Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) in Papua New Guinea have celebrated the arrival of P2-AFD – a brand-new aircraft donated by AFD! It has been purpose-built to reach PNG’s most remote and isolated communities.
Following initial manufacture in the USA, engineers customised P2-AFD so that it is specially adapted for rugged jungle airstrips. Pilots Dylan and Val Fast then flew the aircraft all the way across the Pacific Ocean for final preparations in Australia.
While there, the aircraft toured various airstrips along Australia’s east coast to raise awareness of MAF’s work, including a feature at the Melbourne Airshow earlier this spring. MAF also took the opportunity to use P2-AFD to deliver refresher training for several pilots before loading it with cargo and equipment for its final journey to Papua New Guinea.
“This aircraft, entrusted to MAF in Papua New Guinea, is not just a machine. It is a lifeline. It is a bridge between isolation and connection. It is a vessel of care and impact,” said Dom Sant, Interim Country Director.
P2-AFD touched down safely at Kagamuga Aerodrome in Papua New Guinea after a 5-hour and 15-minute flight from Cairns, Australia, piloted by Volkher Jacobsen. Kagamuga firefighters honoured its arrival onto PNG soil with a ceremonial water salute – marking its first landing in Mount Hagen.
Once the necessary paperwork was completed, the team gathered in prayer, dedicating the aircraft to God and asking for His protection over all who will fly in it, maintain it, and depend on it.
Every landing strip tells a story, and with this new plane, even more stories of hope, healing, and transformation can be written.
We particularly thank The Postcode People from the Isle of Man for their generosity to donate this aircraft to serve the people of this country. Thank you for journeying with us in bringing help, hope, and healing by air!
P2-AFD had its inaugural operational flight on 4th June where it delivered school supplies to one of PNG’s remote rainforest communities. The aircraft has since been very busy – visiting 22 airstrips is just 3 days! In this time, it has carried 91 passengers, patients, and 4559kg of freight!
Find out more about its first few days in operation here. You can also read about the donation and the journey the plane took to get to PNG here and here.
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