Right after passing my commercial pilots license in March, I started training to become a certified flight instructor. I did most of the training in the mornings, over lunch break, and evenings working around the 8am – 5pm aircraft mechanic apprenticeship training.

On August 26th, I had the opportunity to take the certified flight instructor check ride practical test! Passing this test and receiving the certificate is such a blessing to have completed and behind me in the process of becoming a missionary pilot and airplane mechanic!

Certified Flight Instructor Checkride Pass

With this certificate, I am currently part-time using it to teach a student pilot to get his pilot’s certificate. This allows me to teach and build my flight time from 300 hrs to 500 hrs (500 hrs is the minimum requirement to be a missionary pilot with JAARS) without needing to pay for the flight time. Rather, I’m getting paid to build the flight time. So this is a great blessing.

My First student pilot

In May, I visited JAARS (Jungle Aviation and Remote Services, which is organizationally under Wycliffe Bible Translators) at their US base in Waxhaw, NC. I was able to discover who and what JAARS is, what part they have in the Bible translation work and what serving with them in the future as pilot /mechanic looks like. At this point in seeking out God’s will, I am feeling led to serve with JAARS in the future when I meet all of their technical and experience requirements.

In the Bible translation work that is going on in the rugged mountainous areas of Papua New Guinea, JAARS has been able to build numerous airstrips in these mountainous remote areas. However, over the years they have mostly gone to the easiest to reach locations (where they could actually build airstrips). Now as time has continued and needing to reach the harder to reach locations where they cannot build airstrips due to the uneven mountainous terrain, they have begun to use more helicopters then they have in the past to be able to reach these villages where they cannot build those airstrips for airplanes, but just a clearing for a helicopter pad.

I have been praying and seeking God about transitioning from airplanes to helicopters to serve in that way. At this point, I do not have a clear direction on whether God is leading me to make the transition to helicopters to serve in that way. The cost of helicopter training is expensive and a harder road to get to the point of experience required to serve with JAARS than it is with airplanes. It would most likely take at least another 2 years from the beginning of the training to getting a job as a helicopter pilot and building my helicopter flight time up to 1,000 hours.  So I ask for your prayers in the next several weeks as “I knock on doors” that God would close and open the doors according to His will.

I am very excited that I will be (Lord willing) able to take the airplane Aircraft & Power-plant mechanic test in February 2018, which is only 3 months away! I have been in an apprenticeship for this mechanic license since August of 2015 and it’s almost here!

Praise God for

1. Completion of the Certified Flight Instructor test.
2. God has faithfully brought me this far through Aircraft & Power-plant mechanic apprenticeship.
3. The opportunity to teach a student and build flight time through it.

Prayer Requests

1.  That God would have full control of the doors that close and open for helicopter transition training. And that the Holy Spirit would lead me and that I would have complete peace in the decisions to come in the next several weeks.
2. God’s leading hand through opportunities and grace as I work with the men in the apprenticeship shop.

Yeah! The Commercial Pilot’s License has been completed! I’ve spent December and January training with a South African National who was my Certified Flight Instructor. On Jan the 31st, I was able to take my FAA Commercial Pilot Practical test which consists of an Oral and Flight test. We were scheduled to do the test at 9:30 am, but we ended up not starting the test until 3:30 in the afternoon due to maintenance issues. When I pre-flighted the aircraft in the morning just before the test, I noticed the right main tire was showing cords below the tread(not at all good, especially for an FAA Exam). So we ended up flying the Cessna 182 from the home field in Sebring to Lakeland to buy new tires, return to Sebring, and have the maintenance shop install them on the aircraft. Starting the practical test that late in the afternoon made the flight exam go into the twilight, which made landing within a 200ft mark on the runway a harder task. Thankfully, all of the testing went well once we got started.

We landed and the examiner said, “congratulations!”

You may be wondering what is a Commercial Pilot’s License and why is it needed for missionary aviation work. A CPL(Commercial Pilot’s License) is similar to a CDL( Commercial Driver’s License), in that operating either vehicle requires advanced skills, knowledge, emergency operations, and a higher standard of safety. In some countries, the government will not allow you to operate the aircraft in their country without a CPL for the type of operations missions do.

