visiting their three children’s homes where they work to prevent vulnerable orphaned Kenyan children ending up in slums. The centres provide a place of safety and security for the children, where they can not only live and eat, and but also develop socially and have the opportunity to attend school, something they could not afford to do if trying to fend for themselves.

• In December we transported a delegation for the Shalom Center for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation (SCCRR) which is serving communities around Tuum, in Samburu County, north Kenya. Due to the persistent conflict between the Samburu and Turkana communities, many people have died, been injured or displaced. SCCRR is training elders, women and youth from both sides in conflict resolution and reconciliation, to facilitate grassroots peacebuilding. This trip coincided with a face-to-face, trust-building dialogue between villagers from Parkati and Tuum: the first such meeting for three years.

• One of MAF Kenya’s frequent flyers is 7-year-old Samuel (see photo right) who was born with bilateral club foot and has required six medical operations since 2011. His left foot has been corrected and his most recent surgery means his right foot is well on the way to being straightened. MAF staff feel blessed to have been part of this journey, flying Samuel from his home in Korr for the surgeries and the many medical check-ups he needs.

KENYA


MAF in Liberia Statistics for 2016

1 aircraft

13 destinations



498 hours flown


119,886 km flown



ROADS ARE NOT WHERE THEY NEED

TO BE. WE’RE NOT CLOSE TO BEING ABLE TO

SUSTAIN OUR OPERATIONS DOWN HERE WITHOUT A

PARTNERSHIP LIKE WE HAVE

WITH MAF

Ian Mountjoy Director of Operations,

Partners in Health

MAF IN ACTION• In early 2016, MAF launched

a weekly shuttle service to destinations in the country’s southeast, turning overland journeys of two days into less than two hours. Following an overwhelming response from aid agencies and mission workers, and with flights being fully booked well in advance of departure, this service has been expanded to three flights each week. An additional shuttle schedule was also established to destinations in Lofa and Nimba Counties, in Liberia’s north and east.

• On 19th March 2016, MAF Liberia celebrated the dedication ceremony of the new Tapeta Airstrip (see photo above of the MAF aircraft landing at the airstrip). The airstrip re-opening after 27 years was exciting news. Thanks to a joint effort between Samaritan’s Purse and MAF the 800-meter long airstrip was recently rehabilitated, restoring an essential connection for the inhabitants of the small town located in Nimba and the rest of the country.

• Innovative Education Liberia (IEL) have flown with MAF frequently over the last year as they roll out their portable “digital classroom” programme bringing an innovative, personalised learning model to Liberian schools that lack electrical power, internet access, qualified teachers, and teaching resources.

• The Danish Refugee Council flew to Lofa County with MAF to carry out workshops as part of their Advancing Adolescent Girls programme which helps to empower young women in Liberia

who are often most vulnerable to human rights violations and gender inequality. Part of the training included Training The Men sessions, working with groups of male leaders from the communities to help them understand the issues and to gain their support to help facilitate change for women.

• We have also been flying the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to the southeast counties of River Gee and Maryland to implement mental health activities. Sarah Nalule Lwanga, the Mental Health and Psychosocial Manager for the IRC said “Although the population has been affected by war and Ebola, there were few mental health interventions done to address the diverse emotional effects from the two traumatic experiences.” The IRC now has a system in place for all 37 health facilities across Maryland and River Gee Counties that includes setting up a reporting system, offering medication to patients and providing counselling and support.

• One of our regular flyers this year has been Sister Wilhelmena (see photo left with MAF’s Emil and Margrit Kundig), who works primarily as a nurse and social worker at St Francis Clinic, Pleebo, in the far southeast of the country. She started the programme, Peoples Initiative Against Poverty, combining agriculture with education to help reduce poverty. Twenty five to thirty young people, some street children, come regularly to learn how to cultivate crops. Of MAF she said: “MAF’s presence in Liberia has brought great relief. We are very, very grateful.”

LIBERIA


MAF in Madagascar Statistics for 2016

3 aircraft

52 destinations



988 hours flown


224,129 km flown



THE WEATHER WAS SO BAD THAT

IT WAS TAKING 10 DAYS TO GET

FROM MAHANORO TO MAROLAMBO ON THE ROADS - IT WOULD HAVE

COMPLETELY RUINED THE EXPEDITION.

THIS YEAR WE COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT MAF

Hannah Russell University of Manchester

medical research team who MAF assisted with their Bilharzia

research and treatment expedition.

MAF IN ACTION• MAF has been organising Medical

Safaris for almost 10 years and the first one for 2016 was in partnership with South Korean organisation Fainana Be Dia Be (FBDB). In February 2016 we flew the FBDB team to an isolated village called Anjabetrongo where they ministered with mobile medical missions and ministries for children, including performing health check-ups for over 200 children and providing medical care from 640 people from the surrounding villages.

• MAF Madagascar is always excited to support SIL International and Wycliffe Bible Translators in their work to translate and share God’s word. In March we had the privilege of flying all their team members from across the whole of Madagascar, bringing them together for a translation workshop.

