There is an air of excited anticipation so tangible you can almost see it as Matt Monson, our newest pilot, taxis off the runway and into the MAF area. Our entire staff is poised to give Matt a soaking he’ll likely not forget. Matt is none the wiser. Our buckets are filled and carefully positioned […]
MAF pilots are required to regularly inspect the airstrips where we fly to ensure that our standards for runway maintenance are kept appropriately. Last week I went to Ilu to check over the runway. It’s a nice long runway, but it’s perpendicular to the valley, which means there is a tight little turn at about […]
The sunrise was golden. The mountains were beautiful. The plane was cutting smoothly through the crisp air. That’s when my friend, sitting next to me on the small plane, handed me his bag and reached for a sick sack. We were pretty high up, around 8,000 feet, and the small planes MAF flies in Papua […]
This post is part of a series of blog posts describing a training flight that a new MAF staff person tagged along on. These training flights help prepare MAF pilots for their field assignments overseas. Past posts include How To Convince Yourself It’s Safe To Fly, MAF’s Delicious Landing Procedures, and Preparing For Takeoff.
“MAYDAY! MAYDAY! […]
“If a pig walks out on the runway … PORKCHOPS!”
“If a cow walks out on the runway … HAMBURGER!”
Chief Pilot Brian Shepson explained MAF’s landing procedures to a class of new MAF pilots in a way that simultaneously left my palms sweaty and mouth watering. These new pilots would be practicing these procedures on the […]
The pilot’s seat gives great perspective. Even in bad weather, the instruments tell me everything I need to know. Blue, in the round gage directly in front, represents sky; black, the ground; white dividing line, the horizon. So, the center white dot means my nose is below the horizon. The short lines left and right, […]