{"id":678882,"date":"2024-06-25T19:59:32","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T02:59:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=arcnews&p=678882"},"modified":"2024-06-26T16:33:06","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T23:33:06","slug":"3d-gis-helps-maf-deliver-aid-to-isolated-communities","status":"publish","type":"arcnews","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcnews\/3d-gis-helps-maf-deliver-aid-to-isolated-communities","title":{"rendered":"3D GIS Helps MAF Deliver Aid to Isolated Communities"},"author":5752,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[237591,551,291],"tags":[17662,163382,20422,339262,911],"arcnews_issues":[489472],"class_list":["post-678882","arcnews","type-arcnews","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-disaster-response","category-imagery","category-nonprofit","tag-3d","tag-arcgis-online","tag-arcgis-pro","tag-aviation","tag-humanitarian-aid","arcnews_issues-summer-2024","arcnews_sections-your-work"],"acf":{"short_description":"Mission Aviation Foundation\u2019s recent adoption of GIS has enhanced its ability to protect its missionaries and pilots in remote places.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Following the end of World War II, a group of veteran pilots shared a dream of using their flying skills to reach isolated communities and better serve people in times of need. To turn this dream into reality, they banded together to create Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF)."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":678912,"image_position":"right","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"For nearly 80 years, MAF\u2019s goal has been to deliver medical supplies, personnel, food, and hope to communities in isolated areas, from Mozambique and Lesotho in southern Africa to islands in Indonesia and the Caribbean. The organization\u2019s work has spanned 12 countries, and in 2023 alone, MAF conducted 16,207 flights covering more than 1.1 million miles (1.7 million kilometers) to safely transport more than 48,300 passengers to their destinations.\r\n\r\nSafety and security are critical for MAF. With its recent adoption of GIS technology, MAF has enhanced its ability to protect its missionaries and pilots, helping them deliver humanitarian aid to some of the most remote areas in the world."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

A GIS Vision Takes Shape<\/h2>\r\nIn 2022, MAF rolled out an enterprise-wide GIS, revitalizing the way its flight missions are planned and executed.\r\n\r\n\u201cI\u2019ve known [about] and used GIS for 30 years,\u201d said MAF global data architect and GIS manager Frank Roberts. \u201cBut being at MAF makes me excited with the newness of GIS in the organization. In just a year, we\u2019ve used GIS to visualize airstrips, to support disaster response efforts, and to even create a digital twin.\u201d\r\n\r\nMAF\u2019s GIS initiative started by having staff inventory data needs and the data they already had available to support the organization\u2019s various activities. MAF staff also gathered input on organizational challenges and began to outline where GIS could make the biggest impact. With this in mind, staff asked a key question: How can we effectively use GIS to visualize our data, make more informed decisions, and communicate the important work that MAF is doing?\r\n\r\nObtaining answers to questions like this one revealed the projects where the greatest needs could quickly be met. One of the first GIS initiatives identified was to digitize MAF\u2019s transportation operations. Given the vast differences among airstrips in the isolated areas MAF serves, ensuring a safe and accurate flight path is of utmost importance. Many airstrips are located on the sides of mountains, hacked out of thick jungle, and even found on rivers (these are serviced by MAF\u2019s floatplane). The runways are often short; covered in dirt, grass, or water; and not aided by air traffic control.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe pilots are experts in the areas where they fly, but when a new pilot is joining that region, the briefings include key visualization indicators like, \u2018You go down this valley, you take a right at the tree\u2019\u2026and having a means to visualize [terrain] enables our missions to be safer, given that our pilots fly into some of the most challenging airstrips in the world,\u201d Roberts said."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":678922,"image_position":"left","orientation":"vertical","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"To help the pilots, the MAF team used ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, and ArcPy to create MAF Globe, a 3D GIS tool that allows pilots to interactively spin a digital globe and zoom in to specific runways. The MAF team made this tool available for all its pilots via ArcGIS Enterprise, enabling them to prepare for their flight operations no matter where the missions occurred.\r\n\r\nBefore they used MAF Globe, pilots often relied on hand-drawn maps. To enable better and more accurate flight planning for future missions, MAF is using ArcGIS Pro and a configured ArcGIS Experience Builder app to digitize older maps to scale and incorporate important new features such as hillshades. This will furnish pilots with a more detailed and accurate representation of the terrain they will encounter, allowing them to be better prepared for their missions."