After praying, seeking God’s will, and speaking to missionary pilots for advice, it has been decided to go ahead and get my Certified Flight Instructors Certificate. This will allow me to build my total flight time from 250hrs to 500hrs while teaching others how to fly, which will result in me not needing to pay out of pocket to build that flight time. Lord Willing, I should have the Instructor Certificate completed by April.

Below is an update of the training progress.

Training Progress

• Air-frame & Power-plant Mechanic License (In Progress, Projected completion date: May 2018)
• Private Pilot’s License  (✔ Completed)
  • Instrument Rating (✔ Completed)
• Commercial Pilot’s License  (✔ Completed)
  • Multi-Engine Rating
  • Seaplane Rating
• Certified Flight Instructor  (In Progress)

Fire at Tower of Hope

It has been a wonderful blessing to be able to live at Tower of Hope property during the week days. Ian and Ruth Bennett are serving at Tower of Hope building an apartment for the mission.  They have blessed me greatly with their company and the treasured dinner meals. We normally are able to spend our evenings together eating dinner and spending time around the fire. 

Praise God for

1. The completion of the Commercial Pilots License.
2. God’s Faithful leading and financial provisions.
3. Prayer, financial, and encouraging supporters like you. God’s work is a group effort. I am blessed to have you behind me. 

Prayer Requests

1. The lost souls of the men I work with at Carter Aircraft. That I my daily exemplify the love of God, speak the words that God would have me speak, and stand unwavering during the testing  that comes with it.
2. Continued motivation to assist in spreading the Word of God among all nations and tribes.
3.  That I may retain everything I am learning.

Meet and Greet in Belize

On Wednesday, June 8th, I had the opportunity to go with two pilots from Harvest Aviation to Belize to deliver supplies/cargo to the missionaries and to assist in two meet and greet meetings for the missionaries. This was my first time to Belize, other than landing at the Belize City airport with a quick turn around to the States.

En-route to Belize with Supplies

Harvest Aviation has been seeking to expand their missionary air support ministry in Belize. The goal of the meetings was to inform the missionaries in Belize of Harvest’s service of delivering supplies/cargo. One meeting was held at the Old Belize Restaurant in Belize City on Thursday and the second meeting was on Friday in Belmopan. On Harvest’s behalf, I made contact with the AMA Missions and 15 of them attended the meetings.

Miss Nancy Introducing herself at Belize Meet & Greet

Meet and Greet in Belmopan

God’s Leading Hand

The past couple months has been significantly challenging due to sudden and unexpected changes that affected my missionary pilot/mechanic training. In the past several months, doors begun closing for me to continue the apprenticeship at Harvest Aviation. I wondered why God was allowing this to happen and what was going to be the next step. Since mid April, God has opened and closed doors, drew me closer to Him through the trial of uncertainty of the future and provided outstanding opportunities. In a matter of 5 weeks, I have moved from Harvest Aviation in Wauchula to Carter Aircraft in Sebring Fl, to continue my aircraft Air-frame & Power-plant apprenticeship training.

On Friday, April 22nd, I got a call from Mitch Pennington(My Instrument Flight Instructor) saying that he spoke with the owner of Carter Aircraft(a commercial aircraft maintenance shop in Sebring FL) about the possibility of me working in his shop as an apprentice. The owner learned of my goal of making it to the mission field to serve as a pilot/mechanic and was open to me working in his shop learning the trade.  So I met with the owner the following Monday morning, and the opportunity appeared to be suitable for the both of us. But it didn’t flow that easy afterward. The open door to work as an apprentice at Carter Aircraft opened and closed 4 times, in a 2 week span. During those 2 weeks, God used those circumstances to draw me closer to Himself. Once again, I had to fully trust God and surrender myself to His will. I am thankful I trusted Him and did not try to force doors my way. I am immensely thankful that we have verses from God’s Word like Proverbs 3:5-6 to receive direction from.  Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

On June 1st, I began working at Carter Aircraft(which is located on the Sebring airport), as an apprentice, in a paid position. Yes, paid position! It is very unusual to get a paid position as an aircraft mechanic apprentice. This paid position will surely help pay for Missionary pilot/mechanic training costs! This is a huge blessing from the Lord!