• MAF Madagascar doesn’t just fly aircraft, we also have a small team who provide a vehicle maintenance facility for missions and NGOs (see photo right). The extremely poor condition of Madagascar’s roads takes a heavy toll on vehicles and keeping them maintained and repaired can be problematic, both in the capital and remote areas. Two experienced mechanics, René Rasolondramanitra and Hoshea Andrianaivo work on the cars, while Remi Razakaharisoa builds and welds whatever the job requires. Parson Rakotonirina is the Garage Co-ordinator managing the schedule, liaising with customers and tracking down parts. Approximately 30 different organisations and individuals

regularly use the service. Our mechanics go into the field too including a trip to the Good News Hospital in Mandritsara to repair their vehicles and train a mechanic.

• We continued to work closely with Mercy Ships until their departure from Madagascar in mid-2016. In February we flew the Medical Capacity Team to Maintirano, on the west coast of Madagascar, so they could conduct follow up visits at the local hospitals and do some training with the staff and equip them with Lifeboxes. A Lifebox is a pulse oximeter which the hospital staff clip onto a patient’s finger during surgery. The Lifebox raises an alarm if the oxygen level in the patient’s blood drops, warning the doctors that they need to take action before it is too late.

• UGBM, the Malagasy fellowship of evangelical students, organised a Bible camp to share the Gospel with young people. The Island of Saint Marie is very difficult to reach other than by plane, but MAF assisted UGBM by providing flights to Saint Marie.

• MAF does regular vaccine deliveries across the island, many of them to isolated areas like Marolambo (see photo top) where, during the rainy season, a trek into this village takes up to 4 days by road. This is a huge problem when it comes to delivering vaccines which can be easily damaged or even destroyed by heat and light so a short MAF flight can make all the difference in making sure that many more people can be vaccinated against preventable illnesses.

MADAGASCAR


MAF in Mongolia Statistics for 2016

1 aircraft

30 destinations



361 hours flown


96,221 km flown



I JUST WANT TO SAY A SINCERE

THANK YOU TO YOU ALL AT MAF.

YOU’RE GIVING THESE CHILDREN

A CHANCE AT A MUCH BETTER LIFE

Timothy Daniell Orphans Promise

MAF IN ACTION• In Mongolia MAF operates as Blue

Sky Aviation (BSA) (see team photo above). This year the team welcomed back pilot Roy Rissanen whose flying skills and knowledge of Mongolia are much appreciated by everyone.

• Early in the year pilot and Country Director Dallas Derksen flew a team from Samaritan’s Purse along with people from a local church in Ulaanbaatar to do an Operation Christmas Child shoebox delivery. After a time of singing and a gospel presentation, each child received their shoebox and much joy was had opening them to reveal the gifts lovingly sent from all over the world (see photo left).

• This year Blue Sky Aviation started offering a regular flight to the small town of Totsontsengel, located about 2 ½ hours flying time west of Ulaanbaatar. This small, isolated town is not served by any other air operator. To make this journey by land is time-consuming and a very hard drive for both people and vehicles to make. On one trip in July we picked up 4 medical patients who needed urgent treatment only available in the capital. One was an older woman who had difficulty moving, one was a small child who had suffered severe burns over much of his body and two other infant children who were on oxygen.

• In May we spent 5 days flying a team from the American charity Nurses Heart to Heart (NHTH), an organisation that enables nurses to volunteer their time and talents to teach basic and advanced life-saving skills, including CPR, to their fellow nurses in developing countries.

Stops over the week included the town of Dalanzadgad, located in the south Gobi desert and the small community of Arvaikheer in the west. Before the team left each province, the NHTH team donated several CPR mannequins and a few other basic medical supplies to each hospital to enable the local medical teams to practise their skills and to teach others these skills as well, potentially saving many Mongolian lives in the future.

• One of our regular partners in Mongolia is Reaching the Light (RTL), a developmental centre based in Ulaanbaatar, which provides therapy services for children with special needs and parent training for their families. In April we flew a team of medical workers to Mandalgovi in the south to spend a day assessing children. So valued is the service RTL offers that some parents had brought their children from up to 200 km across the Gobi desert. By the end of the day, RTL had assessed 80 children and given some basic medical advice to parents, as well as identifying around 10 children for further intense two-week treatment.

• One of our main services in Mongolia is flying medical evacuations for those in need of emergency medical treatment. In mid-November we carried out a medevac from Baruun-Urt in the southeast part of Mongolia. The patient was in a coma, stable for air transport but too fragile for 12 hours of ground transport. Despite severe weather conditions, including high winds and snowfall, we were finally able to make the two hour flight to Ulaanbaatar where he was able to receive further medical care.

MONGOLIA


MAF in Myanmar Statistics for 2016

0 aircraft

0 destinations



0 hours flown


0 km flown



THE LAILENPI RUNWAY WILL BE A NEW

AIRFIELD PROJECT. BY CONSTRUCTING AN

AIRFIELD IN THIS AREA, AIRPLANES COULD LAND

AND THAT WILL HELP IMPROVE THE EDUCATION,

HEALTH AND ECONOMY OF THIS COMMUNITY

U Kyaw Soe Department of Civil Aviation Myanmar

MAF IN ACTION• The MAF team in Myanmar

continues to focus its efforts on building relationships with the new government, especially looking at airstrip development opportunities where MAF can work together with the government and local communities to open up remote areas.

• In late February 2016, MAF Myanmar Country Director Chad Tilley led a team on a road trip to Chin State in Myanmar to assess several open and closed airstrips. The survey team was comprised of American Civil Engineer Bryce Unger, Deeram Khong (MAF Myanmar’s only national staff member) and four Singaporean technical specialists (see photo bottom right).

