1. Checking out the new GA8 Airvan (P2-MFK)

Last Tuesday we had a few aircraft in for maintenance, a Twin Otter for a C check and a C206 for a 100 hourly. Tuesday was a special day, as we saw the arrival of the new Turbocharged GA8 Airvan. The very first one ever made and was initially designed after MAF’s request and expressed interest (it was the aircraft that was out at Camden airport for joy rides at the MAF open day a few months ago). It has been a long wait, as with any new aircraft type there is a long certification process, so it took a while to get here, but is great to have a new aircraft and we really thank God for His provision.

2. The A check

Also last Tuesday we were informed mid morning that one of our other Twin Otters (MFB) would be coming in for it’s A check (every 125 flying hours). It was not due in until Thursday, but it had a problem required looking at. Normally an A check is scheduled for two days, due to the age of the aircraft. But originally it was planned that we would work all Thursday into the night till midnight to try and get it finished. As we only have three Twin Otters and we would have two on the ground. But it ended up being on the Tuesday at short notice.

3. The two Otters

The aircraft came in before lunch time and we worked on it through the afternoon and into the night. It had been a while since I had done an evening or night shift, brought back a lot of memories of the Qantas days. We had started 0730 that morning and ended up working five hours overtime, finishing at 2130 that night. It was a good achievement to have the aircraft finished that night. The guys living out at the airport stayed till 2230. So it was a long day being a fourteen or fifteen hour shift. Come the next morning before 0700, it was a great sight to see the aircraft being refuelled for its morning run. From what I know MFB served four remote communities that day, having a big impact in their development needs. So as usual things very rarely go to plan, but still work out really well.

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Last weekend over Easter, the MAF Ministry Team (five of us) had the privilege of going out to minister to a village, the first one this year. The village being Kantel, and visiting a CLC (Christian Life Centre) Church. Over the long weekend we ran a program from Friday night to Monday morning, with some of the team staying the whole weekend.

1. Kantel CLC Church

The program involved Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday morning and evening. On Good Friday we were welcomed with a traditional greeting after a time of worship, introduced ourselves, one team member preached and we showed the Passion of the Christ. Saturday night involved the same sort of routine, with MAF awareness presentation, a testimony and talk and showing a DVD called the Lazarus Phenomenon. Sunday morning was a church service and in the evening was HIV AIDS awareness presentation (70-80% of HIV infected people in PNG live in the Western Highlands Province, Mt Hagen’s Province).

2. Some of the Kandel kids

I was able to attend the Friday and Saturday programs and it was quite an amazing time, with a good response from people. The church itself normally only has around 20-30 people, but we were able to pack the building with easily over 100 plus, with people looking on from outside. People came from neighboring villages. What amazed me was how close we were to town, but seeing again how these people live and this is how the majority of people live in PNG. My highlight besides being able to bless these people was seeing the kids. Each day they would wait for our arrival and go crazy. And I would ask why they were so excited to see us and the answer I got was because two of us are white. But what really amazed me, was how happy and content they were. They have very little and know very little of what happens abroad, yet they were so happy and able to keep themselves entertained playing with each other.

3. Timon sharing

In village life, people don’t have much concept of time, so you can tell people in advance the previous night that we will start at 1800. But an hour and a half later no one is really there yet. So in this time we were able to do different things. One of the team members wife taught the children My God is so big amongst other things, so that was really good.

4. Kids learning My God is so Big

Again it was a blessing and a privilege to be able to go out and minister to these people. It is hard to do the work we mainly do and not see the fruit of our labour. So it is great to be able to see, serve and interact with people the way we can with the ministry team.

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1. MFT missing an engine

Last week one of our Twin Otters (MFB) had a metal chip detector warning light come on. This is a little magnet sensor in the engine that picks up any metal wear from any components in the engine oil. Being such a small amount and following the manufacturer’s procedures, it was decided to change the engine until knowing exactly what was causing the problem. But we do not store any spare engines, but fortunately another Twin Otter (MFT) was due in the hanger in two weeks for a C check. So one engine could be transferred from one aircraft to the other and this would keep MFB flying in the mean time.

The last time I worked on Gas Turbine Engines frequently was close to three years ago at Qantas. So I was quite keen to get involved in this process if possible. Friday the previous week, three of us started the process by removing MFB’s R/H engine. The PT6 engine weighs roughly (I am guessing) 200 kg’s, where as an engine on a Boeing aircraft is around 6 Tonne’s. Come Monday saw MFT come in early and we removed it’s L/H engine to be used on MFB. But being a C check we would have to carry out that scheduled maintenance on the engine before it was serviceable for MFB.

2. MFB prior to installation

So throughout the week saw us getting this engine ready for MFB. Carrying out the installation and a lot of work involved for rigging the two engines for it’s operations. Running the engines throughout adjustments. It was a big week with some overtime. MFB had come in the previous Thursday afternoon and last Thursday afternoon it went for it’s test flight to be returned to service. Friday morning the pilot’s took it back out bush for operational flying. It was quite satisfying to see it flying again and was a good learning experience on this engine type.

The previous week when the situation had arisen, oil and metal samples from the engine had been sent away for analysis. Usually they are able to recognise where exactly the metal particles are coming from within the engine. So come Friday afternoon around one o clock, after receiving the analysis we were told of what the plan was for the previous engine off MFB. It was decided that part of the engine will be sent away to Sydney for analysis and testing, known as the Power Section. So me and another Engineer started dismantling this engine, thinking that it will be processed that afternoon for freight and probably leave sometime Monday. But interesting enough a B727 Freighter was in Mt Hagen and flying direct to Brisbane that afternoon/evening (it comes every few months). By 1530 we have the Power Section in it’s shipping container and find out that it might be able to go on this Freighter. When sending anything, especially of this high value there is a lot of paperwork involved, logistics and custom clearance. But in the end it made it on the B727 before 1630 and that evening made it into Brisbane. It was quite a way to finish off the week.

3. Getting familiar with some procedures

There continues to be a lot of work out at the hanger (three engine changes in one week) and including some unscheduled maintenance. There have been so many planes inside and out of the hanger. But it has been a real exciting, tiring, productive and rewarding week.

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