Test Flight of LAMP's Cessna 337

I just finished editing the video of Friday's test flight of LAMP's Cessna 337. The test flight went very well and, as test flights are supposed to do, revealed some minor adjustments which needed to be made before the airplane could return to mission service.

The guys worked late into Saturday evening eliminating the "squawks" enabling the aircraft to return to missionary service Sunday morning. This airplane will soon be back in northern Canada expanding God's Kingdom across four provinces.



Enjoy the video!

End of October: Saturday Update

Here At Home
We're enjoying a slow start to our Saturday. It's 31 degrees outside, the sky is clear and the sun's just rising over the hill to our east. Karen's in the basement exercising. The dogs are curled up and asleep in their bean-bag beds. I did my workout earlier, have had my devotions, and am enjoying a pot of fresh-ground, fresh-brewed coffee. For the first Saturday in quite a while, we don't have any expectations we need to meet or ministry to fulfill or house projects to attend to. It almost feels like a vacation day.

Tucker

Tanner

The biggest question we face right now is what to have for breakfast...that's kind of refreshing. I believe Karen's going to make blue-berry muffins.

One of Karen's homemade muffins...

At The Hangar
The Cessna 337 didn't fly on Thursday but it did make its first test flight on Friday. The flight went very well. I shot video but didn't end up having the time to edit the clips. Fridays at the mission have a way of getting very, very short very quickly for some reason. There' s still 8 hours in the work day, but time always runs out before the task list does. And on Fridays, everyone also has weekly clean-up responsibilities. I clean the administrative area. Lord willing I'll put that video together when I get up to the shop on Monday and will have it posted shortly thereafter.

I'm currently involved in the application process with a young couple, am still supervising five families raising support, am producing short videos for the mission and some of the families in the mission, am updating orientation materials in preparation for the Swanson family's arrival from England, sent the December GroundCrew off to our graphic artist, recently re-wrote our training agreement with MAF-UK, met with my candidate evaluation team to debrief the four evaluations we conducted in 2010, and am involved with our leadership team in discussions related to operations in 2011. Actually, I spent a good part of Friday (when not shooting 337 video) reviewing and updating my binder related to all the BHS, CIS, ICE, and SEVIS regulations regarding my responsibility for our international apprentices.

Karen worked her usual Thursday for me and her Friday handling the MMS receipting and mailing list. She also supervised the stuffing/mailing of the 2011 MMS pocket calendar mailing. Those of you who have donated to MMS over the past year will soon receive your 2011 pocket calendars. Thank you to Dana, Sherry, Rachel, and Laurie who helped label, stuff, and stamp the envelopes!

At Fresno Bible Church
Karen just rotated off worship team, I'm still playing the drums, and Karen and I are about to wrap up 12 months of leading the young adult Sunday school class. We have four more chapters to go in order to complete discussion of Abiding in Christ, by Andrew Murray. Prior to starting Murray's book, we went through Steve McVey's Grace Walk.

We both continue to disciple individuals from church.

Thank You!
Thanks for your prayers, your friendship, and your gifts. We're blessed to be here in Coshocton serving on your behalf. We look forward to finishing 2010 well and being prepared for what God will reveal in 2011. We greatly appreciate having you with us each step of the way. And don't be afraid to stop by for some homemade muffins!

Muffins!

Oh, those muffins...

Cessna 337 Rear Engine Installation

I shot these clips prior to the last video posted of the Cessna 337's engine runs and taxi test, but never had the chance to go back and edit these clips until recently. So, even though the airplane is going to be test flown later today, here's an earlier record of Scott and Paul installing the rear engine. I did add in some of the previous test run footage at the end.



Right now the guys are "swarming" the 337 while Scott puts the finalizing the mountain of paperwork that accompanies every aircraft project. Ian, Andy, Josh, and Jim are down there taking care of all the small details before they roll the aircraft into the fall sunlight and prep it for its test flight later this afternoon.

This airplane will be used for ministry in northern Canada.

The Arctic Barnabas Navajo Arrives from Alaska

Here's a snapshot of the Arctic Barnabas Piper Navajo as it pulled onto our ramp this afternoon.

The Arctic Barnabas Piper Navajo

Arctic Barnabas flew their Navajo down from Alaska so we could replace the windows and windscreen, replace the belly skins, remove an engine and ship it out for overhaul, remove its flaps and elevators so a specialty shop can repair them, repair the engine cowling, install a new crew door, and conduct an annual inspection. We've committed to have all this completed and the airplane back in service in three months, by the end of January 2011.

Ian checks some details on GCI's King Air.

Late last week, GCI flew their King Air down for a wash. Here's Ian checking some details before washing the airplane. The airplane in the foreground is Pfeifer Evangelical Association's Piper Aztec which was in for an oil change and to have an instrument replaced.