The STC Kodiak Visits MMS

Spokane Turbine Center's Kodiak arrives at MMS.

Last week there was an air of excitement around the hangar as Spokane Turbine Center brought their Quest Kodiak in for a visit. After spending the weekend at Missions Fest, in Lancaster, PA, as part of a missions display, the STC crew stopped by our hangar facility to renew relationships, tour the facility, and provide flights for MMS personnel and family.

STC provides flight training for Kodiak operators and provides mission-specific training for mission aviation organizations around the world. We partner with STC through providing maintenance on their Kodiak when they're in the area.

The Kodiak is the first airplane designed by missionaries for mission aviation and is a unique blending of high technology and real-world utility. More and more mission agencies are purchasing Kodiaks in order to put them to Kingdom work in some of the most remote and challenging locations in the world.

Through STC's generosity, many of our families were able to enjoy their first flight in a Kodiak. Thanks, STC!

Some of our family members prepare for their flight.

The Kodiak exits our ramp for the active taxiway.

STC's Kodiak takes off.

The Kodiak, coming soon to a mission aviation program near you!

The 207's Airframe Repairs Are Complete!

It may look like there's a lot left to do on the airplane and, in a sense, there is but a major milestone was reached today with the Cessna 207 restoration project for Air Calvary.

We hope you enjoy this video clip celebrating the work accomplished over the past six months and setting the stage for what lies ahead.

Partnerships: Pfeifer Evangelical Association

At MMS, we partner with many different ministries. In fact, over the past 36 years, we've partnered with 96 different ministries through providing critically needed maintenance services and support. Each ministry partnership is unique yet has the common tie of aviation.

One of the ministries with which we're in active partnership is the Pfeifer Evangelical Association. Here's a video clip featuring "The Pfeifers", the music they play, the airplane they fly, and some of the services we provide.

Landing Gear, Batteries, and Oil Changes, Oh My!

Checking landing gear rigging is part of the annual inspection process for GCI's Cessna 310. Under Tim and Scott's supervision, apprentice mechanics Ben, Andy, and Paul G. gained some great maintenance experience checking tensions, pressures, limits of travel, and various linkages, and developed a high level of appreciation for how a tiny adjustment in one part of a complex system can have a major impact in another part of the system.

Andy measures the release tension on the right main gear "down-lock" to make sure it's within limits.

Finished with the landing gear, Ben moved on perform engine maintenance.

In between their other tasks, several apprentices are also learning proper methods of battery servicing and "rejuvenation". If you have the time (and it does take time), it is possible to rejuvenate a tired battery, bring it back to health over the course of several days, and save the resources that would otherwise go to purchasing a replacement battery.

Mark checks the fluid in a battery undergoing rejuvenation.

Bob Schwartz, MMS Training Director, has initiated a program where our apprentice mechanics gain several hours of ground school and flight orientation to better help them understand how their maintenance integrates with aircraft operation. Ben Fisher, one of our apprentice mechanics, is also a Certified Flight Instructor. He recently led a class on radio navigation to help the apprentices understand how pilots use VOR's to determine their location in flight.

Ben leads a class in the theory of radio navigation.

The Pfeifer Evangelical Association flew their Aztec in for an oil change and some troubleshooting. The oil change was routine but the troubleshooting indicated the alternator on the Aztec's left engine needed repair. After the repair was made, the airplane was returned to service.

The Pfeifer's Aztec returns to service.

The variety of maintenance tasks that happen in our hangar every day is wide and varied providing a unique environment in which our apprentices can grow into professional, competent and confident mechanics.Thanks for being part of this process through your ongoing gifts and your prayers.

Heading Into The Weekend

As we head into the weekend, I'd like to leave you with the latest video of the Cessna 207 we're restoring for Air Calvary's use in Gabon, Africa. Removing the damaged tail cone was the beginning of the final major structural task in the restoration. Yes, there's still a couple more months worth of work to complete, but once the new tail cone is in place the fuselage can be repainted and the wings and control surfaces and all the other major components can come together in the most literal fashion.

Thanks for your ongoing prayers for this project, our mechanics, and our ministry.

Manpower Is Poured On The 207 And The 310

Air Calvary Cessna 207
Dale and his maintenance crew crew continue to push Air Calvary's 207 restoration toward completion. Since our last blog post the damaged tail cone was removed from the fuselage and assembly of the new tail cone has begun. Also, with the new rear, wing-spar carry-through installed, the guys spent a good portion of today test fitting the wings.

Chuck, Josh, Dale, and Andy S. finish removing the 207's damaged tail cone.

Dale and Andy discuss the next step in assembling the new tail cone.

Jim, Josh, Phil, Andy, Dale, and Chuck install the 207's right wing.

Phil and Chuck secure the left wing strut in place.

After the test fit, the wings will come off again and be set aside until the final few weeks of the project. After the remaining structural repairs are completed and the fuselage has been re-painted, the wings will go back on and be rigged for its October return to service flights.

GCI Cessna 310
Gospel Carrier International's Cessna 310 is back in the hangar for its annual inspection. Scott is overseeing the crew and providing instruction on the inspection process.

Paul and Andy P. inspect and test the 310's landing gear retraction system.

Scott inspects the 310's nose gear assembly.

Thanks for your continued interest, gifts, and prayers that make it possible for each of us to use our God given gifts to prepare airplanes and our apprentice mechanics for service on the mission field.