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.