Felts Field, Spokane, WA was the site of a new sort of inter-mission effort. In the Moody Aviation hangar (as in Moody Bible Institute - Spokane) we ensconced ourselves in a classroom and attacked several issues. The actual host was the new Spokane Turbine Center ("STC"), brainchild of some Christian and mission aviation entrepreneurs. STC's purpose is to provide quality, 
affordable training to mission aviation students, as well as veteran mission pilots transitioning into turbine and high-tech aircraft.
Jeff Turcotte, the STC Director, had asked us to come and help him through the early development of his curriculum. Our other objective was to work together on a Standard Operating Procedure ("SOP") for the Kodiak that would be generically useful for the different mission operators of the Kodiak.
affordable training to mission aviation students, as well as veteran mission pilots transitioning into turbine and high-tech aircraft.Jeff Turcotte, the STC Director, had asked us to come and help him through the early development of his curriculum. Our other objective was to work together on a Standard Operating Procedure ("SOP") for the Kodiak that would be generically useful for the different mission operators of the Kodiak.
The participants were Jeff Turcotte and Ed Robinson (from STC), Brian Shepson (Mission Aviation Fellowship), Bart Haines (New Tribes Mission Aviation), Jim Conrad (Moody Aviation) and myself. Jeff presented his courses in the Pratt & Whitney PT6 "turbine 
transition" course, the Garmin G1000 course, and conducted several flights in the STC Kodiak (serial no. 001, pictured here in orange) with the participants.
transition" course, the Garmin G1000 course, and conducted several flights in the STC Kodiak (serial no. 001, pictured here in orange) with the participants.After roughing-out these courses, we spent three days on the beginnings of an SOP and cockpit checklist. The two weeks went by quickly. As an added bonus, Brian invited us down to MAF headquarters in Nampa, ID to do some flying in the airplane at a dry lakebed (Coyote 
Lake) they use for R&D work, plus one of the upsloped ranch airstsrips they use for candidate flight training. We gave the Kodiak a full two days of trials, testing the performance and our newly-created SOP and checklists. In spite of our relative inexperience in the Kodiak, we were able to take off and land the airplane in less than "book" distances.
Lake) they use for R&D work, plus one of the upsloped ranch airstsrips they use for candidate flight training. We gave the Kodiak a full two days of trials, testing the performance and our newly-created SOP and checklists. In spite of our relative inexperience in the Kodiak, we were able to take off and land the airplane in less than "book" distances.
1 comment:
Nice post, Steve. The blog looks great and it's interesting keeping up with your earlier training and what's coming up with the KODIAK. Keep up the great work.
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