Aceh Tsunami:

January 29, 2005

January 24 & 25, 2005

January 20, 2005

January 17 & 18, 2005

January 15 & 16, 2005

January 14, 2005

January 12, 2005

January 12, 2005

January 10, 2005

January 6, 2005

January 5, 2005b

January 5, 2005a

January 3, 2005

Information last updated on Tuesday August 05, 2008 12:38 PM (EST).

Jan 29, 2005 - Meulaboh, Indonesia
    

I flew my last mission on Friday morning (yesterday) and caught Garuda on an afternoon flight to Jakarta for the Red-eye Special back to Papua. Mike Brown has arrived Medan and will be flying with Dennis this afternoon. Terry Wohlgemuth (formerly of East Kal) also arrived with Mike and will be flying the 206 out of Melaboh. The Samaritan's Purse helicopter has also arrived with its crew, plus also a Caravan pilot who is the Chief Pilot for JAARS out of Waxhaw.

I flew these gentlemen to Melaboh Thursday morning so they could scout out the area, bringing them back to Medan in the afternoon. The Sam's Purse Caravan has had at least one delay crossing the Pacific Ocean due to strong west winds.

Dennis ( the pilot that was working with Rick) has met some of the crew of the AirVan that will be arriving Monday. These are from MAF Australia, they will be based in Melaboh, distributing food, medicine and materials. This is the same kind of mission the 206 and Turbo Beaver have been doing. Great to see the good cooperation between organizations.

Wally (MAF Indonesia area manager)has been meeting with some high-level officials. Still hope for some airstrips to be built at strategic locations. Pray for good relationships for all parties involved and success in the negotiations! 

Seems the relief work is moving into a new stage. Many people are homeless, either living in dwellings made from scraps they've found or in refugee camps. Many people need to develop a livelihood, and they're still struggling with the trauma of it all! Its really neat to see how many volunteers have gone to Aceh and area to help! There is still so much to do!

Thank you for praying!

Rick

Jan 24 & 25, 2005 - Meulaboh, Indonesia
    

Dennis and I have been very busy the last 2 days, we each did 3 flts on our day of flying. Nice to have the capacity to move things when we need to.

Since arriving in Medan 05Jan05, MPS has completed 35 missions to Melaboh, representing more than 35 ton of cargo and passengers moved in that direction. We've also brought numerous passengers back to Medan. Dennis has another 3 flts scheduled for today, this is almost 7 hours of flying time, depending on how many delays we've given due to the heavy traffic.

The 206 at Melaboh is in the middle of a progressive inpection. They fly in the morning and work on the aircraft in the afternoon. They have no shade, it gets very hot on the tarmac, challenging circumstances for doing good maintenance. It will probably take 3-4 days to complete the inspection under these conditions. The Turbo Beaver is due for inspection soon as well.

Some flight crew from Samaritan's Purse arrived yesterday. The helicopter has arrived, their Caravan is enroute we think. Once their Caravan has arrived and is operating, we will likely fly ours back to Papua.

Wally( head of MAF Indonesia)  is heading to Jakarta today. He has a meeting with the Minister of Welfare, the top person responsible for tsunami relief in Indonesia. Pray the agenda will move in appropriate directions and long term development of those suffering will be prioritized!

Many volunteers are serving in the effected areas, many of them proficient in Indonesian, which is a bonus. One of them is a young lady called Sue. She grew up in Java of missionary parents, attended Prairie Bible College and graduated there with her Commercial Pilot's licence. She is helping load and unload aircraft at Melaboh! Great way to use her talents and skills for the cause of the kingdom!

All for now, Rick

Jan 20, 2005 - Meulaboh, Indonesia
     

It's been a LONG day, I had to do the rinse (post flight operation done on the Caravan) after I got back from Meulaboh. First time I've ever done it myself so it took a little longer.

First flight of the day was for OBI aka Obor Berkat Indonesia. Two of my passengers were Michelle Meuller and Jane Reeves. They will be working with OBI at Meulaboh! Fun to fly Papua pax in Sumatra.(Michelle and Jane are both with SIL in Papua) Just as I was arriving Meulaboh, Daniel Alim (pilot from East Kal) took 3 IT guys up to Banda Aceh to check out about installing VSAT there.

