Our Roses Are In Bloom

Here are some snapshots of the first bloom of our climbing Roses. When we went on vacation we had one bloom. When we returned from vacation this is what we found!

A trellis full of two different climbing roses

These are called "4th of July Roses" because they look like fireworks exploding.

They're mixed in with a more traditional red climber.

I changed to a different rose food/fertilizer the year and the bushes are looking very, very well fed.

On warm days like today it's amazing to sit on our front porch and have the afternoon breeze just wash you in the rose's aromas. The 4th of July roses actually smell like apples!

Have a great weekend. Thanks for your gifts and prayers which enable us to serve and, every now and then, to also stop and smell the roses. We wish you were here to stop and smell the roses with us.

Cessna 402 Spar Cap Project

One of the projects we have underway right now is preparing a Cessna 402 to have its main wing spar inspected. This airplane is used for ministry in the northeastern US and Canada by Wings With the Word.

In March, a team of aviation students from LeTourneau University came out to pull the propellers and remove the engines from the airframe. Now our own guys are digging in a bit deeper pulling the landing gear, removing firewalls, and opening up the wing attach points.

The next phase is to have an outside contractor come in to perform the FAA mandated inspection to confirm airworthiness of the main spar. Should the spar be determined to be airworthy, we'll go ahead and install a "spar cap" as per an FAA Airworthiness
Directive.

It's a rather complex, labor-intensive process. Here's a video I just completed about the project.

Checking Tolerances on the Starter for the 337's Rear Engine

Before building an engine, it's important to measure all the engine components to make sure they are within approved operational limits. Even new parts can sometimes sneak through factory quality control to actually end up in the marketplace out of specification. At MMS, "check, double check, and document what you've checked" is a standard operating procedure.

In this video, Paul explains the critical importance of measuring tolerances on the starter for the rear engine of the Cessna 337. Once completed this airplane will return north for continued missionary service in Canada.

MMS Aviation Open House

Karen and I assisted with the MMS open house last weekend. It was well attended and provided the local community with the opportunity to walk through our facility, view our current aircraft projects, interact with our staff, and gain a better understanding of how we prepare people and planes for worldwide mission service.

More than 300 people came out to visit with us over the course of the day Saturday and then Sunday afternoon. This is MMS' thirty-fifth year of ministry and it was fun to share the excitement with so many folks from Coshocton County and beyond.

Here's a short video with some scenes from the open house.



We wish you could have been here. Thanks for your gifts and prayers which make it possible for us to serve!