This video took a few months to put together. It has some of the out takes from the hangar tour video earlier in the year. There was enough to make another video. None of this was scripted or planned, it just happened. I did warn people in advance that there would be a video camera lurking around the hangar, but it didn’t stop people interrupting, being smart or being cheeky.

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Two weeks ago on Saturday was a long awaited day. It would be the day that the Landcruiser would finally get a new clutch. I had first inquired into getting parts back in February and after much wait and persistence seven months later they arrived via a ferry flight from Mareeba. Parts which in Australia you could get same day, if not order and wait a few days.

1. La Bestia getting some attention

So for that Saturday Exodus and I planned on replacing the clutch in the Landcruiser. I was really looking forward to it as I had never done one before. But also the clutch was really worn, and I mean really worn, that it was constantly slipping. So I knew that it would improve driving quite a lot not just in gear changing but also acceleration and drive. But at the same time I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Being a 4WD gearbox and not having sufficient equipment.

I borrowed someone else’s car for the day to drive out to work as I had left the Landcruiser out there on Friday. I picked Exodus up on the way and we got out there around 0800. With the Landcruiser up on the ramps, we started removing the gearbox to get to the clutch. I really don’t enjoy working under low work areas. Put me to work in a fuel tank in a wing any day, but underneath that ramp it’s just too low for me. Just like working underneath the wing of a C206. After hitting my head against the gearbox after cracking some bolts, Exodus didn’t want me to work underneath the car and keep hitting my head. So I started working on the gearbox from up top.

2. Exodus at work

After a while the gearbox was all disconnected, the one thing now was how to separate it from back of the engine. We had no stand or crane that would fit underneath the car. I was really glad to have an ex Toyota mechanic with me, as he knew exactly what he was doing each step of the way with what we had. We used planks of wood with old Twin Otter shock absorbers with bottle jacks to lower the gearbox onto its own support. It took quite a bit of effort to get it separated from the engine and was out after lunch.

3. Gearbox separated and out

In the afternoon, the new clutch went in. At first it had a different pivot bearing, but was only due to fit the new flywheel. At first my heart sank thinking it was the wrong clutch kit. It all went back nicely and smoothly. Then the gearbox had to go back in. I thought the hard part was over, but I was wrong. Fortunately there were a few other guys at work at the time, including Anton the other MAF mechanic. He was able to help us get the gearbox back in and lined up. It took over three hours to get it lined up and back in. Using different blocks of wood and multiple car jacks to get it slowly back into position. The gearbox was very very heavy, it was a struggle for the three of us, but we got it back in.

As the day was coming to an end and the sun starting to set. Everything was being finished being put back together. It had taken more time than I had expected, but knowing it was a big job and things normally breaking making more work I wasn’t surprised and thought we were doing really well. Exodus and myself were still there working in the dark and I had enough. I was still getting over being sick during the week. But he kept going, we got to the point just before 2000 to reverse it off the ramp. The car had no battery power, even though we had started the car to check everything 15 mins prior. The negative battery terminal had cracked itself  and come apart when being put back on, (cheap chinese car part, only three months old). So there was a search through the automotive workshop for an old one. With not much success, I called it quits. After twelve hours we returned home and Exodus was able some how to get from Mt Hagen out to his village that night some distance out of town to spend the rest of the weekend wit his family.

4. The old clutch and new clutch kit

During the week at work, I was able to install a new terminal for the battery. Reversing it off the ramp, the car no longer shatter with the clutch slipping. During a break I took some guys for a test drive around the airport road. The difference was amazing, there was more power and much smoother operation. But the one thing that I had never experience in the car, being able to brake with changing down gear. The car is running the best it has yet. The next project will most likely be the suspension, along with a lot of little things. It was definitely worth all the effort and wait.

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Last month one afternoon, it seemed like a normal afternoon and we were expecting one Twin Otter to drop by to have something looked at. But another Twin Otter pulled up in front of the hangar, MFB our Goroka based Otter. It had been hit by a bullet just before landing at a remote strip. At the time, there was some tribal fighting on the ground. I won’t go into the details of that or what MAF does when there is unrest on the ground. For more details go to the story at MAF’s website.

1. Bravo in for maintenance earlier in the year

When I learnt of it, I was shocked at hearing of it and seeing the damage and also a little annoyed. As from what I know, I could be wrong. It is the first time that a MAF plane had been hit by a bullet in PNG. After a view people had seen it and someone took photos of the damage. We brought the plane into the hangar to start working on it. The bullet had gone through the rear cargo door and exited through the roof. Normally where a cabin attendant would sit, but fortunately there was no one else on board besides the pilots, just cargo. Two guys started on repairing the damage, one on the door and another on the roof. While I started inspecting the damage done and any further damage. Where the bullet had penetrated the roof, it had just missed the elevator and rudder trim cables by not much more than ¼ to ½ an inch. After inspecting the full travel of the cables. I inspected for any further damage around the aircraft and any other bullet holes. Especially as the pilots had not noticed at the time they were hit by a bullet. They had thought the nosie to be a cargo strap breaking. But had only noticed the damage when on the ground after the incident. After a detailed inspection and not finding anything else, it was home time and there was no urgent need for the aircraft.