The mechanic apprenticeship training program I am doing consists of working on aircraft under supervision for 4,800 hours before I can apply and take the Air-frame & Power-plant Maintenance license tests. 4,800 hours converts to 30 months working on aircraft. At Harvest, I completed about 30% of those hours. The plan is to work at Carter Aircraft for 2 years, then take the Air-frame & Power-plant Maintenance tests.

Carter Aircraft Hanger

Consequently, I have moved from Wauchula to Lake Placid(located 15min from Sebring) and again God has provided a place for me to live. I am currently living at the Tower of Hope property. Ian & Ruth blessed me with allowing me to live in their 1975 motor-home until they return in September. We’ll see where God directs me to live once Ian’s return in September. The living situation there is a little challenging. My living quarters are in  the motor-home, the restroom is a flushing toilet outhouse, and the shower is in a shed. God has an amusing way of preparing me for the mission field. It is a great blessing to be able to live there during the week!

“Home” at Tower of Hope

Next Step for Pilot Training

Since earning my pilot instrument rating in March, I have been busy flying on weekends to build flight hours for the next step for my advanced pilot training. I am currently at 200 hours of total flight time and I need 250 hours before I can take the Commercial pilot’s license, which is the next step in pilot training. Lord willing, I will be receiving this training from Mitch Pennington (who taught me the instrument rating) and we hope to complete this in December in his Piper Comanche aircraft.

Another Box has been checked this past week! Praise the Lord!

                         Training

• Private Pilot’s License  (✔ Completed 3•19•15)

• Instrument Rating (✔Completed 3•23•16)

• Commercial Pilot’s License
  • Multi-Engine Rating (Beginning in April)
• Certified Flight Instructor(?)
• Air-frame & Power-plant Mechanic License (In Progress, began 8•3•15)

I passed the Practical Instrument Rating Oral and Flight Exams on Wednesday, the 23rd, and thus completed the required Instrument Rating! It was 2 of the 3 tests required in order to achieve the rating. I completed the 1st exam ,which was a written, a month prior to this.

Thank-you to all those who were lifting me up in prayer to our Heaven Father! However, the day did not go without a hiccup. First thing in the morning, I departed Wauchula with Harvest’s Cessna to pick up my flight instructor in Sebring. Once praying with my flight instructor, we taxied to the runway and began doing the routine engine check before takeoff. During the engine check of the dual magneto system, the left magnetos were not operating correctly and did not fall within the allowable tolerances. My instructor offered we could go taxi back and use his Cessna for the Flight Test. So in the end, we ended up arriving in Winter Haven at 9:20, 20 minutes late, to meet the FAA Pilot Examiner that gave the tests. It was a rough start, but by God’s wonderful grace the rest of the day and testing went exceptionally well considering the circumstances of using an unfamiliar aircraft.

My Flight Instructor, Mitch Pennington, and I just after completing the Instrument Exams.

My Flight Instructor, Mitch Pennington, has been an answer to prayer and a great blessing! He Volunteered at Harvest Aviation this winter as a flight instructor. He has invested many hours of instruction and sacrifice that has allowed me to complete this rating. Super thankful for him, he has been a God send!

One of the best motivators is seeing progress and achieving mile stones in one’s life! This step in progress undoubtedly holds true with the goals and dreams of becoming a missionary pilot/aircraft mechanic! Completing this step has given me renewed motivation and energy! Very thankful for this!

Privileged to be the Middle Man

There is a couple living in Sarasota that wanted to send supplies to there pastor family that is serving in Belize.  So on the weekend of Dec 05th, I received those boxes from them and transported them back to Harvest Aviation upon returning there the following week. The following week, two of our pilot’s at Harvest Aviation flew those and other missionary supplies to Belize City to be delivered to missionaries.

A&P Maintenance Technician Training

Installing a new Spark Plug Lead for the right engine of the Harvest’s recently donated Twin Engine Aircraft

It has been 5 months since I began training at Harvest. When I began the training as an Air-Frame & Power-plant Maintenance Technician, I was unsure and slightly nervous how well I would grasp the concepts of mechanics. Often, I would get frustrated and feel like the A&P licensed technicians are the smartest people on earth and that I will be old and gray before I will be able to attain the seemingly never-ending path of knowledge to learn. 

