Around half of the airstrips in the bush have been opened with the help of Helimission. Several flights with the helicopter are necessary before the first airplane can touch down on these runways. The first step is to find a suitable spot. This is followed by a number of visits to oversee the construction, and finally an expert carries out the final inspection and approval.
Today I flew to Unggulpalek with an expert, Dr. David, to inspect the airstrip project there. The flight from our base in Wamena took only 15 minutes. This project was started back in 2014, but a 6-year construction break delayed its completion. Now, after a total of nine years of construction, the runway appears to be ready: Dr. David was satisfied that the airstrip is ready for use by small aircraft.
I then flew a delegation from Holuwon airstrip to Fuplim to inaugurate the church building there. However, because the clouds had started to cover the village, I had to fly around them extending the three flights from two to five minutes each. During the ceremony, the weather deteriorated, so we had to wait for the weather to improve to make the return flights. Thank God a hole opened up in the clouds, making it safe to fly again.
When the mountains are covered in clouds, the weather is a constant challenge.
Dyro, Pilot
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