Friday, April 30, 2010

GCI's Evangelical Team Departs MMS Aviation

MMS has been privileged to provide aviation maintenance services for Gospel Carrier International for several years now. GCI is a unique ministry focused on evangelistic outreach, church planting, and discipleship training for the Chinese speaking community in the United States.

Each spring, GCI makes an evangelistic tour of the US. This year is no different. Yesterday afternoon, Williams Chang, GCI President, pastor, and pilot,landed their King Air 200 in Coshocton and taxied up to our ramp. Their team was tired but energized over how the Lord had been working through them over the last twelve days.

Starting out in Gaithersburg, Maryland the morning of April 16th, they flew to Marietta, Georgia for a one day event. From Georgia it was on to Texas, then to Louisiana, then back to Texas. After Texas they flew to California and then Iowa before their stop here.

Williams mentioned a couple "squawks" regarding a two aircraft systems before taking his team into town for a night of rest. Our mechanics serviced the airplane and had it ready to depart first thing this morning as Williams and his team needed to be in Michigan this evening for more ministry. They plan to be back in Gaithersburg sometime Sunday evening.

Here's a video about their departure this morning.



Thanks for being a part of our ministry. Through your prayers and your gifts to MMS, you're helping Gospel Carrier International win souls for Jesus.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Another Rapid Response Trip to Florida

Four of our guys are getting ready to head down to Florida on another Rapid Response trip to help Missionary Flights International. Dale, Ian, Paul J., and Andy will leave Wednesday/Thursday for Ft. Pierce. They're heading south to install the two PT-6 turbine engines they removed from a DC-3 at Preferred Airparts in Kidron, Ohio on the turbine DC-3 already with MFI, N200MF.

The DC-3 in Kidron was recently purchased by MFI and is being prepared for future service with MFI. Because of the high time being accrued on the engines of N200MF flying relief into Haiti, it proved advantageous to remove and ship the engines from the DC-3 up here (Kidron, OH) down to MFI for installation on N200MF. This will allow N200MF to continue flying while its original engines are sent out for overhaul. Here's a video about the guys removing the engines several weeks ago at Preferred Airparts.

Missionary Flights International (MFI) DC3 Engine Removal from Paul Jones on Vimeo.

Another part of the preparation for the trip is fabrication of the hoses necessary to install the engines. Here's Andy fabricating some of the hoses.

Andy organizes hose material and hardware.

Working hardware onto a hose end

Working with hardware in the hose vise

Jim provides his own vise-grip as Andy secures the hardware in and over the hose end.

Thanks for your prayers and gifts which allow us to continue preparing people and planes for worldwide mission service.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Serving Toward Friday In His Kingdom

As we gather as a group to pray each morning, to share our goals for the day, and to reflect on Scripture, we're constantly reminded of Who it is we serve. The airplanes we repair for the field, the people we prepare for missionary service, are tools in God's hands for the spreading of His Gospel and the expansion of His Kingdom. There are many jobs in His Kingdom. Some of them even go to airplane mechanics and facilities maintenance guys right here in Coshocton, Ohio.

Andy seals engine baffling as Jim continues the avionics installation on the Brazilian 206.

Paul installs rings on the pistons for the cylinder sets for the rear engine of the Canadian 337.

Josh continues his repair of fiberglass nose bowls for a local Piper Aztec.

Dave re-installs rain gutter knocked from the stairwell and walkway roof by this winter's heavy snow.

Monday, April 19, 2010

A New Week

While a new week has started at MMS, the same basic set of aircraft projects continue. Here's a snapshot of Hangar A with three airplanes in it.

Hangar A

The Brazilian 206 is in the foreground. Andy continues with some engine work while Jim continues the avionics installation. The RV-8, to the left, is a local airplane having structural repairs made to its tail section by Chuck & Paul G. The red airplane, the Canadian 337, is waiting for its rear engine to be assembled after overhaul. And just behind the tail of the Brazilian 206, Josh completes some fiberglass repairs on nose bowls for a local Piper Aztec.

Paul J.

Paul J. is in the engine shop measuring internal components prior to assembling the 337's rear engine.

Meanwhile over in Hangar C, Tim and Mark are inspecting a Mooney for MAF, Dale is inspecting a Cherokee for a local pilot, and Ian is painting a 172.

Dale inspects the Cherokee in Hangar C.