There were successful in finding a place and a sponsoring organization. Dennis and I will be bringing some of the hardware from Meulaboh to Banda Aceh tomorrow.

Had a quick chat with Wally (former Program Manager , now Indonesia Area Manager)  before he headed off in the helicopter. He was heading up to Calang to talk to the Bupati (area government guy) about building a Caravan strip up there. Please pray that things progress according to God's plan and purposes. Wally was excited about the potential of helping the people up there.

Second run to Meulaboh was with relief supplies. Had a full load of pax out of Meulaboh for Medan, including Marko and Pintu, pilot and mechanic of the Turbo Beaver, taking a short break in Medan. Also had 2 guys from IT and others from Samaritan's Purse. John Cutts(another Papuan missionary) has been out and about with SP, in a brief conversation I had with him he mentioned there is still a lot that needs to be done, lots of people going hungry.

All for now, Rick

Jan 17 & 18, 2005 - Meulaboh, Indonesia

Was able to complete checkout with Dennis. We flew Medan-Melaboh-Medan-Melaboh together, he then took the Caravan back to Medan while I stayed at Melaboh. I was able to go on the Turbo-Beaver on floats to a location about 15 minutes north. We landed on a river and unloaded the boxes of food prepared by Operation Blessing/Obor Berkat Indonesia.

We then continued north to a location called Lomnow, not sure of the spelling. We picked up some aid workers at the side of the river where the town used to be. We saw the shell of a 3 storey dormitory at what used to be a girls' school. One hundred fifty girls in the botom two storeys lost their lives there.

As we flew the 75 miles back to Melaboh along the coast line, I did not see one house dwelling that was not demolished or destroyed if it was within several hundred  meters of the coast line and not above fifty feet elevation.

Where the coast line is flat, the tsunami went in several kilometers. Occasionally you would see buildings within this zone that were still standing but these would only be the well constructed buildings, and the bottom two floors would be gutted from the strength of the wave.

There are three aircraft presently stationed at Melaboh, a Cessna 206 from Kalimantan(MAF) , a Turbon Beaver on floats from Bangladesh ( MAF Europe aircraft) , and a helicopter from Jakarta. The crew live in a house dwelling that is still standing but the walls are smashed in at the window areas.

Each aircraft has its own particular type of mission, useful in showing the compassion and love of Christ to a hurting people.

18 Jan 05

 It was a busy day for Dennis, he was able to complete 3 runs from Medan to Melaboh. The first two loads were aid workers, the last load was food supplies.

I flew with Tim Chase to get him current in the 206 and give him a PFR. Our first destination was a road 60 miles north of Melaboh, a place call Lhokruet. We brought a load of food. There are three villages near this section of road, each had about one thousand people living there.

One village had one hundred survivors, the other two had two hundred. The road had been cleared two days before, it was the only thing that looked orderly in a huge area of destruction.

On the way back to Melaboh Tim and I were able to survey two more possible areas where the road was long enough and wasn't torn up by the tsunami. We were thankful to hear that when the helicopter visited the two locations later in the day, with pilots, crew and helpers along with chain saws, they were able to get one of the locations useable for the 206.

The people in those areas were very anxious for us to come and give them food and aid. They were not close to a major center and so did not have access to the tons and tons of relief supplies that are entering the north Sumatra area.

Our second run was to a place called Titi, close to the city of Calang. The people in this area were luckier or wiser to the ways of nature. When they felt the earthquake, many people ran to higher ground and were able to escape the destruction before the tsunami arrived. Seven hundred out of eight hundred survived. However, in most cases, their source of livelihood is gone and they are hungry. Again, they are far from the food distribution area and were thankful for the food we brought. They actually gave us some green coconuts as an expression of thanks for what we were doing. They gave back out of the little they had!

Please pray for continued safety and protection. The 206 is landing on what used to be the coastal road. The surface is great, good braking, and clear of obstructions, except for what the tsunami left behind. However the road is only about five meters wide, so the pilot has to be careful. A flat tire or brake problems could easily cause an incident or worse.

