That seems to be the order of the day lately. We've been -extremely- busy flying. I haven't had a weekend off since Christmas, nor have any of the pilots, nor the maintenance guys.
Life goes on in Kenya, but lots of people are not willing to travel by road just now. So we fly them, so we fly lots. For example, in the last few weeks we've been to Olerai near Bomet about 10 times taking people to Tenwick hospital. Before that it'd been an occasional flight to Bomet.
This past Sunday I was supposed fly 4 folks from Ireland to Mwanza, Tanzania, and then on to Kigali, Rwanda on Monday. Their airplane showed up 2 hours later than we'd originally been told, so we met at 0600 at Wilson and I flew them to Kigali via Mwanza (for fuel), then back via Mwanza to Wilson. Then up to Gatab with a stop at Kambi ya Samaki (fish camp) to drop an AIM missionary before dropping a short term missionary at Gatab. All told, 9.6 hours in the air and a 14 hour day. Tuesday, back to Wilson with a stop in Naivasha to get a family and bring them to Nairobi.
Still Tuesday...off to Musoma, Tanzania to get the Coptic Bishop and two of his people and take them to Kisumu. In Kisumu I picked up Father Elisha of the Coptic church and his family and also James, one of the AIM staff at Mayfield. James is from the Kisumu area. Kisumu was one of the spots of the worst rioting following the election. When flying over it I saw 4 cars moving. The last time I'd been in Kisumu you could barely get through the streets due to the traffic. I'm still not sure how James knew I was coming, the flight had been moved up a day, and I didn't even know he was in Kisumu.
We have to be on the ground 15 minutes before sunset. I took off from Kisumu with an eta in Nairobi that would put me on the ground 25 minutes before sunset (I was scrambling at Kisumu to get paperwork done and get in the air in time to get home before dark. It seems that the officials here slow down when they realize you're in a hurry. I had to find the flight plan officer to file my flight plan. The lady who I paid the landing fee to had to call her supervisor to find the receipt book....argh!!! I'm losing daylight here people!)
My tail wind lasted about to the edge of Kisumu. After that it was a 10-15 knot headwind. egad. I wanted to get out and push.
Sunset Tuesday was at 6:52 pm local. My wheels hit the pavement, according to the GPS and to tower, at 6:37 pm. Whew. Made it. Tuesday was 7 hours of flying.
Today I actually didn't fly, but I did catch up on the paperwork from the previous flights. Tomorrow it's off to Loiyangalani, then Ileret, then Gatab, then Kabarnet, then back to Wilson. Friday and Saturday it's back to Mwanza and then Kigali to pick up the Irish. They'll have been there a week following an adult and a child who have had cataract operations. The operations are the result of a charity effort held in Ireland, and the four people are a news crew from a TV station and a long time missionary who's helped arrange the trip. It was interesting flying them out. I love the accent.
Next week... that's too far away. Lots of flying on the books already, certainly some of it will change, probably more will be added.
This is what I came to do. I pray that God will find my efforts acceptable, and that He will be glorified.
30 January 2008
25 January 2008
Olerai and what can you put in a 206
Olerai. We've been doing a bunch of flights there the last few weeks taking doctors and nurses to Tenwick hospital in Bomet. The Bomet runway is down for repairs, and Olerai farm is the closest runway.
Olerai...sounds like there should be a song...Old MacDonald, Olerai...
After getting back from Olerai I got to go to the Coptic Hospital, run by the Coptic Orthodox church to look at some equipment they want taken to Musoma in Tanzania. They're starting a new clinic there. Saturday Matt O. is taking 4 doctors over to Musoma. Wednesday I go and pick them up, and since I'm going there anyway, they wanted me to take an examination chair and an anesthesia machine.
The chair is HUGE! It must weigh 150 to 200 kg and it's going to fill the airplane. I just hope the weight works out so that I'm not out of balance. They want the anesthesia machine to go too. It's lighter, maybe 60-100 kg but fairly bulky. IF (a big if) it can be disassembled far enough both items might fit. Maybe. I bet I end up taking only the chair. I'm not looking forward to loading it.
