Kodiak Will Reach Isolated Riverside Villages In Borneo

By Grace Huseth

Mission Aviation Fellowship is displaying its new Kodiak at EAA AirVenture 2015. The Amphibious aircraft uses Aerocet floats to serve people who live in remote areas.

MAF, a global family of missionaries and volunteers in 31 countries, uses aviation as a tool to support life-saving work. Thanks to the Kodiak, missionaries, medical teams, relief workers, and Bible translators can reach hidden communities.
 
The Kodiak will replace a 53 year old Cessna 185 with floats. This will not only help the teams land in water, but be more fuel efficient. The Kodiak will burn more readily available jet fuel, while the Cessna 185 burned avgas, an expensive and rare commodity in Indonesia. More importantly, the floatplane can carry twice as many supplies.

Aerocet required many FAA processes to certify the floats because it was the first Kodiak with these floats. After long months of engineering, developments and testing it was certified just in time for Sun ‘N Fun. While the flight testing is complete, there are still structural tests and engineering reports to be finalized.

The Kodiak will benefit missionaries Dave Rask and his wife Crissie who have served in Indonesia for 16 years. They have helped support national church development, medical work, Bible translation and community building. 

Crissie helps recruit teachers so missionary children can interact with people from their home culture while having a teacher that makes a classroom out of their new cultural environment. Teaming with the locals in education is one of the best ways to build friendships.
“The commonality of children helps families come together,” Crissie said. 

Meanwhile, Dave is flying everyday through the jungle regions in Kalimantan. Travel on the island’s 210,097 sq mi seems much bigger when intersected by five tropical rivers. As soon as the fog lifts each morning, Dave can be found sending supplies to communities, transporting students, or making emergency medical missions.

Until the Kodiak is ready to be sent to Indonesia, the Rasks are showing the floatplane at air shows and MAF events in Texas, Indiana, Tennessee and Georgia.

(Staff image Crissie Rask and her son Evan reunite at AirVenture before mission work in Indonesia)

FMI: www.maf.org