MMS Aviation Black & White Cessna 182 Part Two: The Back Story

Sometimes the back story on how a project ends up in our hangar is as interesting as the project itself. From Tim Obarow, MMS Director of Maintenance:

"This Cessna 182 has an interesting history. It was serving with a ministry in Papua New Guinea when it had a landing accident and was extensively damaged. The ministry purchased the components to repair it, but then realized the job was too big for them. They donated it to another ministry for use in Bolivia, but before it could go there, it needed to be repaired."

Jenny fine tunes a structural repair on a wing rib.

"MMS was contacted for the repair and the plane transported to our facility. Before we could get started on it, Bolivia changed their laws regarding the importation of aircraft. Under the new laws, the airplane was now too old to import. The owners reassigned the plane to serve in the Philippines, so back to the Pacific theater it will go!"

Making this repair saves nearly $1,000 for a replacement rib.

"In addition to the accident damage, the jungle environment has taken a toll on the aircraft as well. Before we're finished, all the (aluminum) skins will have been removed from the fuselage and either been cleaned of corrosion, or replaced...and receive a new lease on life."

Here's the wing that (left to right) Jack, Matt, and Jenny are restoring/reconstructing.

Matt adjusts a cutting tool to create a round cover plate from aluminum sheet.

Dale Coates, MMS Chief Inspector and Project Manager of the Cessna 182.

You can look forward to other updates as this project moves forward. Lord willing, your prayers and gifts will see this Cessna 182 flying again before the end of the year!