I also spoke with one of the passengers going to Musoma. A lady from New York, and she's terrified of flying, especially in a little airplane. I tried to assure her she's getting the best, Matt O. was a USAF instructor pilot, Cessna's service rep told us that he'd never seen aircraft in the field maintained as well as ours, and other words of reassurance. She was not reassured. Oh well. Good luck, Matt.
Olerai...sounds like there should be a song...Old MacDonald, Olerai...
After getting back from Olerai I got to go to the Coptic Hospital, run by the Coptic Orthodox church to look at some equipment they want taken to Musoma in Tanzania. They're starting a new clinic there. Saturday Matt O. is taking 4 doctors over to Musoma. Wednesday I go and pick them up, and since I'm going there anyway, they wanted me to take an examination chair and an anesthesia machine.
The chair is HUGE! It must weigh 150 to 200 kg and it's going to fill the airplane. I just hope the weight works out so that I'm not out of balance. They want the anesthesia machine to go too. It's lighter, maybe 60-100 kg but fairly bulky. IF (a big if) it can be disassembled far enough both items might fit. Maybe. I bet I end up taking only the chair. I'm not looking forward to loading it.
I also spoke with one of the passengers going to Musoma. A lady from New York, and she's terrified of flying, especially in a little airplane. I tried to assure her she's getting the best, Matt O. was a USAF instructor pilot, Cessna's service rep told us that he'd never seen aircraft in the field maintained as well as ours, and other words of reassurance. She was not reassured. Oh well. Good luck, Matt.
23 January 2008
The north country
I spent today wandering all over northern Kenya. First to Kurungu where I picked up 4 people to take to .... but I'm getting ahead of myself.
About 6 this morning one of the Gatab missionaries called and said T. Knowles in Ngurunit had called, looking for a flight to Nairobi. He'd gotten an infection in one leg that was getting worse, to the point where his leg was starting to go numb, and he needed to get to the hospital. John called me because he wasn't sure who else to call. Guess I'm a a bona-fide upcountry missionary pilot now if I'm the one they call.
Plot, plan, figure, replot, refigure. Yep, I can do this. Pick up JL and his 3 at Kurungu, drop them at Korr Catholic Mission airstrip, go to Ngurunit, get T. K. stop at Korr Main to fuel (it's 2 miles west of the Catholic mission airstrip, but we're weight limited because it's short, where the Catholic airstrip is a gross weight runway), then hop over to the Catholic airstrip to get the rest of the guys, go to Samburu South, drop them, continue on with T.K. to Nairobi. Piece of cake.
No plan survives contact with the enemy, that's why he's called the enemy. I taxied down to customs to clear paperwork, as normal. Started to taxi off...nope. Flat tire. Flat tire!?? Sigh. Call the hangar, the maintenance guys (God bless Ryan Williams, the piston fleet supervisor, he's great!) get everything together and come to my rescue. I'm on the way, 45 minutes late, but on the way. Great weather today. Unlike last week (see the last couple posts).
I get to Kurungu. Bookings had tried all morning to get hold of JL and tell him the flight was moved up. No luck. I sit for an hour before he finally gets there at the original meeting time. We get moving, and I drop them at Korr Catholic. One of his guys came with me to help fuel, since I had no idea what sort of condition T.K. would be in. T.K. is waiting for us at Ngurunit. Back to Korr Main to fuel (with a bucket! Pour from the 55 gallon fuel drum into the bucket, hoist to wing, pour through filter - funnel. Repeat. We put half a drum in the plane, loaded up and bounced over to the Catholic airstrip. Everyone loaded up, took off.
The rest of the flight was routine. Oh one more thing it was HOT in Korr. HOT I say. How hot you ask, HOT I say. It was about 40 C, about 104 F. HOT!