• The team also undertook a detailed feasibility assessment for building a new airstrip at Lailenpi, deep in the mountains. Four hills would need to be levelled to make a 1,000 metre airstrip in the mountainous area but would offer huge benefits to this isolated community. The roads in Chin State are often narrow with steep drops to the valley below, and frequently become impassable or too dangerous during the monsoon season, leaving villages in the mountains cut off. In 6 days of driving, the team travelled an average of 10 hours each day, often with speeds between from 8 to 13 miles per hour.

• Lailenpi is a Christian community where NGO Health and Hope, led by Dr Sasa, is based. Their vision is to bring primary healthcare, education, hope and development to the poorest people in and around Chin State through community engagement and

empowerment. Since 2009, they have trained 834 Community Health Workers from 551 villages serving a population of over 120,000 villagers as well as training 93 Traditional Birth Attendants. They have supported villagers to build 19 Community Health and Education Centres across the region. They also run an educational scholarship programme to support the next generation of leaders in Chin State, with their first medical doctor graduating in 2016. Dr Sasa and the Health and Hope team are excited about the prospect of an airstrip in Lailenpi and are actively partnering with MAF to make this dream a reality.

• A year after the MAF team’s first visit, the Vice President of Myanmar, U Henry Van Thio, visited Lailenpi (see photo top of Chad Tilley meeting the Vice President), and authorised development of an airstrip there by MAF, in partnership with Health and Hope. If this development project is successful we hope that this will lead to MAF starting a flight operation in Myanmar. It was a highly significant occasion for the community of Lailenpi, as no one from the presidency had ever visited before. The government committed over $1million in support of the town infrastructure. This will include building of a hospital, community centre, roads and a generator.

• MAF has identified Captain Tin Maung Aye, a respected aviation expert in Myanmar, as a potential Operations Director and Senior Government Liaison to lead MAF in building relationships and trust within the country and help to manage any national partnerships that are developed.

MYANMAR


MAF in Papua New Guinea Statistics for 2016

13 aircraft

212 destinations



5,254 hours flown


977,286 km flown

2,729,112 kg of cargo transported


THE LAST TIME WE SHOWED

THE ‘JESUS’ FILM A MAN CAME

UP TO ME AND SAID, ‘MY FATHER TOLD ME ABOUT JESUS, BUT NOW

I UNDERSTAND’

Paul Woodington MAF Pilot

MAF IN ACTION• After seven years without a pilot

being permanently based at Madang, the start of 2016 saw MAF pilot Remi van Wermeskerken and his wife Tjandra take on the role there to serve the communities in the Finisterre Mountain area with a MAF aircraft. The headmaster of the local school keeps telling Remi what a blessing it is to have a plane based in Madang again. The school in Nankina really depends on MAF to get their teachers and supplies to the village as there are no roads anywhere in this area. Remi was also able to carry out a life-changing medical evacuation for a young woman, Lona Isikel who was brought to Nankina on a homemade stretcher by a group of villagers. She had broken her leg four months previously after slipping over while walking 15km down a mountain on her daily trip to fetch drinking water for her village. She was in enormous pain but there was no way for her to get medical treatment until the MAF plane came. Remi was able to fly her to a hospital in Madang to receive the urgent treatment she needed to help her walk again.

• During the year, Jeff Baloiloi (see photo above), has been undergoing an intensive pilot training programme as the first PNG national staff member to be part of the MAF International Internship Training scheme. The scheme was set up so we can grow and develop the next generation of MAF pilots and engineers from within the countries where we serve.

Jeff hopes to complete his training in 2017 and said of his experience getting to this point: “It has been a very challenging 16 year journey for me to get to where I am now. As a pioneer, I am happy to see the programme take shape. I am glad to be at the final stages now, and I hope to see more national pilots join after I am done.”

• This year we had the privilege of being part of the opening of a new airstrip at Gebrau, a village nestled at 6,600 feet in the Highlands. The airstrip will give the community access to healthcare and education as well as enabling them to more easily sell their coffee crops as they will no longer need to carry their 50kg coffee bags over mountains to a neighbouring airstrip.

• In November, one of our large Twin Otter aircraft was loaded up with 1.5 tonnes of plywood and glass louvers and flown to Wopasali Primary School, located in the Erave River gorge, to enable them to build a new double classroom.

• In October, Wewak-based MAF Pilot Paul Woodington (see photo left) set off on an outreach weekend in partnership with the Christian Brethren Church and missionary Graham Erb to the western Sepik region, where they showed the ‘Jesus’ film to the 780 people in the small village of Wulukum. This was the first time the film had been shown in the area for over 30 years.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA



2,564 radio comms

53 medevacs arranged

6,201 bibles distributed

916 audio bibles distributed

Technology Services (CRMF) Statistics for 2016

I LOVED THIS TWO-WEEK

COURSE BECAUSE IT HAS LIT UP MY

EYES! I THANK GOD FOR CRMF AND

MAF FOR MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR US

TO ATTEND SUCH TRAININGS

Pastor Alois after attending a Basic Computer

Training Course

MAF IN ACTION• 2016 was a year of celebration for

the MAF Technology Services team in PNG, known locally as CRMF – Christian Radio Missionary Fellowship – as they commemorated 60 years of service to the people of Papua New Guinea.