Ronny and I Installing an Overhauled Carburetor.

Recently, Ronny was giving me a practical class on all the different types of screws, bolts, nuts etc. He was teaching me how to decode several different formats of part numbers and what they mean for size, diameter, length, and type. He had my head buzzing with so much new information that I finally told him I think we better stop the lesson so I can retain it all.

As time continues, I am learning enough that the many concepts are making sense and am beginning to be able to troubleshoot and diagnose issues.

Removing Oil Residue from an Oil Leak on the Engine of the Aircraft I am Training in.

Instrument Flight Training

I began Instrument flight training on Dec 05th to attain my required Instrument Rating as a missionary pilot. My instrument flight instructor is a retired DHL captain from West Virginia. He has volunteered during the snowbird months as a flight instructor at Harvest to train my roommate Trey and myself on how to become missionary pilot’s.

What is an Instrument Rating? An Instrument Rating is a rating that is added to a Private Pilot or Commercial Pilot License and refers to the qualifications that a pilot must have in order to fly under Instrument Flight Rules or IFR. It requires obtaining additional flight training from a qualified FAA Certified Instrument Flight Instructor, including rules and IFR procedures to enable the pilot to legally and safely operate an aircraft in Instrument Meteorological Conditions, or in fog and cloudy weather. Additional instruction in weather and more intensive instrument flight training in flight solely by reference to instruments that are in the aircraft is the core of Instrument Flight Training.  Most of the training is done with the trainee wearing view limiting foggles that obstruct the trainees vision to only inside the cockpit to simulate bad weather. The trainee learns to navigate the aircraft solely to the instruments in the cockpit and when only 250ft above the runway does the trainee remove the view limiting foggles to land. Since the human body relies on the ear’s vestibular  system and eyes for balance and orientation, the trainee needs to learn to overcome the dependence on the bodies’ senses. To do this, the trainee’s flight instructor will have the trainee pick up a pen on the floor and in the mean time put the aircraft into an unusual attitude like a turning nose dive. As the flight instructor commands the trainee to recover, his body senses may be telling him he is in a climb in the opposite direction. The trainee needs to have faith in the instruments that are in the cockpit and not rely on what his body is telling him and recover accordingly.

This scenario is the same for us in our Christian walk. In a nose dive in life, what do my eyes fix on? Do they search outside of the cockpit in the fog for the “worlds horizon” to determine how I should recover? Am I going to attempt to recover with my own disoriented senses and completely lose control of the aircraft? Or am I full of unwavering faith that fixes on the instrument of God and His Word that reveals how I should recover from a nose dive in life.

Training flight

Appalachian Mountains in Virginia.

On Jan 11th,  my instructor and I transported his sold aircraft from West Virginia to the owner in Sebring, FL. This completed a long cross country flight under instrument flight rules that is required to earn the instrument rating. In route along the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia, we encountered strong winds which created mountain wave. Mountain wave is a result of the winds downwind of the mountain that create a draft that rises and then drops. When in the down draft of the wave, we had full power applied and trying to climb, but we were still descending 500ft per mile due to the mountain waves downdraft.

A highlight of the 9.5hr flight was having lunch with my brother Tim and his family in Pickens, SC where we had one of the two fuel stops.

Over flying Orlando in Route to Sebring Fl

Praise God For

1. The obstacle that hindered Instrument Flight Training has now been removed after 7 weeks of troubleshooting an instrument issue in the trainer aircraft.
2. Ronny Erekson’s wife Denise for encouraging cancer test results.
3. God’s way of providing financially for flight training and His clear and faithful leading hand.

Prayer Requests

1. Ronny Erekson’s wife Denise for complete healing and recovery of cancer.
2. Direction for Harvest Aviation.
3. Volunteer at Harvest Aviation to take on the role of president.
4. More opportunities for me to get into the pilot’s seat for the Belize flights to gain experience.

Rental House

August 31st, I started renting with Trey Franks(Maintenance Technician at Harvest) in the small southern town of Wauchula.

The small 720sqft house is pretty much perfect, except it does not have a dishwasher. (Yes, I plan to take a dishwasher with me to the far ends of the earth). It suits us two quite well, very happy with it.