A few bonuses about the flight...I had a beautiful view of Mt Kenya today. It was clear as a bell up above the clouds in the morning. In the afternoon I flew between Mt. Kenya and the Aberdares (not a usual route, it's frequently clouded over, but today was great weather, so...) and got to look up at it from the west. Great views.
Another bonus was the nature of the flight to get T.K. That's the sort of thing that AIM Air is all about, providing a life line to missionaries out in hard to reach places. I'm not glad T.K. was ill, but I'm thrilled I was able to help him, and grateful that God let me in on the work.
A final bonus. Seems like we've been taken in by the northern missionaries as one of their own. I'm the one they called in an emergency. Really cool. Really humbling. A bit scary. It's a huge responsibility. Today everything worked out extremely well, despite the rocky start. Tomorrow, we'll see what God brings.
About 6 this morning one of the Gatab missionaries called and said T. Knowles in Ngurunit had called, looking for a flight to Nairobi. He'd gotten an infection in one leg that was getting worse, to the point where his leg was starting to go numb, and he needed to get to the hospital. John called me because he wasn't sure who else to call. Guess I'm a a bona-fide upcountry missionary pilot now if I'm the one they call.
Plot, plan, figure, replot, refigure. Yep, I can do this. Pick up JL and his 3 at Kurungu, drop them at Korr Catholic Mission airstrip, go to Ngurunit, get T. K. stop at Korr Main to fuel (it's 2 miles west of the Catholic mission airstrip, but we're weight limited because it's short, where the Catholic airstrip is a gross weight runway), then hop over to the Catholic airstrip to get the rest of the guys, go to Samburu South, drop them, continue on with T.K. to Nairobi. Piece of cake.
No plan survives contact with the enemy, that's why he's called the enemy. I taxied down to customs to clear paperwork, as normal. Started to taxi off...nope. Flat tire. Flat tire!?? Sigh. Call the hangar, the maintenance guys (God bless Ryan Williams, the piston fleet supervisor, he's great!) get everything together and come to my rescue. I'm on the way, 45 minutes late, but on the way. Great weather today. Unlike last week (see the last couple posts).
I get to Kurungu. Bookings had tried all morning to get hold of JL and tell him the flight was moved up. No luck. I sit for an hour before he finally gets there at the original meeting time. We get moving, and I drop them at Korr Catholic. One of his guys came with me to help fuel, since I had no idea what sort of condition T.K. would be in. T.K. is waiting for us at Ngurunit. Back to Korr Main to fuel (with a bucket! Pour from the 55 gallon fuel drum into the bucket, hoist to wing, pour through filter - funnel. Repeat. We put half a drum in the plane, loaded up and bounced over to the Catholic airstrip. Everyone loaded up, took off.
The rest of the flight was routine. Oh one more thing it was HOT in Korr. HOT I say. How hot you ask, HOT I say. It was about 40 C, about 104 F. HOT!
A few bonuses about the flight...I had a beautiful view of Mt Kenya today. It was clear as a bell up above the clouds in the morning. In the afternoon I flew between Mt. Kenya and the Aberdares (not a usual route, it's frequently clouded over, but today was great weather, so...) and got to look up at it from the west. Great views.
Another bonus was the nature of the flight to get T.K. That's the sort of thing that AIM Air is all about, providing a life line to missionaries out in hard to reach places. I'm not glad T.K. was ill, but I'm thrilled I was able to help him, and grateful that God let me in on the work.
A final bonus. Seems like we've been taken in by the northern missionaries as one of their own. I'm the one they called in an emergency. Really cool. Really humbling. A bit scary. It's a huge responsibility. Today everything worked out extremely well, despite the rocky start. Tomorrow, we'll see what God brings.
21 January 2008
Weather
I thought the rainy season ended with December. I guess someone forgot to let God know, since He's still providing lots of rain.