• This year was a record year in many ways and our overall ministry was up in all areas. Highlights for the year were seeing a total of 6,201 Bibles, 916 Audio Bibles, 273 Bible Resource Books, and 145 Jesus Film DVDs distributed via the Bible Box and Bougainville bible distribution projects and training 334 church pastors in basic computer skills. The WIFIBible continued to roll out, with a new major revision developed during the year for release in early 2017.

• The CRMF workshop offers a reliable repair and maintenance service for electronic devices and IT equipment and in 2016 carried out 472 jobs for customers, of which 50% were related to church work.

• This year we also trialled 20 new solar WIFIBible kits for remote areas in PNG where there is no electricity. Tests have shown that the solar WIFIBible kit can run for up to three days before it needs to be charged again.

• The MAF Technology Services team provides Basic Computer Training (BCT) year-round for pastors and church staff around the country with 14 courses held in 2016 (see photos top and right). It’s an intense two-week course where church leaders start with basic skills like how to turn on a computer and use a track-pad,

and progress to using basic Microsoft Office software for creating church leaflets, bookkeeping, and making PowerPoint presentations. They also learn how to use tablet computers and mobile phones for reading the Bible and identify many other ways they can use technology in their churches. Of the course, one pastor said: “Times have changed and people are using technology to move forward. An opportunity such as this comes only once in a while, and we must all attend the BCT!” while another commented: “God has called me to serve Him, and these computer skills will help me.”

• In October, MAF flew David Feka and Joey Redhead from the Technology Services team to Guasa, a remote village in the Eastern Highlands of PNG to undertake an HF radio installation at the local primary school. HF radio, a nearly hundred-year-old technology, is still an essential and life-saving piece of equipment for remote mountain communities in PNG. Despite the rise of mobile phones throughout the country, cellular signals are hard to come by in the Highlands making phones unreliable or entirely useless for reaching someone on the other side of a mountain. The team worked for two days to install the system including many hours on a hot tin roof, blinded by the reflective glare, in order to set up a solar panel and position the tall radio antenna (see photo right). David said: “I love doing this. Once you finish an installation, you hear the first radio call that comes in and see the smiles on people’s faces. They know that they’re connected to the outside world.”

TECHNOLOGY SERVICES (CRMF)


MAF in South Sudan Statistics for 2016

5 aircraft

55 destinations



1,519 hours flown


368,337 km flown



I STARTED FLYING WITH MAF MORE

THAN 30 YEARS AGO, AND WHEN

I’M WITH MAF I FEEL THAT I’M

SAFE. THANK YOU SO MUCH - YOUR

SERVICE IS THE ONE BRINGING PEACE

FOR THE SUFFERING PEOPLE OF SOUTH

SUDAN

Bishop Paride Taban Holy Trinity Peace Village in Kuron

MAF IN ACTION• On 8th July renewed fighting

broke out in Juba and subsequently spread around the country. Following established protocols, MAF reluctantly decided to evacuate our international staff from Juba to Kenya temporarily. We were flooded with requests from our partners and customers in South Sudan for flights to evacuate staff. To help co-ordinate the evacuation efforts, teams from MAF Kenya, MAF Uganda and MAF South Sudan worked together with AIM Air and Samaritan’s Purse to meet the needs, basing aircraft and pilots near the South Sudan border in either Lokichogio, Kenya or Arua, Uganda to be on hand when they were needed. Within a short time the co-ordinated MAF effort had flown over 20 flights and evacuated 187 people from a number of NGOs and partner organisations. Many of our partners remained in country or quickly resumed operations once calm was re-established, and our priority then was to fly the urgently needed cargo to support their field operations, many of which were running dangerously low on supplies. This included flying 4 tonnes of freight to Motot for Tearfund’s nutrition programme for pregnant and lactating mothers and children fighting acute malnutrition.

• In January MAF was called to carry out a medical evacuation flight for two young brothers, Alkheer and Alfathi Nabil, who had been seriously injured when their mud hut had been set on fire. Their mother had died in the fire and the boys were suffering from such severe burns that they needed to

be taken from Kajo Keji to Juba for further hospital treatment. Pilot Chris Ball checked in on them a few weeks later and both boys were making good progress and their injuries were healing well.

• When the Across team asked us to help them distribute 1,332 brand new Zande Bibles, we were more than happy to help. We loaded up 1,000kg of the Bibles from their base at Yei and, over the coming weeks, every time we had some spare room on a flight to a Zande-speaking community we took some of the Bibles along. Our team in Juba were also pleased to be able to distribute some to the local churches in the city too.

• Following a large scale outbreak of measles in Aweil, MAF flew life-saving vaccines to support an emergency measles vaccination campaign run by Medair which saw them vaccinate 49,483 children and prevent many deaths. The same month we also flew a plane load of bicycles – 14 in total – to Leer for Medair (see photo top). The bicycles will be used by their local nutrition assistants so they can be more flexible and cover a greater geographical area to do home visits, especially to follow up on children who are not gaining weight or families who need extra support.

• In December we flew Mick Ebeling from Not Impossible Labs to Yida so they could continue their project printing 3D prosthetic limbs for those that have lost limbs through conflict (see photo left).

