A common question I get asked as an MAF pilot serving in Kalimantan, Indonesia is “What do you transport in your airplane?” A really short answer would sound something like “I transport people and stuff.” However the “stuff” part of that response can be as varied as the countries we serve in. Often times it is just personal items in normal luggage. Sometimes it’s something really special like newly printed Bibles, or medicine. Occasionally, we transport something a little different.
Recently, we were asked to carry a juvenile crocodile to a remote location. Apparently, this pet alligator was no longer small and cute. So the governor called upon MAF and Sunny, a local television personality, to move the gator to another location. There he would have a good chance of surviving and making it to adulthood. Our float plane was perfectly suited for this job, and 45 minutes after taking off from home base our Cessna 185 float plane landed on a remote river. The crocodile was released directly from the plane into the water in an isolated area where it should be left alone to grow to maturity . . . hopefully away from people.
