MAF’s new Cessna 182 aircraft with SMA engine has begun a 12 month trial period in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The SMA engine burns Jet fuel, a cheaper and more widely available alternative to Avgas. Additionally, the C182 is better than the C206 for serving smaller missions and the local church.
In short, it offers a low cost alternative to supplement our larger and more complex aircraft.
Garth Pederson and Nate Birkemo were pilots for its recent ferry flight from Seppe, Holland to Kinshasa, DRC.
Garth shares, how the plane
"Will be MAF’s test case for proving the viability of this aircraft for service around the world.
The scarcity and skyrocketing cost of avgas have endangered the continued utility of our Cessna 206 aircraft. With this tool we’ll be able to fly at about 40% of the cost of our Cessna 206 aircraft.
Although the C182 is smaller it is faster and has a greater range. We anticipate that it will be useful for medical evacuation flights and carrying two to three passengers for multi-day trips to minister in the interior."