SOUTH SUDAN


MAF in Tanzania Statistics for 2016

3 aircraft

51 destinations



347 hours flown


64,805 km flown



WE DIDN’T HAVE A CLINIC FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN, BUT WHEN MAF STARTED

THIS MINISTRY THERE WERE MANY, MANY

CHANGES IN THIS AREA FOR ALL THE PEOPLE.

NOW WE HAVE IMPROVEMENT IN

OUR HEALTH. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE,

LET THIS SERVICE CONTINUE, BECAUSE

THERE ISN’T ANY PLACE WHERE

WE CAN GET TO THAT CLINIC EASIER!

Velonika Chidudu Village

MAF IN ACTION• MAF believes that everybody

deserves access to basic healthcare. In May we flew a local hospital medical team from Katahe to a clinic in the isolated village of Lesirwai, to enable isolated people to receive live-saving healthcare services. Nurses and doctors treated babies and mothers suffering from cholera, provided health consultations and taught patients about cholera and malaria prevention, the most common diseases in the area. The nurses also gave vaccines against other diseases. In addition to the treatment and health education provided, an evangelist was preaching before the clinic opened and shared the message of God’s love with the patients.

• Also in May MAF Tanzania facilitated an outreach trip to Malambo, North Masaailand in partnership with a Masaai Bible School. Normally MAF provides a shuttle service where we pick up and drop off Masaai evangelists from the Bible School to spend a night or two in remote Masaai villages around Lake Natron and the mountainous area bordering the Serengeti. This trip, however, turned out to be far from normal as pilot Kirstein Combrink ended up flying three medical evacuations. The first was a girl in Ole Milei who was in labour and experiencing complications. In a short time she was collected and flown to Loliondo where she could receive hospital care: an hour that possibly meant the difference between life and death for that young mother and her unborn child. Sadly the second

medical evacuation did not have such a happy ending. A young girl experiencing serious pain, probably due to rabies, was brought to the aircraft by her family who wanted us to fly her to the main hospital in Arusha. Despite getting airborne swiftly, the girl died during the journey. This, however, was not the end of the day. After landing back in Malambo, Kirstein was approached to fly a sick boy back to Arusha. The medical evacuation went smoothly and we transferred him safely to the hospital. Unfortunately he passed away a few days later.

• Dabia is an isolated village in the Kilimatinde region of Tanzania, but mobile clinics are really making a difference in this area. The July outreach to Dabia turned out to be a particularly memorable one for Country Director and pilot Jarkko Korhonen. Whilst the medical team were doing their routine baby and prenatal clinic work, a pastor with the Anglican Church in Dodoma baptised six babies. Jarkko had previously led baptism and Holy Communion services in Dabia and had obviously made a very good impression since one of the mothers decided to name her son after Jarkko.

• One of the more unusual experiences for the team happened in March when one of our 206 aircraft was grounded at the Haydom airstrip after a hyena gnawed through part of the aircraft (see photo right).

TANZANIA


MAF in Timor-Leste Statistics for 2016

2 aircraft

9 destinations



536 hours flown


91,309 km flown



A LIFE SAVED IS A LIFE SAVED.

EVERY PATIENT FEELS LIKE A BIG MOMENT, BEING PART OF SAVING SOMEONE’S LIFE

IS SPECIAL IN ITSELF

Daniel Moser MAF Pilot

MAF IN ACTION• On 11 April MAF staff based in

Dili shared a moment of MAF history when they flew a medical evacuation for the 1,000th patient since the programme began in 2007 (see photo top). Over this period, MAF has operated in Timor-Leste in partnership with the Ministry of Health, providing an air ambulance service for critically ill patients. At 9.10am we received a call that a patient in Maliana needed to be transferred to Dili Hospital. In less than 2 hours we had collected the patient, a 75-year-old man suffering from pneumonia and other complications, and brought him safely to Dili for further treatment.

• In September the programme experienced its busiest month ever, completing 31 medical evacuation flights transporting 37 patients.

• This year the MAF Timor-Leste wives co-ordinated a project to create care packages for medevac patients, many of whom arrive without essential supplies for their time in hospital. The packs contain items like toothpaste, soap, nappies and towels, as well as the Gospel of Mark in the local Tetun language.

• In June we flew doctors and medical staff from East Timor Hearts Fund, whose lifesaving work in Timor-Leste over the last 6 years has seen over 30 patients receive heart surgery in Australia, as well as allowing hundreds of patients to be examined by cardiac specialists. During this visit the

team held a clinic in Oecusse where they saw 19 patients, ranging from infants to an 80-year-old man. Several patients were identified for future surgery. Dr Bayley says, “My greatest joy is to see the patients who’ve had the procedures. They are often very ill when I first meet them, with limited life expectancy. To see them well and enjoying life again is a source of huge satisfaction to us all.”

• In July we had the privilege of flying the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, Doctor Rui Maria de Araújo, to Suai so that he could take part in a special cultural ceremony showcasing some of the work Timor Aid has been doing to preserve and promote Timor-Leste’s cultural heritage. The MAF plane was vital to fly the Prime Minister to Suai, which could not be reached by land transportation due to flood damage caused by heavy rains. Later in the day our staff were excited to see the Prime Minister had shared photos of himself in their plane (see photo left) on his Facebook page, commenting on his MAF flight, “It was an exciting experience, and am looking forward to flying with you again sometime in the near future.”

