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".