2. Bullet hole damage at the rear cargo door

We returned the next day to finish the repairs, as the other guys didn’t require any assistance straight away I got to do some cosmetics and patch the interior trim. We finished the repairs and got the aircraft ready for service around lunch time. So repairing the damage was around half a days work. But the two pilots from the previous day had taken another Twin Otter with them. As at the time we had three Otters serviceable but only two crews available to fly them. So we had one serviceable on the ground, if none were in for maintenance or unserviceable. But come that morning MFT would come in with a problem with the left hand engine (the expected Otter the previous day).  So after lunch the crew of MFT were able to return to flying with MFB.

3. The trajectory of the bullet (I have the only evidence left sitting in my toolbox)

It was an interesting experience and a shocking one at the same time. We were very grateful that no one was hurt in the incident and no severe damage done to the aircraft. It was considered a random act of violence during tribal fighting and not targeting MAF. We really thank God for his protection in this incident and a few others on the ground in past weeks. For all of us and myself it was something new, repairing damage done by a bullet.

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For a while now I have struggled to have a good balance with this blog. It was intended to share stories of MAF’s work in PNG, stuff that is happening in PNG, what I get up to and sharing as well. So that there was more information shared than just newsletters. But it has easily become just stuff that I have been up to. It is not easy to share about everything that happens here and what I experience. Especially not to come across negative. The Aussie media does that very well when reporting about PNG. Also the website is very public and time consuming. In my last newsletter someone made the comment, that it sounds like I am having a really good time, although it must be hard at times and I always come across positive all the time.  It is hard at times and I want to try to get back to a good balance and to be more authentic. To start off is a story by a Twin Otter pilot based at Telefomin, Keith Maag. I remember the day they brought the Twin Otter in with engine trouble (which ended up being swapped), but had no idea of their day until reading this story. You can find the story at MAF Australia’s website.

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By Keith Maag – One of those days

Tension, destruction, grief, injury and death – the things a MAF pilot can face…in just one day.

Keith Maag recalls events on a day back in March when he and Chris Bubb flew the Twin Otter out of Telefomin (PNG)…

1. Keith Maag and Chris Bubb Twin Otter pilots based at Telefomin

“Our day started with a flight to the small bush community of Miyanmin, north of Telefomin in the far west of Papua New Guinea.  A few days before, we had flown the coffin of Ray Waniap, our deceased MAF team leader from Goroka, into this community.

We didn’t get a great reception when we delivered the coffin and a number of serious compensation demands were made.  So we were returning to Miyanmin to receive a letter of apology from the community and pick up family members who had attended the funeral. The atmosphere at Miyanmin was rather subdued.

As we prepared to depart, we received a radio message via Rumginae Mission hospital that a badly injured man at a nearby airstrip needed an emergency medical evacuation.  We already had a busy program but rearranged things and flew to Gubil airstrip to collect him.

After loading the man, we started the engines on the Twin Otter and noticed a caution light in the cockpit telling us we had an engine problem. We shut down the aircraft, unloaded all the passengers and contacted MAF engineering staff on the radio.

They advised we could continue flying to drop off our passengers, but would then need to ferry the aircraft to Mount Hagen for maintenance.  We reloaded the passengers and departed for Telefomin.

MAF pilots become fire fighters

On the ground at Telefomin, we noticed smoke coming from the local high school, located on the other side of the airstrip. People started yelling and running as the flames and smoke intensified.  We grabbed a fire extinguisher and first aid kit, jumped into the MAF vehicle and drove to the school.

When we arrived the girls’ dormitory was well alight and nearby buildings were starting to smoulder.  Chris and I joined the local community for the next two hours fighting the fire.  A lot of damage was caused and the dormitory totally destroyed.  Thankfully no one was badly hurt.

Finally, we departed Telefomin and headed for Tabubil. As soon as we shutdown at Tabubil a passenger reported that a baby had just died on board the aircraft.  I got on the radio to organise an ambulance while Chris went back into the cabin to assist.

When I got into the cabin the baby was lifeless, so Chris started CPR while I monitored for pulse and signs of life. The concerned parents looked on with great sadness.  We continued CPR for about 15 minutes until the ambulance arrived and took the baby and family to hospital.

We found out later that attempts by medical staff at Tabubil Hospital to resuscitate the baby had failed. (We flew the tiny body back to Telefomin the next day for burial).

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‘I wondered whether I was meant to be a pilot, diplomat, engineer, ambulance driver, fire fighter or doctor’
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In a rather subdued mood, Chris and I then had to think about a ferry flight to Mt Hagen where our engineers were waiting to look at the engine problem from earlier in the day.  We arrived safely in Mount Hagen tired but with our heads spinning after such an incredible series of events.

Reflecting on the course of the day I wondered whether serving with MAF meant I was a pilot, diplomat, aircraft engineer, ambulance driver, fire-fighter or doctor.  On this day, we needed to be all of the above.

I was close to tears twice. Once at Telefomin when I saw a group of school girls huddling together weeping as they witnessed fire destroy all of their possessions. And second, when I held the dead body of a baby boy in my hands.

As you gather to pray at different times, please remember that your prayers are vital to the work we do in Papua New Guinea.  We need God’s power, grace and love as we seek to serve him in various situations.”

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Mt Hagen Climb

Photos from our Mt Hagen climb the last weekend in June. We camped out on the summit of the mountain and both days had glorious weather, despite freezing up there. The summit is roughly 12,400ft above sea level.

104 Photos

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