• This year we also flew Esther Anderson who has been researching the ecology of Aedes mosquitoes in Same and experimenting with small scale methods of control. This type of mosquito is in the same family as those which spread Dengue fever and the Zika virus.

TIMOR-LESTE


MAF in Uganda Statistics for 2016

6 aircraft

57 destinations



2,843 hours flown


679,638 km flown



MAF STAFF RELIABILITY AND

PROFESSIONALISM IS INCREDIBLE. FOR

ALL THE TIME WE HAVE BOOKED OR

CHARTERED FLIGHTS WITH MAF, WE HAVE

NOT BEEN LET DOWN. THE MOMENT YOU

BOOK, YOU ARE SURE OF THE MINISTRY

SERVICE

Puis Odepo

ALARM Uganda

MAF IN ACTION• In January, the MAF Uganda team

saw the culmination of a year of dedicated effort to re-open an old airstrip in Adjumani, Northern Uganda (see photo top). The area is home to over 100,000 South Sudanese refugees fleeing conflict in their home country. To support the transport needs of many NGOs and humanitarian organisations working in the refugee camp there, MAF helped rehabilitate the airstrip so we could start a regular flight service. On one of our first flights to the newly-restored strip we took a team from Tutapona (see photo right), an organisation set up to address issues of post-traumatic stress which affect refugees’ long-term mental health.

• When serious fighting flared up in South Sudan in early July, the MAF Uganda team were ready to assist their colleagues in South Sudan and Kenya with any surge capacity needed to meet the requests from many NGOs and mission organisations wishing to leave South Sudan. MAF Uganda positioned two aircraft in Arua, on the Uganda / South Sudan border to respond as quickly as possible to the inevitable flood of requests. Over the coming days, the team flew a number of flights including evacuating groups from Yei and Juba, bringing much relief to those who feared for their safety. Once the fighting had ceased, the Uganda team also worked closely with partners to return them to South Sudan to re-commence their important humanitarian and mission work so urgently needed by the people of South Sudan.

• In September Pilot Greg Vine carried out a medical evacuation flight from Kasese after a 7-month-old baby boy suffered

serious burns when his mosquito net caught fire and the burning plastic net fell on him as he slept. Sadly his older sister died from the burns she sustained. The boy was flown to Kampala for urgent skin grafts and the hospital was able to report the good news that baby Joel was making good progress and the grafts had taken and were healing well.

• For over 10 years we have been partnering with Far Reaching Ministries. This year we flew a number of flights to Nimule for them, including flying Dustin Cummings, a volunteer with their chaplaincy programme. Dustin has been teaching bible studies to the 10th Chaplain class of students as well as ministering to a number of churches.

• One of our regular services is to fly blood to St Kizito Hospital in Matany. The hospital frequently provides blood transfusion services, 1,826 in 2016, from emergency traumas to children suffering from anaemia due to severe malaria, septicaemia, and nutritional deficiencies. With no blood bank in the Karamoja region the hospital depends on the blood supply from the blood bank in Nakasero, Kampala. This poses a serious transportation challenge for the hospital to deliver this life-saving commodity but MAF was happy to help. Over the years we have transported many litres of blood to the hospital which, they have told us, has helped save many lives.

UGANDA


Tucked away on the Tablelands of Far North Queensland, is MAF’s Mareeba Training Centre and Engineering and Maintenance base. The team of 35 staff are vital to our front-line vision of reaching remote and isolated communities, providing a number of key services to our programmes across the globe including training the next generation of MAF pilots and engineers, and carrying out maintenance for 36 of our aircraft based in the Asia Pacific region.

The beginning of 2016 marked a milestone for the MAF Training Centre. Since moving up from Victoria at the beginning of 2015, the staff team spent a lot of time and effort settling in; training new staff as instructors, completing and processing paperwork to establish a training partnership with Aviation Australia, and recruiting students. On 8 February 2016, we welcomed our first two ab initio students from Switzerland (see photo left) to commence the 14 month Commercial Pilot’s License course. This initial course included a cross country training flight to Arnhem Land, described by MAF Training Centre Operations Manager, Thomas Beyeler, as a ‘great experience and something unique we can offer students’.

The Training Centre is able to offer a variety of flight training, including preparing students for different pilot licences and ratings both for private and commercial operations. For more experienced pilots joining MAF, the centre puts them through the MAF Standardisation Course prior to sending them to fly in one of our programmes. In 2016 there were seven Standardisation Courses which trained 17 candidates from eight different nationalities, heading to serve in six different MAF locations.

In addition to this in 2016:• Our instructors (see team photo top

left) trained five overseas students for their Australian CPL conversions and supported the Arnhem Land programme through Instrument Ratings (IR) conversions/refreshers.

• We trained several non-MAF students, between them gaining various qualifications from private pilot licences to instructor rating.

• Instructors flew to Arnhem Land

and Timor-Leste to undertake pilot training and proficiency checks.

• Through a generous donation, the training centre acquired a Cessna 172 aircraft, VH-WMC, which will be a welcome addition to our training fleet.

• The training centre gained approval from the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS), which allows flight training students to access special immigration visas for time training in Australia.