The house is located across the street from Wauchula Hospital. The Bay-Flight Med Helicopters land on a grass patch about 100ft from my bedroom window. On takeoff, when I open my bedroom window, I get the rotor wash wind blown into my bedroom. Yes, I like that.

Cancer

Ronny Erekson’s family, (Ronny is Harvest’s senior maintenance technician who is our only maintenance instructor), has been going through challenges. In September, Ronny’s wife was unexpectedly diagnosed with stage four cancer in her lungs and chest, after having received medical attention from major headaches. She is on the road to recovery! Her blood type falls in the 3% of cancer victims who are eligible to receive special pills that kill cancer cells, which means she does not need to receive radiation treatment and chemo therapy. Praise the Lord for His goodness to the Erekson family! During this time, Ronny, our instructor was doing his duties of caring for his wife, so he was not in the hanger instructing Trey Franks and myself on what and how to do the maintenance projects. It was a difficult time for all of us at Harvest, but we thank the Lord that things are looking up and getting better for the Erekson family and Harvest.

Belize Flight

October 23rd I flew on a Missionary Supply Flight to Belize. There was extra room in the airplane, so I had the opportunity to sit in the 3rd seat and learn from the two pilot’s in front of me on how to fly an IFR International Flight.

5:00am: Departed Wauchula loaded with supplies. 6:10am: Arrived in Key West to refuel. 6:40am: Departed Key West with full fuel to hop the 700 mile pond. 10:35am Arrived in Belize City and unloaded supplies.

The missionaries came to the airport to pick-up the supplies so we never left the airport grounds in Belize. Jonathan Charlesworth, who is a Belizean missionary serving at Hopewell that is located near Belize City, came to receive most of the supplies for the other missionaries. Upon meeting him, I asked him if he knew my grandparents, who have had interaction through serving in Belize for 50 years as missionaries. Right away he knew who I was talking about. That was the highlight of the trip for me.

12:25pm: Departed Belize City. 4:15pm: Arrived in Key West for fuel and to clear customs. 5:00pm: Departed Key West. 6:15pm Arrived in Wauchula.

Good News!

As of last week, God has supplied the finances through His servants for my Pilot Instrument Rating! Praise the Lord for answered prayers! This is big! This will now allow me to start my needed Instrument flight training and go completely through the coarse! I am very excited to continue pilot training and see more progress!

Yesterday, Eddie Roberts, who is a new member of Harvest, flew out to Harvest’s hanger to discuss flight training with Trey Franks and myself. With Eddie joining Harvest, that in itself is an answer to prayer! He is our one and only flight instructor. It will be a great blessing to have Eddie as a flight instructor because of his vast experience in aviation. He is now retired, but walks away with experience as a Certified Flight Instructor, Instrument Flight Instructor, Multi-Engine Flight Instructor, Flight Dispatcher for Airtran and as an Air Traffic Controller. He has much knowledge that I will be able to learn from.

Eddie and I will start Instrument Flight Training as soon as Harvest’s Trainer Aircraft is ready. The trainer aircraft is in need of one of it’s Communication Radios and the VOR/LOC/Glideslope Indicator(a flight instrument to fly in clouds and land without reference to looking outside of aircraft) to be repaired.  This is the only obstacle standing in the way of continuing pilot training.

Thank you

I am super blessed to have such a faithful team of prayer and financial supporters behind me! I do not take it for granted that God has put this amazing team together! It is one of my confirmations that I am in God’s will! God continues to strengthen my faith in Him repeatedly when He amazes me with His perfect plan, timing and clear direction.  I thank God for you!

Praise God For

1. God’s way of providing financially for flight training and His clear and faithful leading hand.
2. Healing Progress of Ronny’s wife Denise with cancer.
3. Donated twin engine aircraft to Harvest that will be used for Belize flights.

Prayer Requests

1. Ronny Erekson’s wife Denise for healing of cancer.
2. Direction for Harvest Aviation.
3. God’s leading in knowing if I should buy into an aircraft for flight training to reduce flight training cost.
4. More opportunities for me to get into the pilot’s seat for the Belize flights to gain experience.