The Cools Family with MAF
in Australia

It has been a while since we last wrote. It's been a busy 6 months and time has flown by very fast. Apologies for the delay in getting this update out to you all. Below is an overview of what has happened in the last 6 months.

Olivia and Ameiah have finished another 2 terms in school. They are now in the last term and are getting some swimming lessons. Olivia had her birthday in July, for which she got a kite. Melissa has been working hard on her degree and has finished another few units. In June, Hans got his Australian citizenship, which is something we never strived to have, but since Hans became eligible it made sense to have. Olivia and Ameiah have been wanting to participate a triathlon, and in September they both got to run the 2km at the Cairns marathon.

Hans was busy at the Flight Training Centre last term with Multi Engine Instrument ratings. This is an advanced course that allows the pilots to fly through clouds and during marginal weather. We had 2 students on this course and Hans was also being supervised by one of the senior instructors as this was his first time teaching this course.

In the last 2 weeks, Hans took 6 of the students on an hour building exercise around the top end of Australia. They flew around 5700km in 9 days, with a couple of rest stops. It definitely was a trip of a lifetime, and Hans really enjoyed sharing and instructing them along the way as all of them are coming to the end of their flight training. 3 of the guys who are interested in working with MAF spent extended time in Arnhem Land, where they were able to jump on a few of the MAF flights. Hans took the other 3 students up to Darwin, where they had a chance to ask questions to one of the HR managers of one the local airlines. It really pointed out how vast and untouched most of Australia actually is.

Overtaking one of the other aircraft during the hour building exercise (safari) we did last week. In the background you can see the Simpson Desert.