Pictures and More!

As promised here are some pics from the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) Technical Evaluation I did in Idaho 2 weeks ago.

A view of Boise and one of the mountain ranges.

I am sporting the official MAF Guest ID badge.

Here I am holding the infamous MAF Standard Operating Procedures Handbook. A lot of these procedures we use as a foundation in our curriculum at Prairie School of Mission Aviation.

Ah the Cessna 206Turbo - my swift steed for the week! I had never flown this type of aircraft before but I was able to pick up the procedures and feel of the aircraft quickly!

My Instructor Pilot Brian Shepson and I with our trusty helmets. MAF US wears helmets when they fly. Don't judge Brian...it was dress down day at the airport..;) He and I flew together all week~ I really enjoyed flying with him.


As I said in an earlier post, I sadly have no pictures of us actually flying. I guess I should have brought along a film crew...

So? What's next? Well I'm flying to Ontario next Saturday to visit family for a week and then off to Guelph, Ontario for MAF Canada's Candidate Orientation. This will be a 2 week engagement of getting to know MAF better and then hopefully at the end of that segment, they will invite me onto staff as one of their Pre-field pilots! The 13 year dream is coming true!

I should find out at that time where I will be placed. There are 2 programs in mind and I/MAF will be deciding at that time where I would be the best fit! Do continue to pray with me about placement. It's a big deal! I will need to make a decision rather soon - before Christmas I'm thinking.

Friends, thanks for being a part of the journey so far by reading the updates and praying for me! I cannot even imagine what adventures the Lord has for us in the near and distant future - but they are going to be incredible! You won't want to miss it - We are going to see Him with our very own eyes!!!!

To God be the glory, great things He has done!!

Well friends, I rolled in to Three Hills last night after a week long evaluation in Nampa, Idaho. I have to say, the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) base in the US is awesome. They welcomed me warmly and were super hospitable. I have very few pictures to show for my adventure as it wasn't exactly appropriate to take pictures during the evaluation flights, but I got some on the ground for you.

First I want to say - THANK YOU for praying with and for me this week. I woke up each morning feeling calm and collected. I had a clear sharp mind and was able to catch and correct any errors I made. I was perfectly paired with an instructor. We connected well and he made me feel at ease. In fact, I had met him 2 years ago at a booth at Oshkosh and we had spent a few hours together then as well. It was really neat that I could fly with him last week.

We were able to fly Monday and Tuesday, the simulator was on Wednesday, and then Friday we flew the last lesson - a cross country and diversion exercise in marginal weather. I had to wait an hour until the debrief. Then....to God be the glory, great things He has done! He enabled me to PASS the Technical Evaluation!!!! I am THRILLED! Praise the Lord!

After the debrief, I met with the Candidate Committee so they could get to know me in the event I was loaned to a US program later on. The people I met there were wonderful and caring.

So that's the news I've been waiting to share with you!!! :) :) :)
Thank you again!!!!!!
April:)

...pictures will come soon.....:)

A Pair of Jeans

I've never thought of myself as short, in fact, I tell people I have long legs! (ahem...comparatively speaking...) Lately, I've been wondering who the people are who design pilot seats? Are they retired basketball players who after a long career decided to take up seat design? Were they tired of sitting in cramped quarters and in retaliation determined to create their own? I wonder sometimes.

To me, sitting in a pilot seat comfortably is like wearing a pair of jeans - you need to tweak them to make a good fit! More often than not, if they fit in the hips, you gotta hem them at the bottom. Likewise, I use my "shimmies" (aka pillows) to craft the perfect pilot seat fit! Not only can I see over the panel, but I can reach the rudders too! They say that passengers like that...
Perhaps I should go into the seat makin' business myself:)

I can already imagine the commercial now....

....Are you tired of carrying around pillows to see over the dashboard? Have you heard the red wagon joke one too many times? Then we got a deal for you!! With only 5 installments of $99.99, you too can...

Hmm....

For now, I will pack up the shimmies in my suitcase and fly them down to Idaho to try on a Cessna 206 and as always, after a bit of tweaking, I'll be ready to go~