Meanwhile, in the hangar, our dedicated team of engineers (see photos bottom left) have been working hard to ensure our aircraft are in the best condition possible to serve our customers and partners. As well as bringing aircraft to the Mareeba base to undergo heavy maintenance overhauls, our qualified staff regularly travel to field programmes to carry out smaller, regular maintenance checks and repair defects that occur. We also train apprentice engineers in both avionics and mechanical engineering.

Highlights from 2016 include:• 20 different aircraft came through

the hangar, from a small Cessna 172 to a large Twin Otter, to undergo anything from a 50hr check and oil change, to major overhauls and modifications, avionics upgrades and painting in a new livery.

• Major work was completed on VH-MEP, a Cessna Caravan, which was flown from Uganda, having been used in the Kenyan and Tanzanian MAF programmes. This aircraft is now flying in Arnhem Land.

• One brand new Cessna Caravan (P2-MAH), was flown from the US to Mareeba, so it could be modified for service in Papua New Guinea.

• There were 19 engineering trips to support MAF programmes in Timor-Leste, Bangladesh, Arnhem Land, Papua New Guinea and Mongolia, involving 11 engineers. One engineer was involved in the MAF disaster response in Haiti.

• One engineering apprentice completed his programme, gaining a Certificate in Aeroskills and Mechanical Engineering, while another gained his Diploma in Aircraft Engineering.

Wind Beneath Our WingsOur Mareeba-based Flight

Training and Engineering teams play a key role in keeping our pilots and

aircraft in the air

FLIGHT TRAINING & ENGINEERING


Indian pilot, Jacophin Singh completed her CPL conversion at the Training Centre in Mareeba in November 2016. She will be returning in 2017 for her MAF Standardisation Course before serving with MAF in Arnhem Land, a place she had an opportunity to visit during her training.

“God promised He would take me places and in His own time. He has brought me to Mareeba. New place, new people … the support, inspiration and dedication that I received was beyond compare. There was not one day that I felt homesick with all the cheerful people around in MAF. I was taken as their own and the unwavering support and encouragement during my training makes me truly inspired to proudly serve God and MAF. I successfully achieved my license on 10th November and it was a dream come true … My trip to Arnhem Land was exciting and visiting the base and meeting the people from a different culture was a surreal experience … I can’t put into words how happy and proud I am to serve in God’s mission through MAF.”

“GOD PROMISED HE WOULD TAKE ME PLACES AND IN HIS OWN TIME”

JACOPHIN SINGH

4 Cessna 172

4 Cessna 182

9 Cessna 206

5 Cessna 208

13 Cessna 208B

1 Cessna 208 (amphibious)

1 Cessna 210

1 Flight Design MC

20 GA8 Airvan

3 DHC-6-300 Twin Otter

OUR FLEET


SafetyOUR SAFETY

PERFORMANCE IN 2016 WAS

THE BEST EVER. WE BELIEVE

EVERYONE IN OUR ORGANISATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING

WE OPERATE SAFELY SO I WANT

TO GIVE THANKS TO ALL OUR

STAFF WHOSE COMMITMENT

TO OUR SAFETY CULTURE IS

REFLECTED IN

THESE RESULTS

Bill Harding Interim CEO

MAF International

Safety is a key organisational value and it is a vital element of all our functions. A growing culture of safety is fundamental to all our operations and has a positive and direct effect on the overall efficiency and effectiveness of our work. We believe that observing operating standards and procedures, monitoring compliance, and making decisions based on an acceptable level of risk will enhance customer service and organisational safety and effectiveness.

We are proud of our safety culture and we train staff to ensure that operating safely and providing a safe and reliable service for our customers and partners is the number one priority. We also have a Safety Management System (SMS) which encourages reporting of any issues, concerns or incidents so we can learn from them and adjust our processes as necessary.

The 2016 accident rate for MAF International for flight hours is illustrated in the graph below. The numbers are our best ever and show a decrease in the accident rate to 2.39 accidents per 100,000 flight hours.

We continue to see evidence that staff safety reports are the life blood of a healthy SMS. Reporting rates have continued to climb, which is a good thing, so much so that it’s been necessary to revise our target and alert levels. Rates are now at record levels - 43.1 reports per 1,000 flight hours - the highest they have been since the SMS was started. The graph below illustrates how well MAF International did against the Safety Performance Indicator (SPI) targets that were set for 2016.

Security has taken a much higher profile in terms of risks to MAF International and security reporting has become a crucial part of ensuring safety within our programmes. Large scale military events such as the outbreak of fighting in South Sudan and the terrorist attacks in Bangladesh present complex challenges to the organisation but we are confident that the systems we have established will enable us to identify, report and mitigate such hazards into the coming years. The increasing use of better intelligence and thoughtful risk assessments in all areas is providing a basis for good management decision making.

The dedication of all staff providing safe flight operations, ground operations, maintenance and support of all types is commendable and we know how much our strong safety record is valued by our customers and partners as together we reach out to those most in need around the world.

SAFETY

MAF International SMS Annual Report - 2016 Page 8 of 13

3.2. Non-Flight Accidents There were no ‘non-flight’ accidents recorded in 2016 in either region. This is reflected in Figures 14 and 15 below.

4. Occurrence Reports The importance of reporting of events, along with real and potential hazards, cannot be overstated as it is these reports that enable MAF I to respond in a proactive and predictive manner (i.e. determining trends in the overall data). The sections below illustrate how well MAF I is doing against the SPI targets that have been set.

