Trans- Atlantic Flight

Many of us at MMS Aviation have been following a Cessna 207 on it's journey from the United States to Gabon, Africa.  The plane came to MMS in a sea/land container needing repair after a mishap. MMS invested many man hours in the repair of this missionary airplane and friends and churches are praying for its safe journey as it flies home.

The damaged airplane under repair

You can follow the airplane's journey as it flies back to Gabon. A skilled pilot from Weaver Aero is piloting the "ferry flight" and you can check out the trip on missionary pilot, Steve Straw's blog. http://gabonpilot.blogspot.com

Another Mechanic Certificate Issued

A few days ago, on the shortest daylight day of the year, I finished administering Andy Porter's FAA Oral & Practical Mechanic exams.  Andy and I began the testing process on December 20th.  He answered 176 oral questions without access to any reference material.  Following the oral questions, Andy completed practical projects covering all 44 subject areas in the general, airframe, and powerplant exams.  It was a pretty intense ten and a half hours of testing, and Andy came through with flying colors.  Andy completed MMS Aviation's aircraft mechanic apprenticeship earlier this month and, being from England, actually came through the exam with flying colours.)

Andy accepts his temporary FAA aircraft mechanic certificate, December 21, 2011.  (Upon reviewing the paperwork I submit, the FAA issues the permanent certificate.)

A Beautiful Aluminum Water Bird

Several years ago, Asas de Socorro (Wings of Aid/Help) of Brazil was scouting around the US for good Cessna 206 parts and a complete airframe in Alaska caught their attention.  It was ultimately purchased and shipped to MMS Aviation.  The aircraft was sound but needed some repair and several FAA approved modifications to make it more useful for missionary flying.



The Airframe arrives at MMS Aviation in the summer of 2008.

Funds had to be raised for the refurbishment of the plane.  A more powerful engine and propeller combination were planned.  Updated instrument panel and radios were to be part of the plane's preparation.  Installation of seats designed to be more crashworthy than the originals and new interior material was also on the work order.  And, the whole airplane would be put on a set of composite amphibious floats that had yet to be approved for the Cessna model 206.

 

Fuselage repair and cabin floor modification began right away.

MMS Aviation staff member, Ian Hengst, led a varying number of crew members as the work progressed. Apprentice mechanics worked along side experienced staff mechanics through all phases of the restoration and modification.  In December 2010, most of the work was done except the float installation.

The Cessna is hoisted in Hangar A for float installation.



A new set of recently approved Aerocet amphibious floats rolls into position.

Final rigging and checking of all systems were pretty well completed by February 2011, and then the real fun began - paperwork!  Records of work performed had been kept throughout the process, but there are some things that have to wait until the end.  Ian did all the technical paperwork and I began producing documents for the plane's importation into Brazil.



A lot of visitors saw the airplane during its "paperwork" phase.  Chanelle and Javin got a special tour of the plane from Grandpa.

 In late summer, a missionary pilot who flys a Cessna 206 on Aerocet amphibious floats on Lake Victoria in Africa, was in the US and was able to do the return-to-service (RTS) flying.

"Zero-nine-xray" taxies in following its first RTS flight.

With an Export Certificate of Airworthiness issued by the FAA and approval from Brazilian authorities to bring the plane into Brazil, Asas pilots arrived early this month to take delivery of the airplane and fly it to Manaus, Brazil.  Ryan Joy, Asas' maintenance cheif and MMS graduate, was here in Coshocton for the transfer of the plane as well.



The float plane arrives in Manaus.

In an email he sent yesterday Ryan said, "Yesterday, Thursday, Dec. 15, at 4:50pm, our float plane pilots Tim Ault and Márcio Rempel landed on the water in front of our hangar in Manaus, wrapping up a trip that took 6 days, over 6000km of terrain, and involving 30 flight hours, bringing them from MMSAviation in Ohio to Asas de Soccoro, Manaus, Brazil. Removing any doubt that they had made it to the Amazon, they landed in the middle of a tropical rainstorm!



Arrival celebration in the Asas de Socorro hangar

Ryan added, "We had a party all set up to welcome them, with 8 different families represented, complete with some cold Coke and some pão de queijo (traditional cheese puffs-can't have a party without them!). We celebrated their arrival praising God for bringing them back home in safety with this newest tool which will be used to take the message of salvation to the ends of the earth/the Amazon!

It's a thrill for Just Plane Dwight and Rena to have a part in this story.





Warsaw School Remembers Its Veterans

Our grandchildren attend Warsaw Elementary School. With yesterday being Veteran's Day (in the USA) the school wanted to honor those veterans related to children attending the school.  The turnout was good. Following a free breakfast, we entered the gymnasium where special seating was arranged for the veterans. The children sang patriotic songs and the principal spoke to the children on the importance of remembering and honoring those who serve to protect our country. Each veteran was announced individually and the children to whom they were related also stood with their personal veteran.  Javin and Chanelle were very proud of their "Poppy" who served in the Second World War.  We also remembered privately their other Great Grandpa who left us this year and was also a WW II Veteran.

