Rena and I are in Longview, Texas at the 40th annual conference of the International Association of Missionary Aviation (IAMA). Each year IAMA schedules two and a half days of meetings to discuss matters of mutual interest to organizations that make up the mission aviation community.
LeTourneau University is host this year and we meet in the Abbot Aviation Center of the University's School of Aeronautical Science at the Gregg County airport.
In 1966 through 1968 I was a LeTourneau College student and completed the Aviation Technician Course. One of my aviation instructors was Mr. J.C. Harder who taught hydraulics, sheet metal structures, and wood, dope and fabric. He was also a flight instructor and taught me to fly. J.C. has been at the IAMA meetings and it is a real treat to spend some time with him.
J.C. Harder and me
One more story: J.C. played the trumpet and had a lot of nice trumpet duet arrangements of hymns. He would choose a trumpet-playing student to join him and do trumpet duets in churches around the Longview area. I was one of his trumpet duet partners during my time as a student. (You can understand why it is special to see him again.)
