Aviation for us began in 1976 when Al attended Piedmont Bible College to get aviation training, then National Aviation Academy to get his aviation mechanic’s training. Later, he received his mechanic inspector’s rating (IA) the Baker School of Aeronautics.
In 1982, we departed for the mission field of Bahia, Brazil, where we began an aviation program using a Piper Arrow (PT-NCC) on wheels. That program was turned over to another pilot when we transferred to the Amazon in 1989. We thank God for the 30 years we have now had with ABWE Air.
THE UPS AND DOWNS
In the first few years on the Amazon, the program lost two missionary pilots, leaving only us with the two Cessna 185 float-planes (PT-CJG and PT-DNY). Through the years, no new pilots have arrived to join in flying these planes and we urgently need more pilots to continue the aviation program to its goals for the future.
In the 1990’s, we licensed our own repair shop (which took about 7 years to outfit and license), which greatly benefited the program. Then, toward the end of the 1990’s, the military-controlled aviation system was replaced by a civilian-controlled one. As a result, we were no longer able to have the floating hangar as a maintenance base and costs increased and the planes were “tied up” in the capital city (Manaus) due to multiple complications within the new system. Because we had to take the two airplanes to the nearest shop, which is almost 1000 miles away in the state capital, we met with a three-year period of no flying ministries. In 2009, we were able to resume these when one plane (PT-DNY) was released. PT-CJG has been in Manaus since 2004 and needs major work before it can fly again.
Recently, God brought a Continental pilot across our path (also a Baptist Mid-Missions missionary kid who grew up in the area). He has recently purchased a shop in Manaus and we have (with our Brazilian mechanic’s licenses) joined with him to be able to do the maintenance and inspections on our airplanes from a distance. We hope and pray that this will give our program the needed boost.
We now are looking for more pilots (American or Brazilian) to join us in the endeavor, more mechanics to help staff the shop, and even more, to take on projects needed to
get the second airplane airborne again.
WHY AVIATION?
1. Preaching points (new church plants)
2. Further Bible training for churches (Bible Institute and biblical counseling classes)
3. Missionary transportation
4. MEDIVAC flights for the area
5. Transportation of teams that come to help
6. Transportation of cargo for our missionaries
7. Governmental help for the federal government when needed.
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
This is a great book on our aviation written by Kim’s mom, Ruth Scheltema.
