Got Skis?

Between snow storms, the Quest pilots were able to get 8KQ back to Sandpoint yesterday. This could be the last snow this airplane sees for a long time!

N498KQ in Fresh Paint

This image of 8KQ was captured on the ramp in Seattle by a Kodiak watcher who lives near the paint shop. I like the blue sky. Maybe that means it will be back in Sandpoint by the end of today.

8KQ Sports its New Colors

In spite of record bad weather in Seattle, the paint shop has been making great progress. At the first break in the weather it will be flown back to Sandpoint, ready for delivery celebrations on January 8!

N498KQ Off to the Paint Shop

N498KQ is the US registration number of Kodiak 008, and the "name" it will have until it gets its registration overseas. It will become known around JAARS as "Eight Kilo Quebec," or simply "Kilo Quebec." The weather broke in Sandpoint today in time for the Quest pilot to get the "green" 8KQ to the paint shop in Seattle (FlightAware snapshot here as it descends into Snohomish County / Paine field at Everett, WA). Plans are now on track for a January 7 or 8 delivery of a finished, shiny airplane. Standing by....

008 Flies, Pushing Headwinds

Bad weather in Sandpoint last week caused delays in the production test flying of 008. That flying finally took place on Monday (sorry, no pictures available at this time), and 008 is about to get its Certificate of Airworthiness. However, with 2-3 weeks needed for its paint job, we're no longer hoping to see the airplane here by Christmas. The current prediction is for delivery of 008 the week of January 5.

Stay tuned, I will keep you updated as I get information.

008 Gets a Blessing

How many manufacturing companies do you know of that would add a blessing of this sort to their product?

008 Under Power

Signs of life as the Kodiak's 750 horsepower Pratt and Whitney

PT6A-34 turboprop engine comes out of hibernation, earlier this week.

008 as it Looked on Thursday

008 Comes to Life

The reports from Quest keep coming in, with more and more of 008 going together. Last week the first switch was "thrown," meaning power was sent to the Garmin G1000 integrated flight display system. The propeller is now hung in place, but there's no rubber on those landing gear yet!

008 Is Really Taking Shape!

Recent photos just sent by friends at work on our Kodiak show that it is beginning to really take shape. Wings, landing gear, engine, and wiring harness have gone in place. The first electrical switch could be thrown this week, and first flight later this month!

Kodiak 008 Moves Down the Line

Our first Q-100 Kodiak is taking shape on the Quest assembly line, on its long journey to a village on a South Pacific island. It's about to get its wings, wiring harness and engine.

The big question: will 008 come with a Christmas bow stuck to it? We're told to expect that!

The cargo pod should arrive for assembly in a few weeks (below is a shot of a test pod being fitted to the prototype/flight test airplane).

The Porter Goes in the Box

Finally, using the cradles and fixtures supplied by Pilatus, the PC-6 Porter got snugly packed yesterday in the container for its long ride accross the Pond. Rough seas, salt air and bureaucracies are all that stand in the way of seeing it begin service.

Dedication and Disassembly of the Porter

The PC-6 Porter was dedicated by JAARS staff for service overseas. All the new systems are installed and working properly, and the export papers are in order!
The Aviation team that invested their time and effort stood in front of the airplane.




The Porter is only a day or two from being slid into a container for its trip to southeastern Asia. We're using special frames and slings from Pilatus already designed for this operation -- one that's been done many times before.

The Porter is Back...

... and now looks like the two it will join in southeast Asia. Great to have it home and on schedule -- pictured here as it looked when we took delivery on Wednesday in San Angelo , TX, and then as we pulled up to the JAARS hangar on Thursday evening, after over eight hours of flight. After a bit more maintenance and avionics work, we'll begin disassembling it to put in the container a month from now, for the trip halfway around the globe.

The Porter Sports its New Look!

Latest shots from the paint shop reveal the outcome of four weeks of work. I'll be heading out to Texas tomorrow to bring it back to JAARS.

Smoketown was Smokin' !

The new Missions Fest at Smoketown airport on Saturday and Sunday afternoon was a great success, with at least 3,000 visitors on Saturday alone. Four aircraft, including the Kodiak, were kept busy the entire time giving rides. Steve Saint demonstrated his father's "bucket drop" technique. The Kodiak nearly reached the mark of 1,100 people given rides for the summer tour. The weather was beautiful, but the sun was also intense.

Gettin' Ready for the Big One

Rochester, Schenectady, Ft. Washington (Philadelphia) -- all pleasant preludes to the Saturday-Sunday event at Smoketown Airport near Lancaster, PA. The International Association of Mission Aviation "Missions Fest" is expecting around 3,000 attendees. JAARS is here with two smaller airplanes and the helicopter. We'll all be very busy giving rides and telling the story. The Kodiak will be of particular interest to folks who have prayed for and supported the project for years.

Steve Saint is here, and will displaying and demonstrating his little Piper Family Cruiser, identical to the one his father, Nate Saint, flew in Ecuador before that fateful encounter with the Waorani tribesmen in 1956 (read Through Gates of Splendor, or see the recent movie, End of the Spear). Steve will demonstrate the "bucket drop" procedure that his father developed to lower gifts to the Waorani via a long line from his circling Piper.