Better-Late-Than-Never AirVenture Update #2

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the largest aviation gathering in the world.  Typically, 500,000 people visit and 10,000 aircraft fly in during the week-long event.  There are lots of wierd and wonderful flying machines, many of them built by their pilot/owners.

One of the factory built airplanes caught my eye by virtue of its paint scheme.  This one is a Kodiak built by Quest Aircraft.  The Kodiak was designed with mission aviation in mind, but it has wide appeal in the larger aviation community.  I have no idea whose this one is, but assume it is privately owned.

This is one expensive paint job!

The Better-Late-Than-Never AirVenture Report #1

Last Saturday Scott Grote, Dave Shelly and I traveled to Oshkosh, Wisconsin to represent MMS Aviation at AirVenture 2011.  A local organization, Mission Aviation Support Association, arranges housing, meals, transportation, and speaking engagements in churches for mission aviation personnel who come to AirVenture.  I spoke in both morning services at Valley Baptist Church in Appleton.  The 8:00 AM service, along with a fifty minute drive to get there, made me be an early riser.  Later in the day we gathered in Oshkosh with representatives of all the mission aviation organizations for a meal together and an orientation session for the week ahead.  It was a great time of seeing friends again as well.

Valley Baptist Church

Today was a beautiful day here in Oshkosh.  Tim Obarow and I worked the early shift at the MMS Aviation display.  Monday morning crowds are generally light, but we talked to several people who showed interest in MMS.  In the afternoon Tim and I looked around to see what was at AirVenture this year. 

The main "street" of AirVenture will be much more crowded later in the week.

Tim and I visited the Maverick flying car exhibit.  The Maverick is being developed by Steve Saint and the folks at ITEC.  It was fun to talk to Steve for a few minutes this afternoon.

Encouragement

It is so encouraging to receive a "pat on the back" once in a while. Recently, MMS received a "pat on the back" in the form of a letter to the Editor of the Coshocton Tribune. Thank you.
Click here to read the letter.

A Visitor From Logos Bible Church

It is always fun to have visitors to MMS and this week was a special one. Bobbi is a lady we have corresponded with for several years, but had never met. Her church, Logos Bible Church in Pickerington, OH, has partnered with us for several years. Since we will be the featured missionaries at Logos for the month of August, Bobbi wanted to get updated information, pictures for a bulletin board and see the MMS facilities. She had lots of great questions and we were only too happy to give her all the information she wanted.

The scope of the MMS Aviation Ministry is pictured on a wall in the conference room.

Bobbi and Dwight stand among freshly painted airframe parts in the massive paint booth

Bobbi sits at the controls of the Cessna 206 for Asas de Socorro in Brazil. It will have its return to service flight during the first week of August. This ministry is looking forward to the arrival of this airplane.

 

Work is in progress on the Cessna 207 from Gabon Africa. An earlier article gives some history of the arrival of this airplane. Click here. Some structural repair is being done after damage from a forced landing. Air Cavalry uses this airplane in support of a missionary hospital.

Pick, Chop, Cook, Mill and Freeze

Our early apples are great for cooking and making applesauce.  The good news is they were ready for harvesting last week; the bad news is that the tree is dieing.  Only about a third of the tree bore apples, but one branch was so loaded if broke!  I'll need to remove the tree now that the apples have been picked.  We'll replace it with a new tree and wait until it grows and produces more apples.

Easy picking down low

First 5 gallon bucket is full

Putting the cooked apples through the mill which separates out peels and seeds.

The first 10 quarts ready to freeze

In all, we were able to make 4 gallons of apple sauce from 10 gallons of apples. Yum. We are all set for the year or two.

July 4th weekend

Finding ourselves with a long weekend, it was a good opportunity to go to Pennsylvania to visit Rena's parents. Jen and the kids came along too. It had been a year and a half since they had been able to make the visit. Our trip was extended by three hours because of a backup of traffic behind an accident. Thankfully no one was killed. We were amused by a long line of people forming at a "port-a-pot" at the side of the road, presumably left by a construction company for the use of their employees!

The bear (stuffed) at a travel stop was fun to see.

Photo op with the bear

Happy Birthday Chanelle

The first generation with the fourth generation

 

Swimming is extra fun with Grandpa

 

1-2-3 jump

Jen and her Grandma

Javin educates Poppy on how to work a Nintendo DS