Lesotho, Africa...
July 11, 2011
July 3, 2011
Fun with Planes! (The Quest Kodiak)
WARNING: If airplanes bore you, you might just want to scroll down to the very last picture...it's not of an airplane :)
I (Ben) am down in lovely Spokane, WA taking a some more aircraft maintenance courses at Spokane Turbine Centre. Amy and the kiddies are on the Sunshine coast spending time with family (I miss you guys!). Yes, I did take a course earlier this year in Wichita, but that course was focused on a different aircraft - the Cessna Caravan. The courses I am taking here at STC are geared towards the Quest Kodiak (both planes are utilized by MAF in Indonesia). Let me show you pictorially the vast differences between the Kodiak and the Caravan:
I (Ben) am down in lovely Spokane, WA taking a some more aircraft maintenance courses at Spokane Turbine Centre. Amy and the kiddies are on the Sunshine coast spending time with family (I miss you guys!). Yes, I did take a course earlier this year in Wichita, but that course was focused on a different aircraft - the Cessna Caravan. The courses I am taking here at STC are geared towards the Quest Kodiak (both planes are utilized by MAF in Indonesia). Let me show you pictorially the vast differences between the Kodiak and the Caravan:
Quest Kodiak 100
Cessna Grand Caravan 'Grand' meaning a stretch version compared to a regular Caravan. It has extra trunk space like the Dodge Grand Caravan, but when you're flying over tree tops, thankfully it's a little more reliable than a Dodge!
Yes, at first glance they look almost the same. Maybe the most noticeable difference in these two pic's is the cargo pod on the belly of the Caravan. But soon, most Kodiak's will also have their own cargo pods as they have just been approved by the FAA and are being installed in basically all new planes rolling out of the factory, and retrofitted to most of the ones out there already flying. It makes the plane much more useful (not to mention more front heavy which is a biggie with the Kodiak).
Now, you might wonder what the point is of operating two different aircraft that almost look identical? So glad you asked! As the Caravan has been around for about 25 yrs now, MAF has been utilizing it for quite some time, and it has proven its usefulness. Both the Caravan and the Kodiak have a turboprop PT6A engine, which is a jet fuel burning turbine engine (the same technology and fuel used by commercial jetliners).
Piston type aircraft burn a leaded gasoline called AVGAS, and in recent years this fuel has become extremely expensive, or just down right non-existent in a lot of developing countries. This has proven to be a large issue for MAF since the large portion of their fleet has been traditionally piston type aircraft like the Cessna 206. Not being able to fly because of weather or political situation is one thing, but missing out on helping when you're needed just because there's no fuel isn't cool.
Now, you might wonder what the point is of operating two different aircraft that almost look identical? So glad you asked! As the Caravan has been around for about 25 yrs now, MAF has been utilizing it for quite some time, and it has proven its usefulness. Both the Caravan and the Kodiak have a turboprop PT6A engine, which is a jet fuel burning turbine engine (the same technology and fuel used by commercial jetliners).
Piston type aircraft burn a leaded gasoline called AVGAS, and in recent years this fuel has become extremely expensive, or just down right non-existent in a lot of developing countries. This has proven to be a large issue for MAF since the large portion of their fleet has been traditionally piston type aircraft like the Cessna 206. Not being able to fly because of weather or political situation is one thing, but missing out on helping when you're needed just because there's no fuel isn't cool.
MAF Cessna 206, the traditional workhorse of MAF. Due to high fuel prices, it is becoming (or will become) an endangered species in the MAF fleet.
Problem: A Cessna Caravan cannot fly into a lot of the places a Cessna 206 can. Another issue is that the different "bush plane" aircraft types that traditionally flew into hard-to-get-to places with short runways (like Beavers, Otters, Helio Couriers, etc.) are quite old. Some of them have been out of production for 20 - 30 years.
This is the main reason for the Quest Kodiak. Quest Aircraft wanted to develop a single engine aircraft that was jet fuel burning, economic, hardy, useful (like a pickup truck), modern, and had STOL (short take off & landing) capabilities. And the ultimate goal was to produce an aircraft well suited for missions and humanitarian work.
On Canada day I was able to drive over to Sandpoint Idaho where Quest Aircraft produces the Kodiak and get a tour of the production line. To say the least, it was very neat to see!
