Flying

Karen has written several updates recently, and this time it's my turn (Joe). I love flying airplanes and I have a lot of friends who fly and who are also passionate about aviation. So, some random thoughts on flying, things I've done and what I know so far about flying in Lesotho.  

Flying is not "just a job" for me, and it was not initially a career goal. As a kid I did look up in the sky a lot at airplanes and wish that I was flying, but due to economic constraints and  parents' concern for safety, being a pilot was not something that I perceived as in the realm of possibility. As at result I came to aviation at almost 30 years of age when I rode with my younger brother in a rented Cessna 172.  I was hooked from that point. Karen could see how interested I was and for my birthday in 2010 gave me an introductory flying lesson and a headset. I don't think she realized at that time what a large life change her act would cause. Hopefully she would do it again! 

For those of you who are not aviators, you must realize that ratings or certificates in aviation never end. I can guarantee you that the most accomplished pilot is either consciously or unconsciously yearning for the opportunity to fly a different aircraft, or even better, to earn another FAA rating or certificate. Most of the time, an aviator has a mental list of the next achievements he or she wants to attain. Sometimes these are official ratings and sometimes they are personal records or personal goals. There are practical or career reasons for these attainments, but not always. Many times an aviator will get a rating "just in case" or to qualify for an aviation job he or she is dreaming about.   

Using myself as an example, as of today, I'm an instrument qualified single and multiengine land-aircraft commercial airplane pilot as well as an instructor for single engine airplanes, including instrument instruction. I am also a airframe and powerplant mechanic.  Since I have my dream job with MAF already, I have little reason for career advancement purposes to achieve more ratings. Yet I have a list of desired ratings which I want to attain, for personal fulfillment and a sense of achievement: high altitude endorsement, tailwheel, single engine seaplane, multiengine instructor, air transport pilot (ATP), commercial rotor wing, mechanic with inspection authorization (IA). Time and expense may prevent achievement of some of the goals, but I can always dream!

Karen with my airplane the day I flew it home

Shortly after I became a private pilot seven years ago, this ratings game plus the desire to be able to use aircraft as a real transportation tool drove me to get an instrument rating (a pilot is properly trained to fly through clouds) and then a commercial certificate (so I could be paid to fly). I also began to want to fly faster aircraft than I could economically rent where I lived in Pullman, WA. So I talked myself into buying an airplane. After some research I narrowed my options down to a few different models but there was really only one option for me in my search for speed: a Mooney. I purchased a 1967 Mooney M20F in 2012 and owned it for just over 2 years. I used it for customer service for our family business and for many personal trips with Karen. The ability to go in a straight over mountains and across country at nearly 200 mph brought us to several states and many adventures. Some of the trips in the Mooney stretched my abilities as a pilot, and though I made mistakes, God kept us safe. 

Safety was actually indirectly how I got into missionary aviation. In an attempt to be a conscientious pilot, I periodically attend FAA conferences related to aviation safety. In 2013, shortly before the birth of our daughter, I attended one that turned out to be a mission aviation safety conference. Though I had previously possessed a vague awareness of mission aviation, at that conference, I had my first exposure to missionary aviators. I found out that with my degree from Moody and my commercial pilot certificate, I only needed an mechanic certificate to qualify to be a missionary pilot. Over the course of the days after that conference I began to realize that God had been preparing me all my life for mission aviation. I was overjoyed at finding a way to fulfill my call to serve God in His kingdom while helping others and engaging my passion for flying. You can read more about my passion and calling here.   

But first I had to become an aviation mechanic. It would have been nice to keep my airplane and keep flying while I studied to become a mechanic, but as always in life, there was no way to have it all. So I made the decision to quit my job in the family business, sell my airplane and go all in on an aviation career by becoming a CFI (Certificated Flight Instructor).  After several years as an amateur pilot, I was finally becoming an aviation professional.  As I studied and prepared for this role, I quickly realized that I had a long way to go and a lot to learn.  Fortunately, I had a great and patient teacher in Theresa Nelson at Aero Maintenance in Vancouver, WA, and ended up working for a very professional flight school, Hillsboro Aero Academy, in Hillsboro, OR.  Meanwhile, I attended Portland Community College to become an A&P.