Javin and Chanelle at the free breakfast (with Poppy and Nana) for the veterans and their families

The veterans being honored

Chanelle has enjoyed being in the 5 & 6th grade Honor's Choir. They sang several songs for the Veteran's Program.

New Family Member

The last few days have been hectic and crazy. Our tiny granddaughter made her appearance on Oct. 31,7 weeks early, weighing 2 lbs 6 oz. and 15 inches long. Her name is Kiara (pronounced kee-ah-rah) Bell Jarboe. Our daughter in law is recovering from a c-section at Riverside Hospital in Columbus (OH).

Late on her second day, Kiara was rushed across Columbus to Children's hospital for emergency surgery very early Wednesday morning to repair a hole in her intestine. We've been back and forth between the two hospitals and stayed Wednesday night in Columbus rather than do the 80 mile drive back to Coshocton (OH) where we live.

Kiara is doing well and making good progress, but it will be a long time before she will be able to go home. We would all appreciate your prayers, especially Kiara and her Dad and Mom, Scott (our son) and Stephanie.

Newly born, weighing 2 lbs 6 oz and 15" long.

 

 

Proud Dad, Scott

Stephanie gets help changing the diaper

Day 4, the day after surgery. Taking her first peek at Grandma.

 

Kiara's eyes are covered because she is under a light to treat some jaundice while Grandma get's Kiara to stretch her legs.

Stephanie will be dismissed from the hospital today. Pray for them as they sort through their schedule. Stephanie will be unable to drive or return to work for 6-8 weeks.

Busy Sunday and Monday

Orange Friends Church in Lewis Center, OH, invited MMS to participate in their annual "Taste of Missions" Event Sunday evening. We were only too happy to represent MMS and share the ministry of missionary aviation.

Dwight talks to an inquirer at the MMS Aviation display table

The airplane for Gabon, Africa is just about done. Missionary pilot Steve Straw is here to do the return to service flights and take delivery of the plane. He and some members of his family took the project team and us out to eat at a local Mexican restaurant in appreciation for the work done.

Steve Straw presents a plaque to MMS Aviation in appreciation for the work done on his airplane. Representing MMS is Dwight and Dale Coates (project supervisor)

Below is a video of the final stages of completion of this airplane for ministry in Gabon, Africa

Double Celebration

Now that Dad Tarter lives close to us, we can celebrate his and Dwight's birthdays together. Their birthdays are just two days apart.

Getting candles on the cakes

1 2 3 blow!

 The yellow cake has #1 on each side of five candles in a row (151). Can you guess why the grandchildren did that? The answer is at the bottom of this page.

Being silly for the camera

151 combined years. Dwight 63 + Dad 88 = 151

September's Over Already??

The last weekend of August I was at a retreat for the board of directors of the International Association of Missionary Aviation.  A storm passed through Coshocton the first evening I was away and blew down part of one of our apple trees which was heavily-laden with fruit.  Co-workers came for the downed apples at Rena's invitation and I had a clean-up job waiting upon my return.

I took off the little branches with a pruning shear, then used a chain saw for the rest of the fallen tree.

Since mid-July I'd tried to schedule with a seaplane rated pilot with the right kind of experience to come do return-to-service flights for a Cessna 206 we've prepared for Asas de Socorro in Brazil.  Everything came together early this week as an AIMAIR pilot, Jim Streit, came to MMS Aviation to help us.  The only fly in the ointment was that the new engine's fuel pump wouldn't produce enough pressure for full power operation.  A new engine driven fuel pump was ordered and hopefully the flights will resume by the middle of next week.

After two short flights the plane taxied in and the fuel pressure troubleshooting began.

 

September flew by this year.  All month it seemed there was more things to do than there was time in which to do them.  I have an idea October might be like that too.  This morning I "pinch hit" for one of the MMS mechanics who is out of town.  The Boy Scouts in the Troop that meets at the church he attends are working on the aviation merit badge.  It was a lot of fun working with the boys, especially trying to teach them the aviation term "aileron".

 

A Day in the Life of a Mission Pilot | JAARS

Paul Westlund, a missionary pilot in Papua lost his life in a plane crash on September 22. While Dwight had met him once, we did not know him personally. The loss, however, is tremendous and the whole missionary aviation community feels the ripple effect. Please pray for his family and coworkers in Papua.  Below is a link written by Paul of a typical day in the life of a missionary pilot.