This is the main reason for the Quest Kodiak. Quest Aircraft wanted to develop a single engine aircraft that was jet fuel burning, economic, hardy, useful (like a pickup truck), modern, and had STOL (short take off & landing) capabilities. And the ultimate goal was to produce an aircraft well suited for missions and humanitarian work.
On Canada day I was able to drive over to Sandpoint Idaho where Quest Aircraft produces the Kodiak and get a tour of the production line. To say the least, it was very neat to see!
Early on in the production process, this is the floor of the fuselage. You can see the seat rails where the passenger seats will be mounted. Almost all the sheet metal parts (all painted green with aluminum primer) are produced right in the plant. Along with that, basically all machined aluminum alloy parts are also produced on sight using giant computer controlled milling machines, they were about half the size of my house. Some larger aircraft companies sub-contract out a lot of parts & sub assemblies to be made somewhere other than the main assembly plant, so it was neat to see how much is made on sight at Quest.
Looking down the line, this aircraft is serial number 56. A couple of planes on this line are future MAF aircraft, and I think one of them is headed to Indonesia...maybe this one!
Wings on, and starting to resemble an airplane! Now it needs an engine and some landing gear, and maybe a few other things :) What do they say...measure twice, cut once?
This is a Pratt & Witney PT6A turbo-prop engine, a Canadian product! This particular one used in the Kodiak is rated to put out 750 shaft horsepower on take off. A really rough guess is that a brand new engine like this costs around $400,000 to $600,000 (depending whether or not you get dinged with the HST tax in BC). Notice the four bladed propeller, four blades instead of three allows for shorter blades, meaning the blades are farther off the ground and as a result (good for the mechanic) less damage to the prop from rocks and such. There are a lot of little 'off road' considerations like this in the Kodiak.
Driving back to Spokane...I thought Amy would like this picture. We both grew fond of Canola fields while living in Dawson Creek, BC.
June 29, 2011
Pictures
Here are a few pictures of our kids & cousins Unfortunately, it's not all of them, missing are Eli, Isabella, Levi, Charlotte & Gabriel.
Helena & Poppy
Ivy
Lily
Baby Denver (Ivy & Lily's little brother)
At the beach just down from Grandma White's house
Jonah
June 25, 2011
Goodbyes, Crates, & Runny Noses
Yes, runny noses are always fun! The last few weeks has been crazy for our family. At the very least, I've re-assured myself that being a professional mover is not something I'd enjoy as a career! I sense some irony in the fact that we're moving to a remote part of Indonesia & we don't like moving :) But who really does? It's kind of like installing drywall - nobody really likes it, but some people just do it anyways. One major difference between this move and any of the other 5 moves Amy and I have survived, is the amount of planning and preparation that is involved. You can't just throw those 'last few items' in the back of the truck and give 'er...everything has to go somewhere - permanently! For us, it has been one of 4 places:
1) Get rid of it Sell it, give it away, burn it (just joking, burning only happened when we lived out of town & I had some extra Jet A 'fire encourager' on hand) or, in the dumpster.
2) In the crate Is it HAZMAT safe - can you start a fire with it? Will it sink a giant ship? (examples are hand sanitizer, some bug sprays & vanilla extract, DANGER!) If the item is good to go, record it in a spreadsheet list to be certified later, & record what bin it goes in. Next item!
3) On the road & on the plane What we take on the plane with us from Canada is everything we'll have from Canada in our first year overseas. It's really not so bad though, we'll be furnishing a home there, it's not like we're eating rodents on a dirt floor by candle light - at least not all the time :).
4) In Storage Thank you to some very kind folks (thanks Beth & Owen!) & our lovely families who have provided places to store all that stuff we can't take with us, but would love to keep for a future home.
Amy and I are not the most dis-organized people in the world, but I must say, it is hard to imagine how much work this all is until you actually do it. When you live in a home for a few years and have four kids, you tend to acquire 'stuff'. We would actually of had a lot more except we've known this move was coming for quite some time.
The month of June also had our first major goodbye. Six years ago to the month Amy, newborn Luke, and I were just moving to Prince George. We started attending Central Fellowship Baptist Church because it was just down the road from our basement suite. Six years later we are saying goodbye to so many good families and friendships we've developed over this time. Central is a major part of what God has called us to do overseas, and Amy and I can see how and why God lead us to be a part of this church during our time in Prince George. And although it hurts to say goodbye, it is so neat how Christ's body of believers at Central will play such an important role in how God uses us in Papua, Indonesia. They have put a lot into us as a family and a lot into our ministry, and we are excited to share together in God's blessing in the future.
