During the joint operation between the Madagascan government and Helimission to deal with the aftermath of Cyclone FYTIA, aid was also provided to the village of Vohipenoely.

On October 31, at 06:45 in the morning, I was sitting comfortably at our dining table eating my breakfast, when I received a call that would change the entire day. The team from the Hospital in Mandritsara asked if we could to a Medevac flight to the far north-east of Madagascar, because a man had been severely injured by bandits and time was of the essence.

Imagine living in a house high up in the trees – as high as a fourteen-story building! That’s exactly what the Korowai people, an indigenous tribe from Papua, do. They build their homes on tree trunks, often 131 feet above the ground. But why do they do that?

"That's a 20° incline!" exclaims Herten who is accompanying me on this flight to inspect the airstrip. He looks with concern at the inclinometer which shows the runway’s angle. Addressing the villagers of Beledomon, he says in Indonesian "Yes – there’s still some work to be done here", and to me in English, he adds: "A Cessna will never be able to land here; at best, a Pilatus Porter."

The helicopter flight from Switzerland to Tanzania in 1989 had special significance for me. My youngest son had completed his training as a helicopter pilot in the USA and accompanied me now as a junior pilot. This gave me the opportunity to share with him many valuable experiences of flying helicopters.

In February 2026, the Swiss foundation Helimission’s humanitarian work was severely tested. After the devastating Cyclone FYTIA, authorities and aid organizations were confronted with massive damage in various regions of the island nation. An exemplary collaboration ensued between the government and the non-governmental organization (NGO) to provide the fastest possible relief.

Over summer break, my kids and I passed out invitations to the families with our neighborhood complex for a hangar tour. What a wonderful event!

In 2003, Sammy joined the Helimission team here in Wamena. In 2008 he started training as an apprentice helicopter mechanic in our hangar. Over the years, many people invested in Sammy helping him develop his helicopter maintenance skills.

Every two years, our helicopters have to undergo major maintenance as required by the manufacturer. This work on the “Mike-Kilo-Tango” (5R-MKT) kept us busy for an entire month. It is necessary to carry out the tasks and procedures specified by the manufacturer. This includes the removal and installation of parts that need to be thoroughly inspected or replaced, because their service life has expired.

On November 3, Typhoon Tino raged across the Philippines. No sooner had people recovered from the severe earthquake in October than they found themselves facing yet another catastrophic natural disaster.

We received a message in Wamena that a woman in the remote jungle of Papua, Indonesia, had given birth to a baby but the placenta was still in her womb. We immediately prepared to pick up the mother by helicopter and fly her to the city hospital in Wamena for better medical care.

A long, long time ago, Madagascar was not only an island full of lemurs and baobab trees but also a secret hideout for pirates! These fearless seafarers, famous for their adventures across the world’s oceans, sought refuge on Madagascar from their pursuers and celebrated their victories there.