Safety—from a Wife’s Perspective
The number of airplane accidents in Papua, Indonesia, has been disconcerting. As a pilot’s wife, these accidents are occurring too “close to home” for me.
My husband, David, enjoys flying in Papua. He is confident in his knowledge and the training that he has received. He doesn’t worry, like I do, when he flies. He loves it!
We are grateful for counselors here who can help us process difficult experiences, but recently I needed something different. I decided to get a technical debriefing from YAJASI’s chief pilot. I needed to know what caused these accidents and to understand YAJASI’s training process. I spent an hour and a half asking questions and listening. It was comforting to me and gave me confidence that YAJASI’s pilots are under a management that prioritizes safety and trains their pilots to do so, as well.
Yes, David is flying in a difficult location. Yes, accidents happen. Yes, our days are numbered. And, yes, David is doing what we believe is the Lord’s calling: to serve the people of Papua. We are grateful to be a part of his eternal call—and to know he has placed us in an organization that looks to God for protection and does all it can to promote a culture of safety.
Noni Graves
Noni has lived and served in Papua, Indonesia, since 2002. Her husband, David, is a pilot with YAJASI.
