First Use Of Kodiak In Disaster Relief Work

MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) has deployed a new Kodiak airplane and four crew members to join its fleet of three aircraft already serving the relief effort following the massive earthquake in Haiti.  Following a brief dedication ceremony yesterday afternoon in Idaho, the Kodiak (N103MF) took off on its 3,000-mile, 18-hour flight to Haiti.

 The Kodiak can carry more cargo and passengers than the Cessna planes currently being used by MAF in Haiti.  It also runs on jet fuel, which is more readily available avgas in Haiti.    The Kodiak is manufactured by Quest Aircraft Co. of Sandpoint, Idaho, which was founded to provide rugged, backcountry aircraft for remote operations for mission aviation organizations around the world.

"The Kodiak is the next-generation bush plane and is made for such a time as this," said John Boyd, president of MAF. "It can land on short, unpaved airstrips to get essential humanitarian help to its destination quickly and safely in the absence of viable roads. The Kodiak will greatly expand our ability to quickly take aid where it is most needed."

The cargo aboard the Kodiak included two boxes of aid collected by 9-year-old Moise Salois of Nampa, Idaho. Young Moise, adopted from an orphanage in Haiti four years ago, still has two brothers and a grandmother living in Haiti. Among items Moise sent to Haiti on the MAF flight were medical supplies, infant formula, food and clothing.

This aircraft is the fourth MAF Kodiak. Three others are already serving overseas in remote areas. MAF will place 18 Kodiaks into service over the next few years.  They are replacing many of their Cessna 206s because the Kodiak can carry nearly twice the cargo, making aid deliveries cheaper and more efficient.

FMI: www.QuestAircraft.com, www.MAF.org