Wednesday Hangar Update

AndyPorter has completed apprenticeship, the Brazil 206 should depart for Brazil tomorrow, the Cessna 402 is nearly ready for its return to service flight, the King Air is waiting on parts, and the next two aircraft projects have arrived.

Mark Beckwith: Senior Apprentice
Part of the recognition when an apprentice completes their thirty months and 4,800 hours of aviation maintenance experience, is the transfer of the title of "Senior Apprentice" from the apprentice that's completed the program to the next apprentice to finish the program. That "wrench ceremony" took place on Monday as Andy Porter passed the Sr. Spanner (that's UK English for "wrench") to Mark and his daughter Abigail.

Mark & Abigail receive the "spanner" from Andy Porter.

Asas de Socorro Amphibious Cessna 206
As I type this, the Asas de Socorro 206 is outside, its engine at idle, as the two pilots from Brazil prepare for more familiarization flights with the airplane. The airplane was dedicated for service Monday afternoon and the plan is for them to start their flight to Brazil tomorrow morning, weather permitting.

The Asas 206 is dedicated for service.

Dwight Jarboe, left, accepts a plaque of appreciation from Ryan Joy, MMS graduate and Director of Maintenance for Asas de Socorro.

The guys from Asas explained that this airplane is slated to provide aviation services to 450 churches along the Amazon River and that one, forty-five minute flight can save 16 hours of dangerous travel on the Amazon.

Wings With The Word's Cessna 402
The 402 is nearly ready for its return to service flight. The oil is in its engines, the weight & balance process is complete, and the guys are just tidying up the last few nuts, bolts, and screws before filling the airplane's fuel tanks and conducting the post inspection engine runs.

WWtW's Cessna 402

Gospel Carrier International, King Air 200
GCI's King Air is back for some electrical troubleshooting. The guys have identified the problem and ordered the parts.

GCI's King Air 200

New Project: Amazon Salt & Light Cessna 185
Amazon Salt & Light just shipped their Cessna 185 up to us to inspect, repair, and reassemble. AS&L works closely with Asas de Socorro in Brazil.

Here's a shot of the guys unloading the Cessna 185 from a big rig's trailer.

New Project: Kissito Cessna 206
This airplane was damaged in a wind storm in Virginia and shipped to us for complete restoration and repair.

Notice that the tail is in front of the airplane's nose.

Thanks for your prayers and gifts which make it possible for MMS to prepare tomorrow's missionary airplane mechanics through returning today's missionary airplanes to the field service.