Himmelsbrücke zu Menschen in Not

Sonntag, 2. Februar 2014

Mucombeze – Caia – Mucombeze


What an historical event! Today I’m taking off for the first time from the Mucombeze airstrip to do a mission flight. Many times after working a full day in the heat of the African sun, I was standing at the end of the runway 17 imagining taking off one day with our Cessna from this airstrip. Taking off to another destination to support and minister others. After three days of preparation for this flight, informing Government, Civil Aviation, Airport Authority, Police, Pastors and many more, I’m now ready at the end of runway 17 to push the throttle to full power. Pastor Ricardo is accompanying me to Caia where we will meet about 20 pastors to receive lots of study book. A quick check to our airspeed indicator shows the necessary speed to pull up the nose into the sky and the wings take us up like a eagle.

Not very high though, because of the clouds I decide to stay below them and so are we enjoying our one hour low level flight to Caia following the purple mark on our GPS. The auto pilot does now the job after leveling off and it gives me time to look out for elephants on our way. Pastor Ricardo explains that there are no elephants in this area only birds which we just past a few seconds ago. Mount Gorongosa is a good landmark which we have now on our right side. Down there are fights between the army and rebels, we are both very thankful being in an airplane and not down there in a car driving through the unsafe area. We still have a little bit time before I prepare for our approach. To keep Pastor Ricardo awake, it looks like his enjoying our flight, I start to explain him some of our instrumentation in the airplane, in Portugues! Now I have a good copilot if I decide to have a little nap. Soon we see the Zambezi River and we can make out the runway of Caia on the horizon. Everything is set for our low overfly to chase goats, cows, pics and maybe elephants from the runway – but there were only people walking with loads of fire wood or water buckets on the heads. The loud noise of our engine alarmed the pedestrians and the whole village. 
Junior Team
After a smooth landing we are welcomed by 20 pastors from the region, police commandant and the government. We don’t feel as important but appreciate the welcome. Surrounded by many spectators we start to unload our precious cargo and Pastor Ricardo hands out the books for the different schools. I take the chance to share a word of encouraging using small litchi trees, they still look good after our flight. After three hours on the ground and of course after taking some pictures, my Copilot and I, we are getting ready for our flight back. Taxing away to the airstrip we see only very happy and thankful friends. RPM good, speed alive and the ground releases our wheels and we are on our way home. Home to Mucombeze, what a successful day we have had. In only a few hours we did the work it would have taken us two days by car. Now I can relax as the airplane heads home avoiding rain cells but unfortunately I can’t have a nap - my copilot, Pastor Ricardo, is already napping.
teaching time
my flight attendant

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