We left Prince George on the 19th and headed to Kamloops where we were able to share at Kamloops 1st Baptist that Sunday night. We really appreciated meeting the folks there, and were encouraged by their prayers (and of course visiting with Auntie Helen, Uncle Earl, & Cousin Lana!). After that, on to Revelstoke for a few days before heading to the Sunshine Coast.
Now we're vagabonds - homeless & on the road! Well, not quite...we're on the road but our home is sitting empty in Prince George. It has been caught up in a swirling mess of undecided indecision. "To be sold to new owners, or become a rental" That is the question. We appreciate your continued prayers about this, as we need to figure something out quite soon.
Being born and raised in Canada, I haven't ever had to wonder where the next meal is coming from. But I think we all can relate to stressing about financial 'unknowns', whether it's a home that needs to be sold, or a business, or something else. I recently read over a portion of Matthew 6, and what encouragement the following passage is. It's a little long but it is better read as a whole:
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[g] 28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
1) Get rid of it Sell it, give it away, burn it (just joking, burning only happened when we lived out of town & I had some extra Jet A 'fire encourager' on hand) or, in the dumpster.
2) In the crate Is it HAZMAT safe - can you start a fire with it? Will it sink a giant ship? (examples are hand sanitizer, some bug sprays & vanilla extract, DANGER!) If the item is good to go, record it in a spreadsheet list to be certified later, & record what bin it goes in. Next item!
3) On the road & on the plane What we take on the plane with us from Canada is everything we'll have from Canada in our first year overseas. It's really not so bad though, we'll be furnishing a home there, it's not like we're eating rodents on a dirt floor by candle light - at least not all the time :).
4) In Storage Thank you to some very kind folks (thanks Beth & Owen!) & our lovely families who have provided places to store all that stuff we can't take with us, but would love to keep for a future home.
Helena helping Dad move the crates
About to leave home & Prince George
Amy and I are not the most dis-organized people in the world, but I must say, it is hard to imagine how much work this all is until you actually do it. When you live in a home for a few years and have four kids, you tend to acquire 'stuff'. We would actually of had a lot more except we've known this move was coming for quite some time.
The month of June also had our first major goodbye. Six years ago to the month Amy, newborn Luke, and I were just moving to Prince George. We started attending Central Fellowship Baptist Church because it was just down the road from our basement suite. Six years later we are saying goodbye to so many good families and friendships we've developed over this time. Central is a major part of what God has called us to do overseas, and Amy and I can see how and why God lead us to be a part of this church during our time in Prince George. And although it hurts to say goodbye, it is so neat how Christ's body of believers at Central will play such an important role in how God uses us in Papua, Indonesia. They have put a lot into us as a family and a lot into our ministry, and we are excited to share together in God's blessing in the future.
We left Prince George on the 19th and headed to Kamloops where we were able to share at Kamloops 1st Baptist that Sunday night. We really appreciated meeting the folks there, and were encouraged by their prayers (and of course visiting with Auntie Helen, Uncle Earl, & Cousin Lana!). After that, on to Revelstoke for a few days before heading to the Sunshine Coast.
Now we're vagabonds - homeless & on the road! Well, not quite...we're on the road but our home is sitting empty in Prince George. It has been caught up in a swirling mess of undecided indecision. "To be sold to new owners, or become a rental" That is the question. We appreciate your continued prayers about this, as we need to figure something out quite soon.
Being born and raised in Canada, I haven't ever had to wonder where the next meal is coming from. But I think we all can relate to stressing about financial 'unknowns', whether it's a home that needs to be sold, or a business, or something else. I recently read over a portion of Matthew 6, and what encouragement the following passage is. It's a little long but it is better read as a whole:
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[g] 28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
A visit to Blanket Creek Provincial Campsite outside of Revelstoke. Chase the gophers!
Soaking up the rays with Mummy!
The perfect nutritional snack for a small wild animal (to reduce human interference with pristine nature) is mini Ritz crackers.
June 4, 2011
Pretty good Kiddies...
Despite the 'unsettledness' in their home of late, our kids are doing quite well, and are looking forward to what Mom & Dad tell them about our "pending adventure" in a far away place.
Simon is so proud to announce he's riding his bike without training wheels!
Check out his rad moves.
This is Luke's 3rd summer riding a bike, now he's got little Bro to tag along.
Amy and Charlotte getting a little sun.
Helena being Helena...full of mischief.
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