The end of Orientation and Mountain Week

Orientation is finished as of one week ago.  What a tremendously incredible time!  It was awesome to learn from those who have so much experience in mission aviation, both in flight and in maintenance.  It was also very humbling and encouraging to see that their faith in Jesus came first in everything which then defined how they worked in the hangar or cockpit.

This past week we returned to MN and promptly got sick, which probably has something to do with leaving sunny warm NC and arriving in the frigid great white north!  I am grateful, though, that we stayed mostly healthy through the end of our time in NC.


The second to last week of Orientation was Mountain Week.  I went into the mountains near Asheville, NC, and had a chance to put together all the things I had been learning since August.

On short final for Brown International, a short undulating runway in a field owned by Mr. Brown.

Mr. Brown, who not only let us use his field but also mowed the runway for us, and Steve, a new Instructor Pilot at JAARS.

Liftoff from Brown Int'l.

Evan, one of the instructors in charge of Orientation, discussing the runway with Mr. Brown.

Look closely!  In the middle is a runway called Valhalla.

BJ, another instructor pilot, along with Evan and Steve - setting up Valhalla.

The view from the top of Valhalla.

Landing at Valhalla.

Taking off from Valhalla.

Landing at Valhalla.

Taking off from Valhalla.

Can you find the runway in the middle of the picture?  This is Friendship.

Looking up the runway at Friendship.

BJ and I.

Taking off from Avery County in Spruce Pine, NC.

Landing at Avery County.

Ryan and BJ.  Ryan is the owner of the FBO at Avery County who let us take over his hangar during Mountain Week and provided us with everything we needed.

Final Approach to Valhalla.

Pictures of Nani

Nani dressed as a ladybug and butterfly

...and with her new Mauer Twins t-shirt

100 hour inspection

Part of the Technical Orientation includes hands-on maintenance experience.  The first two weeks of the TO were spent in a classroom learning/reviewing maintenance theory and learning maintenance items specific to the Cessna 206.  There are only two of us in this orientation.

This week Matt B, the other Orientee, and I have been doing a 100 hour inspection on the C206.  For me, as a pilot without a mechanic's license, this experience has been like drinking from a fire hose!  It has been challenging but very good and I have enjoyed every minute.  Learning how things work and what is happening in all the different systems will make me a much better pilot.

Here are some pictures from this week.

This is Matt.  Matt is a pilot/mechanic and will be going with his family with JAARS to Papua New Guinea in January.

Inspecting the cables, pulleys, and fuel system under the floor panels.

Inspecting the cargo pod, trying not to get stuck!  I have a feeling I will be spending lots of time in this position loading and unloading cargo pods...

Right next to us is a Quest Kodiak K100 which will be flying to Papua New Guinea sometime in the next week or so.

Again, trying not to get swallowed up by the airplane!

Washing the airplane...

...100 hour inspection complete.

Bugs and Spiders

OK - so NC has some huge spiders and bugs...

This one was crawling up Jonathan's leg while we were having a picnic last night...he jumped about a mile when he saw what was on its way up!!!

Nani's days

Here are how Nani enjoys spending her days:

Taking walks- sometimes she pushes the stroller and sometimes mama pushes her in the stroller.

Playing in the bottom cupboard with playmates who fit too.

Riding her "bike" as she calls it. She even talks about her bike in her sleep : )

Swinging at the playground- which she calls the "swings and slides"

And, as you may have all ready noticed from the pictures above, playing with her new friends.
This is Madilyn who is only 2 weeks older than Miriam.