Usually, if you get out of Nairobi and into the Rift Valley you can get wherever you need to go with no trouble at all. Not so on Friday last week. Egad. I ducked, I dodged, I went east, I went west, clouds, rain.... The weather was poor leaving Nairobi, but I got out. The Rift was full of rain, and it goes off to the north west, so I had to leave it after a while to head east toward Kurungu. More rain, very low clouds...I spent a while wandering around low level (now I know why we do route checks!) . Finally, a break. I dodged a couple more rain showers and was able to get into Kurungu. Wow. I unloaded, and went back. The return trip was easier, and so was the second flight up to Kurungu (I had 2 loads for there on Friday), but I ran out of daylight for the return trip, so I overnighted there in Kurungu, South Horr really, with my passengers and returned on Saturday. The weather was better on Saturday, but I still had low clouds and rain showers to deal with, and had to fight my way into Nairobi.
It was great fun, but I'm -really- looking forward to getting my Kenyan instrument rating in a couple weeks.
Usually, if you get out of Nairobi and into the Rift Valley you can get wherever you need to go with no trouble at all. Not so on Friday last week. Egad. I ducked, I dodged, I went east, I went west, clouds, rain.... The weather was poor leaving Nairobi, but I got out. The Rift was full of rain, and it goes off to the north west, so I had to leave it after a while to head east toward Kurungu. More rain, very low clouds...I spent a while wandering around low level (now I know why we do route checks!) . Finally, a break. I dodged a couple more rain showers and was able to get into Kurungu. Wow. I unloaded, and went back. The return trip was easier, and so was the second flight up to Kurungu (I had 2 loads for there on Friday), but I ran out of daylight for the return trip, so I overnighted there in Kurungu, South Horr really, with my passengers and returned on Saturday. The weather was better on Saturday, but I still had low clouds and rain showers to deal with, and had to fight my way into Nairobi.
It was great fun, but I'm -really- looking forward to getting my Kenyan instrument rating in a couple weeks.
19 January 2008
Gatab, Ngororoi, Loiyangalani, Nolpilipili and other exotic places Continued
Where was I? Oh yeah...flat tires. That was the most "excitement" in the flights there at Gatab. Well, maybe not. I flew on Saturday the 5th down to Olerai to evacuate a family from Bomet to Nairobi. As I landed I could see their police escort drive off...things in Western Kenya have not been good (they are calming down now. Many thanks to all of you for your prayers! Please, keep praying for peace, real peace, for Kenya.)
But, excitement aside, it's deeply satisfying to fly here, whether in Gatab or more generally for AIM Air throughout east Africa. The airplane makes it possible to save lives, and to get missionaries to places to touch lives. Flying from Gatab is particularly rewarding, though. The airplane there is a lifeline for the northern district mission stations, providing transport for fresh produce, or for a medical evacuation.
Life in Gatab is very like life on a farm...there's always something that needs doing. The house needs maintenance, the neighbor needs help with a project, the airstrip needs maintenance ... I spent a fair bit of time helping John Woodworth with some of his projects. Alex went a little further up the hill and helped the Heidorns build their house. Susan stayed busy with running our house. There are some new challenges there. First being electricity. The house runs from a bank of 8 batteries recharged by solar panels and a small windmill. The windmill has the advantage of keeping a charge going all night (the wind blows hard most nights there). I got rather obsessive about turning off lights. The batteries are old, over 7 years most of them, and none will show a charge using a hydrometer. The electric load is light, the biggest draw being the refrigerator. But, if a light is left on the fridge may not be running in the morning.
Susan is looking at how to shop for long term...the missionaries up at Gatab typically shop for 2-3 months at a time, since it's a 2+ day drive over what passes for roads here to get to Nairobi and the grocery store.
I haven't said much about church in Gatab yet. That bears a few words. Church the first week was a bit puzzling...the songs are all in swahili or maasai (samburu is nearly the same, the two tribes are closely related). The prayers and sermon are in swahili and a translator gives them in samburu also. The service is long...2 1/2 hours on average. When you walk an hour or so to get to church there's no hurry to go home. Plus it's the social highlight of the week. I'm not sure how deeply the teachings of the church affect people in their daily lives. The other missionaries in Gatab say that they've had an uphill struggle to make church more than a social event. There is some change, slow, but the idea of discipleship, of living what you say you believe, is starting to catch.