I have flown a couple different models of Cessna 206.  One of them was for a technical evaluation with MAF, and is the same model that I will be flying in Lesotho with MAF, a T-206G.  Before we go to Lesotho I will have opportunity to do a few weeks of training with MAF to standardize on their SOPs and operations in this model. All MAF pilots go through this standardization and I am getting more and more excited about this training after watching several videos posted by other MAF pilots who have gone through this process. To get their pilots ready to fly in challenging mountain terrain and to give them confidence to safely land on airstrips in these mountains that are sometimes less than 1000 feet in length, the MAF standardization takes place in the mountains of Idaho near the MAF headquarters.  The terrain and mountains there are remarkably similar to those in Lesotho, where I will be operating the 206 on dirt and grass airstrips that are 6-10,000 feet above sea level.  

Mountains of Lesotho

I find aviation to be immensely satisfying, both as a commercial pilot and as an instructor.  As an instructor, it's tremendously gratifying to see a student progress and take on the role of being a pilot. 

Besotho woman with baby in MAF airplane

They may struggle but then they "get it." They have the satisfaction of having worked to overcome an obstacle to success. They learn to make smart decisions, to be disciplined, to be methodical and to not let the unexpected fluster them.  I have the privilege of guiding them in that process, and I get to learn along with them.  Often, I have to overcome my own frustration.  Many times I realize that I don't know what I need to when I have to explain or demonstrate something to a student. But the net result is that we both learn.  I also love introducing people, and especially young people, to aviation.  General aviation epitomizes the freedom and community that can be had as a result of investing concerted effort in responsible use of a shared system.  General aviation pilots in the United States have the privilege of flying almost anywhere they want and mingling in the same airspace with airliners carrying hundreds of passengers. This privilege is a result of substantial training and careful attention to safety and good judgment that the vast majority of pilots exhibit.  It's a special community of which I am humbled and happy to be a part. When I take a young person on an introductory flight and see their excitement and joy as they take the controls of the airplane, I am hoping they will catch the bug and invest the time and effort to become part of the aviation community.  I can also use the airplane as a tool to save lives and bring hope to those who have lost hope. How blessed I am to be able to do something I love to help others!

Our Oregon Home

Family Walk

Happy Ladies

Recently we reached 9 months in Oregon.  It really is beginning to feel like home.  God has been really good to us in so many ways. Karen is excelling at her job, and even received an award from her employer for her successes.  Gracie is growing up so fast and just celebrated her second birthday. She has discovered the joy of music that borders at times on obsession.  Karen and I have no idea where that comes from!  I continue to progress through AMT school, which I am enjoying. I am also continuing to flight instruct at Hillsboro Aero Academy. 

Here are some photos of our adventures from recent months:

View from the Cockpit in Astoria, Oregon, where the Columbia River enters the Pacific Ocean

Mt. Hood and Mt. Hood Reflected

Part of an Airplane Alternator

A Jet Engine

Classmates Working on an Airplane

My Taiwanese Flight Student

A Beautiful Spring Day in Oregon

Of course we have struggles too. Our busy lives leave us with limited time to spend together as a family. There are always those tough days at work or for me at school. We also miss our family and old friends from Pullman. Through all, we take comfort in the words of the apostle Paul and say with him, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." And we are not alone.  We have been blessed in finding a good church (Village Baptist) and to develop a new network of friends here both among classmates and at church. We also know and greatly appreciate that many of you are praying for us as we pursue God's will for our family.  

Looking ahead, we have exciting events scheduled for later in the year. On our summer break from school in late August to early September Karen and I will be visiting Ecuador for two weeks with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF).  This trip will allow us to evaluate our skills and aptitudes as they relate to mission aviation in general and MAF in particular. We would appreciate your prayers that logistics would work out as we prepare for this journey. If you would like to financially support our trip through a donation to MAF, a special donation page has been set up for this purpose: http://www.maf.org/adams. 

