Rugged terrain in Indonesia means helicopters or very long hikes are often the only way into and out of tribal villages, and NTM Aviation is moving closer to being able to offer helicopter service to NTM missionaries there.
Last week, missionary pilot Preston Huntting took a check-ride for his commercial helicopter pilot license and passed. Preston and his wife, Kim, plan to join the NTM Aviation team in Indonesia.
Also en route to Indonesia is missionary pilot Steffan Pyle, who passed a check ride last week as well. Steffan is a certified flight instructor with a helicopter rating.
Missionary pilot Nathan Tag passed his helicopter check ride earlier this year, adding a helicopter rating to his commercial pilot license so he too could be part of the team in Indonesia.
For several years another mission organization has provided helicopter service for NTM missionaries in Indonesia, but in one region they no longer have a helicopter. And a helicopter is needed to serve those villages.
"In some of the mountainous terrain ... airstrips to date have been placed on the sides of steep slopes," wrote Jeff Werley of NTM Aviation. "The helicopter is able to use a much lower approach and landing speed, even a vertical approach if the landing zone is surrounded by tall trees or on the top of a mountain peak."
Steffan and his wife, Julie, who formerly served with NTM Aviation in Venezuela, hope to move to Indonesia this summer. "The program won't actually get up and running until Steffan has reached fluency in the Indonesian language," Jeff wrote.
Preston and Kim, and Nathan and his wife, Lanada, will follow. Indonesia will be the first place either couple has served with New Tribes Mission.
The helicopter in which the men are training, a Robinson R44, is expected to be shipped to Indonesia late this year or early in 2008.
Please pray that Steffan, Preston and Nathan can quickly become fluent in Indonesian. Pray also that funds come in soon for the cost of shipping the helicopter to Indonesia -- and that all of it will arrive undamaged.
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