A Day in the Life of a Mission Pilot | JAARS

Gospel Carrier

Carrying the Gospel to the lost by airplane is the mission of Gospel Carrier International.We at MMS Aviation see to it that this ministry's airplanes are well maintained and ready to do the job. The GCI outreach to the Chinese population in the USA and Canada has Evangelistic teams that use their airplanes to transport them and ministry materials around the country. In addition, their discipleship follow up, includes a lot of travel. It is an exciting work and well worth your investigation.

New Home

Two of the nine man loading crew from their church

A truck with a volunteer driver

My parents have a new home very near us. We are pleased with their decision to move 400 miles to Coshocton to be closer to us. The grandchildren and great-grandchildren are enthused about seeing them more often and so are we. Dwight and I went to PA a week ago to where my folks lived near Reading. He returned home on Labor Day and I remained for the final packing and to help with the driving to Ohio on Friday the 9th.

The Lord provided help in so many areas of the move and we're grateful. Some brought in meals or invited them to their homes for a meal, others helped pack or move furniture. One lady who stopped by, even volunteered to give Dad a haircut, which she did. The church deacons and others came to load the truck. A friend and fellow believer in Christ, whom Dad led to the Lord and discipled, is a U-Haul dealer and wanted to drive the truck for us.

The Lord gave us safety (many were praying) in spite of areas of flooding along and heavy rain on along the Pennsylvania Turnpike and I-70. We would appreciate your prayers for my parents amid all the adjustments and settling in.

Is it all going to fit in?

Bill and Mae watch the unloading from the porch of their new apartment. Does it look like Bill is directing traffic?

Gabon Africa Cessna 207

We have been keeping you posted from time to time on the work of the Cessna 207 for Gabon, Africa. As you recall, it was damaged during a forced landing and was shipped to MMS for repairs. Click here for that story. Check out the good news in the video below. We are excited about the progress that is being made.

Rolling Ridge Ranch

School started today for the grandchildren. So on Friday, Jen took off a half day from work and we (Jen and Rena) decided to do something really fun with the kids before the start of school. It was decided that Rolling Ridge Ranch in the Amish community of Millersburg, would be the place to visit. Chanelle brought along her friend, Kylee.

The Ranch has a petting zoo as well as a wagon ride through the countryside where exotic animals are cared for. We rode a wagon pulled by a pair of beautiful Percheron horses. Our Amish driver and guide was loads of fun and had many great stories about the animals we were seeing and feeding.

We have way too many pictures and video clips to post on this blog, but if you want to see all of them,  be sure to watch the video below set to music.

We're Getting Ready

A very special couple is moving to Coshocton and we are getting ready! We are quite excited. We spent a little time at their apartment sprucing things up.  Can you guess who is coming?
 

Getting that shelf paper cut to the right size (Jen and Dwight)

 

Chanelle gets the plants watered.

Chanelle and Javin clean the railing

The shower curtain is hung. Looks like someone(s) is ready for a shower

A Few Hours in Michigan

After a trip to Rena's parents near Reading Pennsylvania in the middle of last week, Friday morning I was back at MMS Aviation.  I wouldn't be there most of the day so I returned some phone calls and checked on progress of various projects in our hangars.  At 9:30 am, a Cessna 172 RG arrived to take me to the Ionia County Airport in Michigan near Grand Rapids.  I'd been asked to speak at the School of Missionary Aviation Technology (SMAT) graduation ceremony.  Sixteen aircraft mechanic students and nine pilots were the graduating class of 2011.

SMAT flight instructor, Terry, did the piloting duties.  He began by giving me a safety briefing.

It was a beautiful day for flying.

SMAT is moving into their new building on the Ionia County Airport.  The hangar which housed the mechanic school will become the maintenance shop for their flight training fleet (I stood behind that hangar to take this picture of the new part of the facility).

It's usually a challenge to make a really nice aircraft hangar into a good auditorium, but the SMAT staff did pretty well.  It was a pleasure and an honor for me to deliver a challenge to the graduates.

Oh yes, Terry got me back to Coshocton at 5:30 pm.

Visitors from India

It has been great to have my (Rena's) brother, Bill, and sister-in-law, Deborah visit us for a few days before returning to their ministry in India.  They are dorm parents at Hebron International School. In addition, Bill is head of the Alumni Department and Deborah also does some tutoring.

Bill and his big sister, Rena

We enjoyed an evening at Jen and Jason's home

Javin and Chanelle show their Uncle Bill and Aunt Deborah the finer points of a Wii

Chanelle shows Deborah a craft that Deborah's Dorm girls might like to do.

Javin challenges Bill to a Chess game

"Bringing in the Sheaves"

Later in the week, when Dwight returned from Air Venture in Wisconsin, we took an evening to go to Holmes County into the Amish communities, to have supper in the little town of Charm.




Bill thought he would help with the harvest!

Deborah enjoying the cows behind a fence. (They are not kept inside fences in India))

Local traffic

As we publish this, they have just arrived back in India. You can follow their activities on their blog