Then, of course, there was the Christmas pageant. Herod was my favorite character, swaggering in wearing a gold lame shirt. Mary and Joseph bickered, the wisemen fought and argued...but the story was told. And indeed, in some ways it brought the story to life even with the laughter. These were real people 2000 years ago, warts and all. The Bible says Mary was a good woman, true, but nowhere does it say she was perfect. Doubtless she and Joseph argued. Likewise the wise men, however wise, must have had their differences. And they all, as we did that day (Christmas day) came together to glorify God.
But, excitement aside, it's deeply satisfying to fly here, whether in Gatab or more generally for AIM Air throughout east Africa. The airplane makes it possible to save lives, and to get missionaries to places to touch lives. Flying from Gatab is particularly rewarding, though. The airplane there is a lifeline for the northern district mission stations, providing transport for fresh produce, or for a medical evacuation.
Life in Gatab is very like life on a farm...there's always something that needs doing. The house needs maintenance, the neighbor needs help with a project, the airstrip needs maintenance ... I spent a fair bit of time helping John Woodworth with some of his projects. Alex went a little further up the hill and helped the Heidorns build their house. Susan stayed busy with running our house. There are some new challenges there. First being electricity. The house runs from a bank of 8 batteries recharged by solar panels and a small windmill. The windmill has the advantage of keeping a charge going all night (the wind blows hard most nights there). I got rather obsessive about turning off lights. The batteries are old, over 7 years most of them, and none will show a charge using a hydrometer. The electric load is light, the biggest draw being the refrigerator. But, if a light is left on the fridge may not be running in the morning.
Susan is looking at how to shop for long term...the missionaries up at Gatab typically shop for 2-3 months at a time, since it's a 2+ day drive over what passes for roads here to get to Nairobi and the grocery store.
I haven't said much about church in Gatab yet. That bears a few words. Church the first week was a bit puzzling...the songs are all in swahili or maasai (samburu is nearly the same, the two tribes are closely related). The prayers and sermon are in swahili and a translator gives them in samburu also. The service is long...2 1/2 hours on average. When you walk an hour or so to get to church there's no hurry to go home. Plus it's the social highlight of the week. I'm not sure how deeply the teachings of the church affect people in their daily lives. The other missionaries in Gatab say that they've had an uphill struggle to make church more than a social event. There is some change, slow, but the idea of discipleship, of living what you say you believe, is starting to catch.
Then, of course, there was the Christmas pageant. Herod was my favorite character, swaggering in wearing a gold lame shirt. Mary and Joseph bickered, the wisemen fought and argued...but the story was told. And indeed, in some ways it brought the story to life even with the laughter. These were real people 2000 years ago, warts and all. The Bible says Mary was a good woman, true, but nowhere does it say she was perfect. Doubtless she and Joseph argued. Likewise the wise men, however wise, must have had their differences. And they all, as we did that day (Christmas day) came together to glorify God.
Gatab, Ngororoi, Loiyangalani, Nolpilipili and other exotic places
Well, we're back in Nairobi. It's been a bit longer than planned, but that's ok. We left for Gatab on the 21st of December, intending to return on the 7th of January, but because of the political situation AIM Air management asked us to stay in Gatab as a reserve for AIM Air...Gatab being peaceful, the airplane easy to get to, and with plenty of fuel (over 1400 gallons on hand). So we ended up coming back on the 13th.
We had a great time there in Gatab! In fact, we're going back to fill in for the other pilot family (they are on home assignment at this time) until they return. No, we're not sure of the timeline.
I got to fly to some interesting places...the Nolpilipili airstrip is banana shaped. Ngororoi is one way..you land uphill (about a 10 degree upslope) and takeoff downhill. The church in Gatab is planting churches at Ngororoi and Nolpilipili, so I flew the pastors there. We also did medical clinics there and in Olturot.