The Turbo Beaver is often landing on rivers that have a lot of debris in them, with lots of obstructions that could cause problems. He has landed a few times in the ocean as well but that has its concerns and difficulties as well. The pilots and crew at Melaboh are sleeping in tents, living in primitive conditions without running water and other amenities. Mosquitoes have become a big problem since the tsunami. The guys are all in great spirits, however. Thankful to be able to help a little.

All for now, Rick

Jan 15 & 16, 2005 - Meulaboh, Indonesia
    

Things started slow this morning, a passenger late and too much stuff for the other ones. We got it all sorted out in the end but got a late start.  Ralph Dawson was on board, former fellow pilot from Papua there to help install VSAT. He sat up front and helped me figure out how to add some more routes in the handheld GPS we have borrowed from Harry. (The ship GPS is still unserviceable which makes it a bit awkward) Most of our passengers were with Samaritan's Purse, but we also had a couple of MAFers, Ralph and Brad Hazlett, all bound for Meulaboh!

Brad had a very profitable morning. After he got to Meulaboh, he and Stan Unruh went on the helicopter loaned from James Riady and found 2 more places farther north where the think they can land the 206 with a little clean-up.

Right now the 206 is doing runs to Panga, landing on the road, the only place north of Meulaboh right now. This would possibly mean 2 more locations, the one possibility is as far north as Calang. Calang is almost half way up the coast between Meulaboh and Aceh. These are also stretches of road that they are converting to runways. They were very excited about more locations to serve.

Wally also had a good day, he has been communicating with the Governor and has been requested to make a proposal for adding several airstrips at strategic locations in north Sumatra. A possible ministry opportunity, a chance to show God's love in a place that needs a healing touch from Him!

I flew 2 runs to Meulaboh (try saying that 5 times in a row real fast), mostly relief aid workers. Harry went along on the second run as he'll be in Meulaboh helping with well-cleaning and anything else that needs to be done. Flying was much easier today, yesterday it took 6.3 hrs to complete 2 flights, today it was only 4.6 hrs for the same work accomplished.

We received our MAF IFR permissions today for our normal route, now we're waiting for some parts (cable/old GPS unit) to try to make the aircraft GPS functional again.

Tomorrow Dennis is leading the crew to complete the Mini Inspection. Doug Heidebrink, Tim Chase  and myself will help, would like to get it completed in one day. Please pray there won't be any insurmountable problems, the aircraft is desperately needed. We'll have to do it outside so are planning on starting at 5 am to beat the heat!

And for the 16th.

Things are changing by the hour. The plan now is for me to stay at Meulaboh after the second flight tomorrow, Dennis will bring the 208 back to Medan. I will fly a PFR with Tim Chase on Tuesday from Meulaboh. Will go back to Medan 2nd flt on Tues and take Wed off. Here's today's report.

Its been a long day for Dennis. More than 12 hours at the airport trying to finish the Mini Inspection.( Rick only worked till noon and took the rest of the day off to be fresh for the morning flight)  

After the RTS ( return to service flight) had to take off the shimmy dampner that had just been installed and put the old one back on. Tim and Doug were a huge help to get it all done. One moment of anxiety, on the initial installment of the shimmy dampner a bolt got bent. Fortunately we were able to scrounge one up from a local operator (SMAK Air) and that kept us operational.

The IT ( Information technology) team are making progress ( also MAF , out from Redlands)  , a truck came and picked up a generator and 2 big iron pipes that will hold the sattelite dishes. Apparently trucks can now make it from Medan to Meulaboh in 18 hrs. This is wonderful news for the locals, truck and boat transportation are always much cheaper than by air. That may impact the ministry of the Caravan, though transportation for the relief workers may continue to be a factor.

Will not be receiving a report from me tomorrow. I will be staying at Meulaboh overnight and give Tim Chase a PFR in the 206 on Tuesday. Stan Unruh will be leaving tomorrow, he's had a very important part in getting flt operations going and other helpful projects at Meulaboh.

