No more crackling radio transmissions! No more asking the air traffic controller to “Say, again?” And no more asking, “Have you got me now?” Last Fall, in our quarterly newsletter, we made the request for new avionics equipment for our training aircraft. Our good God is answering our prayers in a wonderful way! This week, aviation mechanics came to Rocktop Airport in Pennsylvania from Alaska, North Carolina, West Virginia, and distant Pennsylvania to tear out old equipment and replace with new. Our Cessna 150 and our Cherokee Warrior will have new nav-com radios. The Warrior will also have a Garmin GNC 355, making it a fully capable instrument trainer. Our Cessna 172 (based in Alaska) will be improved with a G5 Electronic Flight Instrument. This one instrument combines the capabilities of several traditional electromechanical instruments and will be a tremendous asset for our flight instructors and students.
Two of the mechanics are Kingdom Air Corps staff: Brian Lites, Director of Maintenance, based in Alaska, arrived Sunday night; Ben Lula, flight instructor and aircraft mechanic, is based in Pennsylvania and oversees KAC operations at the airport. They were joined by three volunteers, all aviation mechanics, who have served with Kingdom Air Corps for years: Gary Amey, Anton Yudzitski, and Justin McKenzie. Dwayne was there, of course, thrilled with the expertise and equipment; so grateful for it all.
I sauntered around the hangar taking pictures. An impressive nest of tangled wiring sat on the hangar floor alongside the old radios. The front panel and the side panels of the Piper Warrior had been removed. Tools, drills, and spools of new wire sat on her wing. The old girl had definitely looked better, but we’re confident her good looks will be restored, and she will take to the sky with an exponentially improved ability to navigate and communicate. What a great training aircraft she will be for flight students working on their instrument ratings!
The mechanics huddled over the worktable discussing the Warrior project, measuring wire, deciding on instrument placement, and consulting with Dwayne on configuring the new panel. It was a beautiful thing, watching these men work together, figuring out each step, making the decisions. Brothers in the Lord, they worked easily as a team, enjoying the challenges, encouraging each other. I don’t often get to watch the guys in action, but since I’d brought a huge box of fried chicken, I had an in! At noon we adjourned to one of our on-site mobile homes to enjoy lunch together, joined by Chelsea Lula and sons, Azariah and Simeon. Our time together was sweet, companionable; the peace of God was evident among us as we ate and shared what God was doing in our lives.
I’m reminded of this scripture from the short book of Philemon, verse 7: “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.”
And also, I think of Psalm 133:1. The English Standard Version translates it, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” But I’m partial to the way The Message Bible puts it: “How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along!”
As we count our blessings, we thank God for you—our faithful prayer partners and supporters who have made it possible for Kingdom Air Corps to purchase these costly upgrades. How you’ve blessed us throughout the years! We are grateful for your continuing help and generosity. You share our world-wide vision to spread the good news of Jesus and the salvation all can have through Him. It’s sometimes hard for us in America to realize the desperate conditions many in distant places experience daily. These are the ones we hope to reach with our pilots and aircraft—those who are surviving in the remote places, scraping out a living, but “having no hope and without God in the world,” Ephesians 2:12. We pray that God blesses you abundantly for your kindnesses.