A Sample Feature From Aviation News

MAF’s ultimate amphibian

Finncomm Airlines recently took delivery of the first of a batch of new ATR42 turboprops to modernise its fleet, prompting Eryl Crump to gather up his snowshoes to see what life is like for a small regional operator in the challenging environment of northern Finland.

Above: A typical riverside village in Bangladesh where locals eke out a living in an environment where illness and poverty are close bedfellows. Below: MAF’s newly-arrived amphibious Cessna Caravan which is making a difference by providing transport for those in need of medical treatment. (All photos MAF).

Unique operational environments need unique solutions. In Bangladesh, the use of an amphibious aircraft for humanitarian work is answering such a need.

After just a 30-min inspection for Customs approval and only three hours for final import documentation to be approved, Mission Aviation Fellowship’s (MAF) new amphibious Cessna Caravan, S2-AEC, arrived in Bangladesh in August 2005 to begin work from its base at Dhaka. The smart new aircraft, purchased through generous donations from individuals, churches and charitable trusts, replaces a long-serving but ageing de Havilland Canada Beaver floatplane.

MAF, a Christian-based organisation established just after the Second World War by some former pilots, has been operating in Bangladesh since 1997 and anyone visiting this Asian country soon realises that it is one of the world’s poorest, most densely populated and least developed nations. Development is severely hindered by its geography and climate. With 75% of the total area covered in water and only 12 airstrips, it takes a special type of aircraft to operate there. One third of its 138 million people live below the poverty line, but the countless rivers and the huge Ganges Delta make travelling to receive vital help extremely difficult if not impossible. Water-borne diseases are common, yet medical care and support is limited due to the inaccessibility of many communities. However, with an amphibious aircraft, stretches of water no longer pose a barrier for those in need of help. Landing at over 200 sites, MAF reaches the least accessible areas, bringing life-changing and life-saving support and hope.

The organisation’s rôle in Bangladesh is to show God’s love through providing transport to gain medical assistance by air for the needy and disadvantaged. The Beaver was frequently in need of repairs and out of service so a replacement was clearly required if MAF was to continue its work. The new Caravan was a logical successor with its ability to fly more passengers, carry between 80 and 160% more payload and reach its destination quicker. The organisation already operated 21 Caravans around the world in countries as diverse as Angola, Chad, Mongolia, Sumatra, Brazil, Papua and South Africa, so it was well aware of the capability of the type.

Above: ‘Water water (almost) everywhere…’ seen from the cockpit of the Caravan on a flight along the Ganges river. Pilot Marco Koffeman, seen below in the well-equipped cockpit, is an experienced operator of seaplanes.

For the rest of this feature please see the February 2006 issue.