All for today, Rick

Jan 14, 2005 - Meulaboh, Indonesia
    

The plan today was to have Harry checkout Dennis and myself. Originally I was going to fly with Harry first flight, then Dennis would do the second one with Harry, then maybe try to get a third run in. Didn't quite work out that way.

Dennis was up early anyway and wanted to see the airport and the operations. We decided he would come along on the flight, would be good training, Harry wouldn't have to repeat himself so many times. First flt Harry flew, I did the radios and Dennis absorbed things from the seat behind the pilot. First problem was the aircraft's GPS. It basically died, was intermitent last flt yesterday for Harry, now it didn't work at all. Harry had a hand-held GPS along so we got that working and completed the first leg to Meulaboh.

We took the GPS out of the panel and got some electronic/electric contact cleaner from the MAF Europe mechanic. The MAFE TurboBeaver on amphibs got to Meulaboh a couple of days ago. They have also set up their mosquito nets in the shell of a house that the Kalimantan guys were staying in.

Stan Unruh had driven me over to get the cleaner, asked me if I needed a toothbrush to clean the contacts. I said that might help, he gave me his personal toothbrush. I said you'll need this for brushing your teeth later, said not to worry, had some other toothbrushes around. Unfortunately contact cleaner did not fix the problem.

After takeoff from Meulaboh airport we flew over the town, incredible damage to all the beachfront property plus the first 200+ meters inland. Can't imagine the wall of water that caused that much damage. Heading back to Medan we had a LOT of traffic, we were held 30 miles out for 25 mings till previous traffic could make it in. Returning to Medan Dennis and Harry troubleshot the GPS, I went to file the flight plan.

Coming back to the airplane, the guys were still waiting for  fuel from Pertamina. A truck came our direction but drove right by us. Wait a minute, I recognized the guy sitting in the passenger seat of the Pertamina truck.

On my flight from Jakarta to Medan I sat beside a guy who is presently working in Kaimana, a town in the Papua Bird's Head. His name was Mr. Hayat, was from Sumatra, but worked in Papua for many years for Pertamina. Turns out we had numerous acquaintances in common, pilots from other companies, even MAF people. He and 4-5 other guys from different parts of Papua were going to north Sumatra to help for several months.

Numerous Pertamina workers in north Sumatra had been killed by the tsunami, he was coming to help. He was scheduled to go on to Banda Aceh but was still needed for a while a Medan. The truck drove by and parked on the other side of the apron, talking to some operators there. I walked over and said Hi to Mr Hayat and explained our need for fuel for our next flight. His boss said they had some other priorities, but after a couple of minutes agreed to come over and fuel us up! Glad I had spent some time talking to Mr Hayat on the Garuda flt the day before.

For the second flight I flew and Dennis did the radios (definitely the harder job!) Now even Harry's portable GPS stopped working! Was having similar problems to the aircraft GPS, poor signals. Arriving over Meulaboh the water buffalos were misbehaving, were wandering across the runway or standing right beside it. Definitely not safe to land, we circled for over 20 minutes till someone came out to chase them away. This load had Indonesian relief workers plus well cleaning equipment. (Our first load had been food supplies plus Mel Isaac and Rob Longhurst, checking out the situation at Meulaboh for their VSAT equipment).

Last flt back we brought Mel and Rob back to Medan. None of the GPSes were working so we flew the way we were trained, time and heading, good old DR. Fortunately the DME in the aircraft was working well, otherwise I'm not sure if Medan Control would let us back into Medan.

A bunch of guys arrived today, Dave Wunsch, Ralph Dawson are two I recognized. Its amazing how many other white faces are around here!

Hand phones are a GREAT help around here. Really speeds things up!

Please pray we can get the GPS problem sorted out. Will make life much easier for the pilots. I will be doing 2 flights tomorrow and then Dennis will head up the Mini Inspection for the Caravan on Sunday. Right now there is now good place to do it, the hangar that was lined up has been rented to the UN Helicopter Response Team. No joy there! 

There is a lot of long term reconstruction that needs to happen, not only physically, but emotionally, spiritually, mentally! Pray that God's love would shine thru to the people of North Sumatra. 

All for now, Rick

Jan 12, 2005 - Meulaboh, Indonesia
    

Pilots Dennis Bergstrazer and Canadian Rick Wilms are traveling from Papua, Indonesia to Sumatra to relieve Harry Berghuis.