The 172 after receiving its white color coat.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Hangar Shots

We currently have seven mission and non-mission projects underway: mission--Mooney annual inspection for MAF, Cessna 206 restoration for ministry in Brazil, annual inspection/double engine overhaul on a Cessna 337 for ministry in Canada, a Cessna 402 in for spar cap inspection, and Cessna 172 that's being repaired and painted for use by MMS. On the non-mission front: inspection and repair of a local RV-8, and an annual inspection of a regional Cherokee.

Here are some snapshots of the action.

Andy installs exhaust probes on the Brazilian 206's engine.

Chuck makes repairs to the RV-8.

Scott organizes engine parts for the Canadian 337 before starting reassembly.

Tim inspects the main landing gear on MAF's Mooney.

Friday, April 9, 2010

It's Zyglo Friday!

Here's a video of Paul performing a dye penetrant inspection on the oil sump for the rear engine of the Lamp 337.

It's Zyglo Friday! from Keith Dodson on Vimeo.

If you have a problem viewing Vimeo, click here to go to YouTube.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Quick Snapshots

Brazilian 206
Mike continues with his installation of the new instrument panel in the Brazilian 206.

PT-6 Training Course
Jim inspects the PT-6 engine as part of the training course StandardAero is conducting this week.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Meanwhile In The Rest Of the Hangar...

While Mark, Andy, Dale, Bob, Chuck, Dwight, Terry, and Jim are involved with the PT-6 engine course, there are a few other things happening in the hangar:

Paul cleans engine components in preparation for assembling the rear engine of the Canadian 337.

Josh repairs the nosebowls for a local Aztec.

Mike begins installing the Brazilian 206's instrument panel.

Ian prepares the 172 for paint.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

PT-6 Class

The big thing going on in the hangar this week, besides work on the eight different aircraft projects currently underway, is a class being taught by StandardAero on the operation and maintenance of the Pratt-Whitney PT-6 turbine engine. The PT-6 is used extensively on the mission field and is becoming even more prevalent with the introduction of the Kodiak to the mission aviation fleet.

StandardAero has been associated with the PT-6 engine series for many, may years years. As we had a large portion of our staff and apprentices needing to go through the course for the first time, and several desiring a refresher course, Bob arranged for StandardAero to hold their six day class at our facility instead of having our guys travel to their facility in Winnipeg, Canada.

Nine of our guys are spending each morning this week (Monday-Saturday) up in the conference room for the lecture and illustration part of the class. Each afternoon the guys go down to the hangar for the "hands-on" portion of the class. Standard Aero brings one disassembled engine for show-and-tell during lecture and brings a fully-assembled engine for disassembly and inspection purposes providing specific maintenance experience related to splitting the engine, hot section inspection, and reassembly. It's good training and StandardAero does a great job of presenting the information and providing the opportunity to become familiar with the engine.

In the conference room.

In Hangar A

Positioning the engine 0n its stand

Securing the engine to its mounting ring

Monday, April 5, 2010

Top-Secret Missionary Airplane Being Developed at MMS

As a reward for all our faithful blog followers out there, here's a sneak preview of a new missionary airplane we're developing on the hush-hush. Yes, we do have a little-known Research & Development program here to help keep us on the cutting edge of missionary aviation. The photo you are about to see is the first ever to be publicly released of our very own "X" plane.

We feel it has the capacity to change the way people look at mission aviation and have an impact worldwide no matter what the climate or location. This truly is an airplane for all seasons and situations. While developing this on a small prototype, we envision eventual certification of similar options for larger aircraft like the Quest Kodiak and the Cessna Caravan.

Okay. Here's the photo:

MMS Aviation's very own "X-Plane"

This airplane will be able to make its own runway on the fly! Whether prospective runways need to be plowed or mowed or both, this airplane will be the leading edge of the final push to open up the last frontiers. With the brush-hog deck underneath and the cutting blade on the front both fully adjustable from inside the cockpit, a new breed of construction engineer/pilot will be the first on the scene. No more spending months of tireless labor constructing a runway by hand. Now, it'll just take a few low-altitude, high-speed passes and within minutes missionary airplanes following close behind can be on the ground delivering the people and supplies necessary to continue expanding the Kingdom as our solver winged-wonder heads into the sunset to open another previously unreachable avenue.

We're having a contest to name the prototype. If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment.

Thanks for playing along.