The Cessna 402 Returns to Service!

After several weeks of waiting for administrative, weather, and scheduling challenges, the 402 finally flew today! Pastor Bell arrived this morning and will be here for another day or two to make additional shake-down flights and allow our mechanics to make final adjustments before he takes the airplane back to Wings With the Word's headquarters in Maine.

Scott Grote: A Field Report From Florida

From Scott on Rapid Response in Florida Assisting Agape Flights:

A typical day is about 11 hours on average and I am usually ready to sleep right after dinner. The people are awesome, the work is going smoothly and the weather is...well, its awesome too (75 to 80 any given day and sunshine). The Agape bird flew on Sat and, after a few adjustments, it is poised and ready to fly tomorrow. Thanks to Terry it came together really well and we have learned a bunch about the process. So just yesterday we removed wing covers, engines and all the connections between wing and fuselage and we have the stands under the right wing ready for removal today! The pic is of Agape's bird so you can see what an Embraer 110 looks like.

Agape's Embraer 110

Video: Aircraft Project Update

No Break In The Weather...No 402 Flight

The weather's just not giving us a break with rain, snow, low clouds, and icy conditions. With snow flurries predicted for tomorrow as well...things aren't looking good for making a return-to-service flight in the 402 any time soon and Pastor Bell needs to be back in Maine tomorrow to prepare for worship services on Sunday. It looks like he'll be flying home by commercial carrier out of Columbus, not in his own airplane out of Coshocton.

It's been a tough four days of waiting and now the waiting has come an end...but not in the way we would have preferred.

We'll try again when the several days of good weather match up with several days of clear schedule for Pastor Bell.

Still Waiting On Weather With The 402

Yesterday's predicted weather system has arrived. While last night's "winter weather advisory" has been lifted (replaced with a "flood watch"), we're left with rain and a current air temperature of 33 degrees.

The 402 crew is waiting it out working on other airplanes and hoping tomorrow's prediction of "partly sunny and breezy" comes to pass. The delays (administrative and weather-related) at the end of such a long and challenging project just make it seem like Christmas is tomorrow, but tomorrow always remains one day away no matter how many days you wake up.

The return-to-service and departure of the Cessna 402 will open up a new chapter of maintenance projects as the 402 is the last of the three most recent long-term restoration projects to be completed: The Asas de Socorro amphib 206 is down in Brazil, the Air Calvary 207 is back in Gabon, Africa, and soon..(tomorrow?) the Wings With the Word the 402 will fly.

Waiting on Weather

After waiting three weeks for the final FAA paperwork to come through confirming the airworthiness of Wings With the Word's Cessna 402, we're now waiting on weather to fly the airplane. Pastor Todd Bell is down from Maine to pilot the aircraft and, after not flying yesterday because of the low, thick clouds...it looks like today could be another day of waiting for tomorrow.

The clouds are predicted to break up this afternoon providing a brief window for flight before the next weather pattern moves in tonight (MORE JANUARY RAIN), but the cloud cover was supposed to break up yesterday afternoon also, and never did.

So much of flying is so much waiting.

The airplane needs to fly for at least two hours to check all the systems and identify any remaining squawks that turn up. We'll see what God has planned.

Pastor Bell inspects the 402.

Working Away on a Tuesday

It's 44 degrees, the sky is blue, the sun is bright and it seems more like a day in early spring as opposed to mid-winter. The temps do drop into the low twenties overnight, but the light frost left behind is gone soon after the sun rises. This day started a little differently than most as a local business group had breakfast at our hangar and then took a tour of the facility.

International Update
The Cessna 207 we restored for Air Calvary has safely arrived in Gabon, Africa after 8 days and 49 hours of flight! Here's a photo of a local pastor celebrating the airplane's return!

Pastor Sangoye welcomes the Air Calvary Cessna 207 back to Gabon.

Meanwhile, in our own hangar:

Andy, Mark, and Phil work on a local Cessna 310.

Josh readies a freshly reassembled engine for its test run.

Chuck (in the sweatshirt) explains the intricacies of aircraft hardware to Jake, MMS' newest apprentice.

Ben waxes the 402 before rolling it outside.

Mike enters the 402 to conduct its final post-inspection engine runs.