We will have a first-hand report from Rick upon his arrival in Sumatra.  

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Jan 10, 2005 - Meulaboh, Indonesia
  

Excerpt from an email message from Stan Unruh, MAF pilot - and edited for clarity

"When we first arrived in Meulaboh, Brian Hazlett and I found a portable fuel pump laying in a refuse pile behind the airport terminal.

It was a pump designed to pump jet fuel, complete with a filter and all. We brought it to the MAF 'command center' to see if we could get it running.

"After we got it going, [it was] mentioned how it would be great if we could get some pumps shipped in here because all the local folks have contaminated wells.

I showed him the pump we just got running the previous night and he got all excited. We brought a truck over and loaded the pump up and drove over to a neighborhood near the Meulaboh airport.

We asked some of the local folks if they needed their wells pumped and you should have seen their eyes light up. All the men in the neighborhood came over to help carry the pump around. We pumped several wells out in various places so each kompung could have at least one well that was salt water free.

"That afternoon one man from the village asked if we could fix his pump that had been submerged. He brought over and we were able to clean it up and get it going. So now we have two pumps that are operational.

"Yesterday I had to report at the military command post in Meulaboh. While I was there I took some shots of the destruction. Those are the pictures I have sent along.

"Pictures don't really describe the situation all that well. For example, how about all the houses that are still standing but under two feet of the worst smelling mud surrounding their homes.

"How do you clean up from that? It seems like it would be easier to have a clean foundation and a clean yard than the mess some folks have. Houses are so weak that folks are afraid to go inside and look for the missing. There is talk of burning the town to the ground as a way to clean it up.

"In the town of Meulaboh, proir to the earthquake and tsunami, the population was aproximately 90,000. According to a television crew I spoke to, there are 28,000 confirmed dead, and 5000 missing. In the local school, out of approximately 400 teachers, 97 are missing."

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Jan 6, 2005 - Aceh, Indonesia

Meulaboh is closer to the earthquake epicenter than Banda Aceh is.  The devastation there is nearly total.

An amphibinan Beaver aircraft is on its way to Meulaboh from a region of Bangladesh that was not affected by the disaster.  MAF thanks its sister organization, MAF-Europe, for partnering with us through the loan of this aircraft.  

Pending government permission from Indonesia, the Beaver is expected to arrive Sunday, January 9.

MAF is flying a doctor into Meulaboh today to help the sick and injured.

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Jan 5, 2005 - Aceh, Indonesia

 
Report from: Wally Wiley,

MAF Area Manager, Asia

The C206 has been in the disaster area for three days now and is based in Meulaboh. Today we flew the first flight into the disaster area with the Caravan bringing supplies.

Yesterday, it was pouring rain and there was a man sitting on what remained of his house (just the foundation). He was holding up a piece of linoleum to keep the rain from hitting him directly. When asked about his family he said that his wife was killed and all of his kids are missing and he doesn't know where they are or what happened to them.

Today, Samaritans Purse made their helicopter available to us for areas that we can land the 206. They found a place that is about 45 miles away from Meulaboh.

When they landed there the people begged for any food that they had saying that they had not eaten for the last week. The pilots told them that if they helped get an area cleaned up for the plane to land that they would be back.

They did help and the plane was able to return today and brought two loads of rice. They report that about 3,000 villagers are left there out of a population of approximately 10,000.

A doctor is desperately needed as many of the survivors have broken bones and other injuries but have received no help as of yet. We will be flying some medical help in tomorrow morning to Meulaboh so that they can start meeting those needs.

It's heartbreaking to know that there are still so many of these areas where people need desperately to be helped.

We will be flying down to another area tomorrow and out to an Island called Nias that was also hit by the Tsunami. We want to find the areas that need our help the most and areas that we can serve with our smaller aircraft.

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Jan 5, 2005 - Island of Sumatra, Indonesia

Report from: Dave Wunsch,

Director, MAF Operations Support

On the morning of January 4, MAF pilots flew in a Cessna 206 from Medan to Sibolga, where th