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Using ArcGIS StoryMaps to Understand Disasters<\/h2>\r\nWith bases and airplanes around the world, MAF\u2019s pilots are often among the first to fly over affected areas after a disaster. They help assess the impact by capturing images of these areas from the sky.\r\n\r\nUsing ArcGIS StoryMaps, MAF now shares this imagery with other responders to help them understand the situation before they arrive on scene. With GIS, the MAF team has implemented an important new feature\u2014the ability to quickly see before-and-after imagery of the area to better understand the infrastructure and terrain that existed prior to these catastrophic events."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":678932,"image_position":"right","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"In 2019, Mozambique had two major cyclones. Despite weather experts\u2019 having anticipated minimal damage, the reality was vastly different, as communities were severely affected by extensive flooding. The MAF team quickly prepared the organization\u2019s fleet of airplanes and positioned them to take flight once the storm had passed.\r\n\r\n\u201cDuring the flights, pilots discovered extensive flooding, and people were stranded, which meant critical needs were not being met,\u201d said MAF director of communications Brad Hoaglun. \u201cKnowing that our MAF GIS team can now take photos and populate those into a map helps our response efforts immensely. It\u2019s exciting to know that we can share this with our partners and donors to see how much of an impact we\u2019re making in these isolated areas.\u201d\r\n\r\nMAF GIS analyst Cole McCall further explained, \u201cOur goal is to create an online mapping tool that will allow responders to be able to get the photos with one to two clicks, helping them identify where the most damage is located. MAF partners with more than 400 organizations, and to get them information with ease would enhance our response efforts as a team.\u201d"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Visual Storytelling and Building a Digital Twin<\/h2>\r\nGIS has made its way through various initiatives across MAF. One new project is having pilots share their stories with others to help keep them doing what they love most.\r\n\r\nPlanes and operations are not cheap, and as a nonprofit organization, MAF needs every pilot and mechanic to help fundraise to support field operations. Using ArcGIS StoryMaps, pilots are sharing their passion with donors.\r\n\r\n\u201c[ArcGIS] StoryMaps [stories] are the best way to visually share information about the pilot [and] understand where their heart is and what their mission is,\u201d McCall said.\r\n\r\nThis effort evolved from sharing introductory information into providing a complete storytelling tool for mission efforts. ArcGIS StoryMaps stories now deliver a 3D visual experience of flights, displaying interesting features\u2014such as wildlife reserves and even the dangers of local militia forces on the ground\u2014to help convey the complexity of these missions."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":678942,"image_position":"left","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"MAF\u2019s latest GIS initiative is using a digital twin to enhance pilots\u2019 flight paths. To create the digital twin, the MAF team used GPS data from flight logs and imagery from drones and then processed everything with ArcGIS Drone2Map. All this helps pilots visualize the latitude, longitude, and elevation of their flights so that they can prepare for their missions\u2014with a 3D view from takeoff to landing\u2014and navigate properly.\r\n\r\n\u201cOnce the data has been overlaid, we can see the approach just using two clicks to get the data and two clicks to add the features to the map,\u201d McCall said."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Uncovering the Potential of GIS<\/h2>\r\nThe MAF team accomplished all these projects in just one year.\r\n\r\n\u201cWhen I first came onboard at MAF,\u201d Roberts said, \u201cI just did some sample visualizations. Those sample visualizations helped people understand GIS because they had not seen GIS used in this way [and didn\u2019t know] what GIS was.\u201d\r\n\r\nWith aviation being geographically focused, MAF\u2019s CEO recognizes the value of GIS not only for aviation operations but also for the rest of the organization, according to Roberts.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe\u2019re just scratching the surface of how we can use GIS,\u201d he said. \u201cKnowing we are making impacts at this scale makes me and us feel accomplished in our line of work. It\u2019s very impressive how this technology is being embraced by the organization.\u201d"},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Center","content":"Learn more about MAF\u2019s use of GIS<\/a>.","snippet":""}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"\n3D GIS Helps MAF Deliver Aid to Isolated Communities | Summer 2024 | ArcNews<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mission Aviation Foundation\u2019s recent adoption of GIS has enhanced its ability to protect its missionaries and pilots in remote places.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcnews\/3d-gis-helps-maf-deliver-aid-to-isolated-communities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" 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