Today marks the end of an era – “KFS”, the plane that has served the Centralian Patrol well for many years is being decommissioned from service with Frontier Services. Rev Colin Gordon, the Centralian Patrol Minister and pilot, reflects on KFS’s final day:

November 18th 2015 will not be one of the happiest days I have had as Patrol Minister in the Centralian Patrol. There will not be any water cannons lining the runway as KFS makes her last take off from Alice Springs as the faithful vehicle of the Centralian Aerial Patrol and numerous other previous patrols.

It has been in the Church Family from brand new since 1979. As I have flown her I have often given thanks for all the wonderful providers for KFS, keeping her maintained and most recently up-to-date with technology. Looking through the records I have also seen all the Patrol Ministers that have faithfully flown her in the task of Pastoral Care. She has paid for herself many times over.

KFS is by nature a robust machine and being carefully looked after has served the church wonderfully well. Yes, I hear you, who like me can say, ‘she’ is only aluminium – mere nuts and bolts. BUT the sight of ‘her’ coming into people’s properties has always been an icon of something far greater than nuts and bolts. The fact that the church provided such a means of Pastoral Care has always been held with great esteem.

Thanks KFS, you will be missed.

CRG