Gatab. The mission station was started about 40 years ago by Howard Anderson, and Paul Teasedale. There wasn't a village there...the village grew up as the missionaries provided water (they dug wells and piped water from the well heads and springs). They started a church there, AIC Gatab. Later a plane and pilot were stationed there to support the northern mission stations: Gatab, Loiyangalani, Kalacha, Korr, Loglogo, and others. Later a hospital was built, AIC Gatab Hospital, and a secondary school, and Haven Home, a boarding home for the school.
Three other missionary families are in Gatab: Jeff and Peggy Heidorn, John and Becky Woodworth, and Friedhelm and Esther Focking. Friedhelm is the doctor in Gatab. John is the station manager and an elder at AIC Gatab. Jeff runs Haven Home. There is also Katharina Dych, the lab tech at the hospital.
Alot of the flights from Gatab are medical in nature. I flew several people to or from the Gatab hospital. When we got to Ngororoi, we were told there was a lady who'd been in labor 2 days. She got flown to Gatab hospital, obviously. Medical flights save, the doctor there estimates, about 2 lives a month on average.
The flights from Gatab tend to be short...30 minutes is a very long one. But the time savings is immense. Loiyangalani is only 15 miles away, about 10 minute flight. It takes 5 hours to get from Loi to Gatab by road.
Excitement...well, every landing at Gatab is exciting. One in particular was...I landed and the right main tire went flat. I never did figure out why. There were no thorns in evidence on inspection, the tube valve was fine... The landing was routine, but on roll out the plane kept pulling right no matter how hard I got on the left rudder and brake. I figured out the problem half way through roll out, but there's not much to do about it except get the airplane stopped. Which I did. John W. helped me get the tire changed and the airplane back to the hangar. It's great having help like that around.
Well, this post is getting long, so more in the next one.....
We had a great time there in Gatab! In fact, we're going back to fill in for the other pilot family (they are on home assignment at this time) until they return. No, we're not sure of the timeline.
I got to fly to some interesting places...the Nolpilipili airstrip is banana shaped. Ngororoi is one way..you land uphill (about a 10 degree upslope) and takeoff downhill. The church in Gatab is planting churches at Ngororoi and Nolpilipili, so I flew the pastors there. We also did medical clinics there and in Olturot.
Gatab. The mission station was started about 40 years ago by Howard Anderson, and Paul Teasedale. There wasn't a village there...the village grew up as the missionaries provided water (they dug wells and piped water from the well heads and springs). They started a church there, AIC Gatab. Later a plane and pilot were stationed there to support the northern mission stations: Gatab, Loiyangalani, Kalacha, Korr, Loglogo, and others. Later a hospital was built, AIC Gatab Hospital, and a secondary school, and Haven Home, a boarding home for the school.
Three other missionary families are in Gatab: Jeff and Peggy Heidorn, John and Becky Woodworth, and Friedhelm and Esther Focking. Friedhelm is the doctor in Gatab. John is the station manager and an elder at AIC Gatab. Jeff runs Haven Home. There is also Katharina Dych, the lab tech at the hospital.
Alot of the flights from Gatab are medical in nature. I flew several people to or from the Gatab hospital. When we got to Ngororoi, we were told there was a lady who'd been in labor 2 days. She got flown to Gatab hospital, obviously. Medical flights save, the doctor there estimates, about 2 lives a month on average.
The flights from Gatab tend to be short...30 minutes is a very long one. But the time savings is immense. Loiyangalani is only 15 miles away, about 10 minute flight. It takes 5 hours to get from Loi to Gatab by road.
Excitement...well, every landing at Gatab is exciting. One in particular was...I landed and the right main tire went flat. I never did figure out why. There were no thorns in evidence on inspection, the tube valve was fine... The landing was routine, but on roll out the plane kept pulling right no matter how hard I got on the left rudder and brake. I figured out the problem half way through roll out, but there's not much to do about it except get the airplane stopped. Which I did. John W. helped me get the tire changed and the airplane back to the hangar. It's great having help like that around.
Well, this post is getting long, so more in the next one.....
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