Monday, October 9, 2017

Shaking Off the Rust

After a lot of time helping on the admin side of things, it was time for me to try and sharpen up my pilot skills to better serve the cause.  

Thankfully our good friends at JAARS were able to fit me in and run me through my paces.










My very own cubicle!

JAARS has some great aircraft, like this Pilatus Porter...
unfortunately, I didn't get around to flying it.


My recurrency training was in the Cessna 206


My recurrency focused on mastering the aircraft in many configurations/scenarios.  Along the way, I was sharpening skills, learning a lot, and filling gaps.  My journey into mission aviation was a bit non-standard, so it was great to train with those that are among the leaders in the field and know what to look for to help pilots and mechanics succeed.

I'm very thankful for the aviation training department at JAARS and their desire to be a resource for all who are looking to advance Kingdom causes!

I'm also very thankful for all of you that have made major investments in keeping us resourced on this journey.  This training was possible to one particular donor that is so special to us.

Recurrent training will be a regular part of this work.  Please join me in praying for the ongoing resources necessary to keep me sharp and safe for the mission ahead.

More Airplanes Needed!



As many of you know, we are working hard with our organization, Missionary Air Group, to develop the first-of-its-kind Apprenticeship Pilot program for aspiring missionary aviators.  This is in concert with our partner, MMS Aviation (Coshocton, OH). 

Why is this work so important?  Some major road-blocks for those desiring to prepare and deploy as international mission pilots and mechanics, is that training and paying of the debt of training takes so long.  The apprentice model that we are creating will assists to shorten the overall time as well as leave no debt at the end of training.  The training also happens all during the context of working on mission aviation aircraft and under the roof of a mission sending agency, plus at least 30 hours of flight time on the field on their way to over 400 hours of flight training. 


Thank you for supporting us as we seek 
more efficiency for Kingdom work!  

We have an advisory team from larger mission aviation organizations to make sure that what we are creating leads to the outcomes that are actually valuable and desirable.  These same agencies are also looking into similar ideas under their roofs as well.

Alace gets to know the aircraft owner, Darrell, as he
opens the cowling for a closer look.
Training new pilots means giving them the right type of instruction in the right types of aircraft.  We need additional aircraft to expand the training experiences.  In the coming year, we are looking for the following:  a Cessna 182 with retractable gear ($85-$95K), a Cessna 206 G model outfitted as a field aircraft ($250-$300K), and a Super Decathlon tail dragger ($80-$90K).  Please pray for the provision of these aircraft.

In August, I traveled to Texas to inspect a Cessna 182 RG (retractable gear) whose owner is considering a lease agreement with MAG with the idea that it may lead to a sale, down the road.

In December we'll be doing some familiarization flights with the Cessna 182 RG and starting to train our first apprentice in January or February.  Thanks for being along for this journey!

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Joe's Wedding!

Joe and Laura were married Saturday, September 30th, in Chicago!  It's hard to believe.  
At the reception... the hard part is over!  ...well... at least for that day!
Joe and Laura met at Moody Bible Institute, where they both graduated this
past May.  MBI asked both of them to stick around, so both are working
in Chicago for the time being, with an eye on some sort of int'l work in the future.


At the rehearsal. Pastor/missionary Stephen Albright traveled from Guinea (West Africa) to
perform the ceremony.  Stephen supervised Joe & Laura's internship, last fall, in Africa.

Here's the wedding party just after exiting the ceremony.
(venue: Columbus Park Refectory, Chicago)

Thanks to all your prayers for our family, especially the newlyweds.  They honeymooned in
Cancun, where Hurricane Nate passed overhead two nights ago with some high winds
and rain, but no damage or wrinkles in their plans.

Will my son hate me for posting this?!? 
Only if someone tells him I did...   ;^)
(taken from the airplane departing for the honeymoon).