4.1. Frequency of Reports

4.1.1. MAF International Combined – SPI 5

Figure 8 From Figure 8 above, it can be seen that the MAF I combined reporting rate continues to grow. It is now at a record rate (43.1 reports per 1000 flight hours) and the highest it has been since the SMS was started. The overall trend in reporting levels continues to be positive although there may be a ‘levelling off’ in the future.

Each region will be examined separately below so that the Regional Directors can review how well their respective regions are performing. Information is available on a programme level basis so that the Programme Managers, Safety Managers and Quality Managers can also review their overall performance.

1.5

6.0 6.4 7.9 9.3 9.513.3 14.4

18.4

23.8

32.4

38.3

43.1

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Pe

r 10

00

Flig

ht

Ho

urs

MAF International Combined -SPI 5

Target Alert

MAF International Reporting Rates 2016


2.3. Asia Pacific Region In an overview of the Asia Pacific Region, two of the SPIs are within the ‘target’ range with improvements in the rest of the areas (see table below). The accident rates are expected to be within the acceptable range by 2018. The Incident rate remains above the Alert level, but it is gradually improving (SPI 4). However, all the SPI’s have achieved a positive rate this year.

Safety Performance Indicators – Asia Pacific Region

1. Flight accidents per 100,000 flight hours (Target = 2.00 or less; Acceptable = 3.50 or less) 3.86

2. Flight accidents per 100,000 departures (Target = 1.25 or less; Acceptable = 2.00 or less) 2.02

3. Serious incidents expressed as a percentage of all reports (Target = 2.1 or less; Acceptable = 7.0 or less) 0.7

4. Incidents expressed as a percentage of all reports (Target = 5.0 or less; Acceptable = 20.0 or less) 23.0

5. Reports per 1000 flight hours (Target = 20.0+; Acceptable = 10+) 32.1

3. Accident Rates 3.1. Flight Accidents 3.1.1. MAF International Combined Flight Accident Rate – SPI 1 and 2

The combined accident rates (Africa Region and Asia Pacific Region) for flight hours and departures are illustrated in the figures below. The numbers shown for 2016 show a decrease in the accident rate. Both the 2.39 accidents per 100,000 flight hours and the 1.55 accident rate per 100,000 flight departures are the lowest since records began. Next year is expected to show a slight increase in rates because of a downturn in flight hours over the past 8 years as illustrated in Figure 3 below.

Figure 1

4.984.61 4.60

3.50

4.33 4.37 4.42

3.71

2.59 2.742.39

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Pe

r 10

0,0

00

Flig

ht

Ho

urs

MAF International Combined Flight Hours Accident Rate

Alert TargetAcceptable Level











Figure 1

4.984.61 4.60

3.50

4.33 4.37 4.42

3.71

2.59 2.742.39

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Pe

r 10

0,0

00

Flig

ht

Ho

urs


Alert TargetTarget Reporting Rate











Figure 1

4.984.61 4.60

3.50

4.33 4.37 4.42

3.71

2.59 2.742.39

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Pe

r 10

0,0

00

Flig

ht

Ho

urs


Alert Target

MAF International Flight Hours Accident Rate 2016











Figure 1

4.984.61 4.60

3.50

4.33 4.37 4.42

3.71

2.59 2.742.39

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Pe

r 10

0,0

00

Flig

ht

Ho

urs


Alert TargetAcceptable Level











Figure 1

4.984.61 4.60

3.50

4.33 4.37 4.42

3.71

2.59 2.742.39

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Pe

r 10

0,0

00

Flig

ht

Ho

urs


Alert TargetTarget Accident Rate


2016Financial Report

MAF International is funded primarily through our MAF Resourcing Groups from around the world. We deeply value our partnership with them and their supporters’ contribution to the ministry of MAF remains vital.

Type of Income USD

Flying activities 11,450,000

Other mission activities 1,588,000

Donations received 18,394,000

Interest & other income 636,000

TOTAL 32,068,000

Type of Expenditure

Flying & other mission activities 11,331,000

Staff costs 11,958,000

Other field expenses 4,278,000

Support office costs 1,127,000

Grants* 2,294,000

Raising funds 339,000

TOTAL 31,327,000

*To other MAF groups and agencies

Please note: These figures represent the income and expenditure of operational activities within MAF International across Africa and Asia Pacific.

Flying & other mission activities

Other fieldexpenses

Grants*

Support officecosts

Raising funds

Staff costs

36%

14%

7%

4%

1%

Flying activities

Donations received

Interest &other income

Other missionactivities

36%

57% 2%

5%

38%

FINANCIAL REPORT

MISSION AVIATION FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONALMission Aviation Fellowship International is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales

Registered Charity Number: 1058226 Registered Company Number: 3144199Registered Office: Operations Centre, Henwood, Ashford, Kent, TN24 8DH, UK

Cairns Support OfficePO Box 1099

CairnsQueensland 4870

Australia

Ashford Support OfficeOperations CentreHenwood, Ashford

Kent, TN24 8DHUnited Kingdom

Documents

2016 Annual Report - MAF Intdownload.mafint.org/2016_MAFI_Annual_Report.pdf · 2 MAF nternational Annual Report 2016 MAF KEY FACTS - Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is a global