GUELPH, Ontario, Feb. 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wings of Hope (WOH), a Cessna Caravan Aircraft bearing serial number 018 (of more than 2,600 built to-date), has faithfully flown in Mission Aviation Fellowship’s (MAF) program in Angola since its opening in 1989. During its lifetime, it safely completed over 17,000 flights, many to support remote communities, transport medical staff and demining agencies in the country.
Our partner, HALO, who undertake the dangerous work of locating and removing landmines after Angola’s civil war, use MAF flights exclusively to transport their staff to various locations, and we keep our plane on-call around the clock should there be the need for a casualty evacuation from a minefield. This emergency service allows HALO staff to work, knowing that should the need ever arise, we would be there to help – this is one reason why flying in Angola is so important.
As WOH aged, the increasing costs of maintaining the aircraft had us looking for a replacement - and starting today, a brand-new, donor funded Cessna Grand Caravan will fly across the Atlantic from Canada to take on Wings of Hope’s legacy. The newest airplane in MAF’s global fleet will replace the oldest and it seems very fitting that the replacement for Wings of Hope, which we hope to have registered as WOL – Wings of Love – departs to start its career in Angola on Valentine’s Day!
The new airplane was outfitted with additional fuel tanks that are needed to cross the Atlantic. MAF Canada VP of Operations Lowell Deering reported that, "There are 3 aluminum tanks installed in the cabin to carry an extra 2040 litres of fuel. Combined with the 1250 litres in the fuel tanks, that gives almost 3300 litres, which will give the ferry pilot up to 17 hours of flight time."
The airplane is scheduled to take off from Winnipeg today on the first leg of its trans-Atlantic journey. The anticipated flight path will take the plane from Gander > The Azores > The Canary Islands > Togo > and finally, Lubango, Angola.
With this new aircraft, MAF will have a continued legacy of using a Caravan to serve the people in Angola. Because of its capacity, we will be able to maximize our impact and our mission, all while operating safely because of the new advanced avionics and navigation system.
Visit the MAF Canada Facebook or Instagram pages (@MAFCanada) in the coming days as we follow Wings of Love on its voyage to Angola.
For more than 75 years, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) has been bringing help, hope and healing through aviation to some of the most isolated places on earth. Today, we partner with over 1,500 organizations to deliver support, supplies, staff, spiritual care, and community development to thousands of communities where flying is not a luxury but a lifeline.
CONTACT: Brad Bell, CEO
MAFC.org | 1-877-351-9344 | bbell@mafc.org
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/363927bd-3be9-42b7-a430-b8248c38d3fa
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8e38eed0-d6c7-4dbb-ba9e-53135e0bd696
