V-5 R.O.B.Wings of Purpose

Wings that carry more than passengers by delivering medicine, relocating lions and sustaining communities across vast distances

Namibia is a country of endless horizons. A place where wildlife roams free, where people live far apart, and where the distance between need and help can stretch for hundreds of kilometers. For Rudie and Marlice, founders of the N/a’an ku sê Foundation, these distances were never barriers. Their mission to protect wild animals, uplift vulnerable communities, and bring hope to remote places demanded wings. And that is where I entered the story.

My journey began with my older sibling, a 1965 Cessna 182 named V-5 P.I.T. From 2006 onward, P.I.T. carried Rudie across the skies to reach the Lifeline Clinic in Epukiro. Later, when the human–wildlife conflict research project launched in 2008, P.I.T. became a lifeline for conservation. Back then, there were no GPS collars—only faint VHF signals. P.I.T. would fly low and circle endlessly above the bush, straining to catch that crucial sound. It was painstaking work, but every flight carried a mission: saving wildlife and serving people.

For years, P.I.T. proved his worth. But in 2021, on a routine takeoff from N/a’an ku sê to TimBila, his engine faltered. Water in the fuel caused failure just before rotation. Though Rudie managed to fix it, the moment was a turning point. Rudie needed wings that were stronger, safer, and built for the future.

That’s when Oom Jan and Tannie Tineke Verburg stepped in. When they learned of the dangers Rudie faced flying an aging plane, they knew it was time for something more reliable. With faith and generosity, they entrusted me—a 2006 Cessna Grand Caravan, lovingly maintained by African Profile Safaris and pilot Jan Fried—into Rudie and Marlice’s care. I was not given as mere metal and wings, but as an investment in a vision, a family, and a future. Their trust ensured Rudie could return safely from every mission, and it gave two boys—Zacheo and Nicklai—the chance to grow up under wings they could trust. From playing in the dust at my wheels to gazing wide-eyed into my cockpit, they learned early that flight is not just about leaving the ground, but about carrying futures forward.

Finally, I came with strength, comfort, and purpose. My Oasis interior could hold nine passengers, but my true gift was versatility. Some call me the Swiss Army knife of the skies. I can land where others cannot—on rough bush strips, desert plains, and gravel runways. One day, I lift travellers high above Namibia’s landscapes, showing them beauty they will never forget; the next, I carry medicine to remote communities, relocate lions from conflict zones, or even fly a leopard to Windhoek for an MRI.

Since joining the mission, I have carried more than passengers and cargo. I have carried resilience, love, and hope. I’ve flown doctors and supplies to villages far from roads. I’ve relocated lions and leopards, giving them a second chance at life. I’ve lifted guests into Namibia’s skies, their journeys helping to sustain the very projects that keep this land and its people thriving. Even my luxury fly-in safaris play their part—their revenue flows straight back into conservation and humanitarian work.

With every takeoff, I lift more than weight. I lift a legacy: Rudie’s vision, Marlice’s passion, Oom Jan and Tannie Tineke’s faith, and the bright futures of Zacheo and Nicklai. I am part of a family, part of a mission, part of something far greater than flight itself.

I am V-5 R.O.B., and I am more than a plane. I am purpose with wings.

This story was first published in Michael Angelo Magazine and proudly featured on the cover.