Work, School and Rain

The passage of time and change of season are evident here in Portland where the rains have begun.  We have been pleasantly surprised, though, how warm it stays when it rains here. Back in Pullman, the rain is often quite cold; sometimes you just wish it would snow instead of rain. In Portland over the past few weeks, the rain and clouds have been burning off by early afternoon on most days, but the locals tell us that the days of gray darkness will soon come!

Bacon and Yogurt!

Since I last posted a lot has gone on in our lives.  Karen has been doing an amazing job and getting high accolades from her managers at the restaurant where she is a waitress.  She has gotten past the steep part of the learning curve and is feeling a rhythm in her work, resulting in a significant reduction in her stress level.  She is also receiving better shifts and really raking in the tips.  She's working 4-5 evenings a week from about 5-9.  While mom is at work, Grace and I hang out until it's time for her to go to bed.  I really enjoy spending more time with her than I did a few months ago.  We are working hard on her letters and she is able to identify several letters correctly now.  We also count the stairs as we walk up to or down from our apartment.  She is a really sweet and well-behaved kid; we have been blessed amazingly.

In the latter part of September I started the Aviation Maintenance Technology program at Portland Community College. Classes run M-F from 7 am to noon.  Our apartment is less than 15 minute walk away, so I just walk back and forth to school each day.  The program is going well for me, and I am done with the first module already.  There are about 20 people in the cohort (class) and we all get along quite well, which is important since there are many group projects.  There is a substantial range in age and background among my fellow students, but most of them say, "I was always fascinated with airplanes (or helicopters) since I was a little kid."  Lots of kindred spirits! Two others in my cohort in the program are headed for missionary aviation, as well as several more in the upper cohorts.  Several of the instructors have been directly involved in mission aviation.

Weighing an aircraft with a team of students

Much of the program is hands-on work.  For example, several different teams in the class weighed an aircraft and then made a record of that weight as if it was an official record that would be used in actual service.  The program is well respected in the industry and does a great job of breaking up the massive amount of learning necessary to pass the FAA written and practical exams into bite-sized pieces.  So far I'm really enjoying the experience and I'm looking forward to each day.

During the first two weeks of classes, I was somewhat distracted by the fact that my oral/practical exam (also known as a checkride) to become a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) was impending and then ongoing.  The CFI checkride is one of the most challenging in aviation because the FAA wants to make sure that instructors who are teaching people to fly airplanes are qualified, knowledgeable, know how to teach and will teach proper procedures by both word and example.  This is understandable and I'm glad that the requirements are stringent, but it does make for a long and difficult trek to becoming a CFI.  Because of this, my primary activity outside of family for three months after moving to Portland was preparing for this exam through study, lesson plan creation and actual flying of aircraft as if teaching a student.  I received instruction to this end from Aero Maintenance Flight Center in Vancouver.  I can't say enough nice things about the people there and especially my primary instructor, Theresa. The course of instruction I received there not only prepared me to be a flight instructor but also improved my professionalism and knowledge base.    

Joe has been a flight instructor for five minutes

The FAA approved examiner assigned to my checkride is notable for having extensive checkrides, and mine was no exception.  Due to my school schedule, the examiner's schedule and a maintenance issue with an airplane, the checkride took place in three different sessions spread over eight days.  The total time of the examination was over 12 hours, of which the bulk was oral questioning, followed by about 2 hours of flying airplanes with the examiner.  On Saturday, October 4, the examiner signed off that I am a certified flight instructor. 

Once I had this certification I was qualified to apply for positions as a flight instructor.  I interviewed at at Hillsboro Aviation and just received word that I have been accepted to a position as a flight instructor.  The location and hours of this job are a perfect fit.   

In summary, it is both exciting and humbling to see how God has worked everything out for our family over the past few months as we follow His will for our lives.   We are also grateful and thankful for the prayers and support we receive from our family and friends.