Kodiak Simulations FAT

What is that big box? Well, if you look at it from the other side, you will see something rather more sophisticated than a box. Complete Kodiak cockpit, video visual displays, and electric servo motion.

Today Mark and I came to Pittsburgh, home of Fidelity Flight Simulations to help our friend Jeff Turcotte from Spokane Turbine Center (see Kodiak on Tour and Two and a Half Weeks in April for more info on "STC") in the process of testing the Kodiak simulator (actually an "Advanced Airplane Training Device") that is being developed by Fidelity. Technically this event is called Flight Acceptance Testing ("FAT"), where pilots who have flown the actual airplane run the simulator through maneuvers and critique its "fidelity" to the real thing. After all, if we're trying to simulate a Kodiak, we want it to look, sound and feel as much like a Kodiak as possible!

After the first couple flights we had some suggestions, and after some adjustments of the software by the Fidelity technicians, a final flight for the day revealed marked improvement. Amazing how that works - type in some computer code, and the box behaves differently! Two more days of this "work" (some people would pay to get to do this) and our contribution will be finished.

Hopefully this simulator will be in its bay at STC's facilty on Felts Field in Spokane, WA this summer, and the first mission pilots will be able to fly it as part of their introduction to the Kodiak.

The Navajo Comes Home

On Friday around 4:30 p.m., after ten years of service in the Philippines, and a stint before that in Colombia, RP-C2748 showd up in the sky over JAARS' runway and touched down. Now it is being retired from our fleet as we seek to upgrade to turbine aircraft.


Ken and Roger were elated, for obvious reasons, to see all the familiar faces that came out to welcome them.

The Navajo Makes the Mainland

Finally on Tuesday Ken and Roger made landfall and landed at Santa Maria, CA after an instrument approach to minimums. Last night they made it to Abilene, TX, and today we hope to see them in Waxhaw, NC. Below, some pictures of Tarawa, Christmas Island and Hawaii.

The Navajo Takes on the Pacific

With all these new aircraft getting ready to go overseas, we have some older ones that we are disposing of. In some cases, that means bringing them back to the U.S. Such is the case for our Piper Navajo RP-C2748, after many years of service to our work in the Philippines.

Today it embarks on the next leg of its flight across the Pacific after several days of delay in Guam, waiting for a replacement part for a failed High Frequency radio.

Just last week our pilots and mechanics were putting the finishing touches on the airplane, including a "ferry tank" to extend its range. Then the team gathered around RP-C2748 and commended it and the two pilots, Roger and Ken, to God's protection on their trip across the Pond.

Now, re-equipped with a High Frequency Radio, they are departing on their next leg, Guam-Tarawa, followed by Christmas Island, and finally American soil, Hilo, Hawaii. After the final and longest jump to California, they will complete the journey to North Carolina. Stay tuned for updates over the next few days.

008 Visits Dallas

The JAARS team took 008 to Dallas this weekend to honor partners who have helped fund this airplane, and to give our co-workers at the International Linguistics Center their first look at this new airplane. Many thanks to the folks at Jet Center of Dallas at the Dallas Executive Airport (old Redbird Airport) for the use of their facilities, and their excellent support. All day Saturday, and Sunday afternoon, we gave rides in the Kodiak, and did several high-performance flight demonstrations.

008 Goes Down for a While

Mark and I have gotten to a good place in our flight training for the Maintenance guys to have some concentrated time with 008. On the agenda: Design of an engine fire detection system, and installation of the High Frequency radio and antenna.

They'll have two uninterrupted weeks to get these projects started, as well as begin the paperwork on the FAA certification of these modifications that will be needed in Papua New Guinea.

Meanwhile, Mark and I will be looking over our notes from 50 hours of flying, examine our Standard Operating Procedure, and training curriculum.

But first I'll be heading out tomorrow to Sandpoint, ID for Quest Mission Team meetings on Wednesday.

JAARS Dedicates 008

We love ceremonies! And the dedication to God's service of our very first Kodiak was a great opportunity for one. This Saturday the JAARS family and other friends came to celebrate this airplane's beginning of service, and to dedicate it to God's work.

Many missionaries that have ridden in just about every kind of bush plane, in every region of the world, crowded around 008 and imagined what it would be like to travel to their ministries in this fine machine.