Regina and I flew a Cessna 172 from Nampa to Cottonwood, Idaho, for a short Valentine’s retreat. The weather forecasts proved accurate—clear skies for our departure and arrival airports. Midway, the ceiling lowered as we crossed the mountains west of McCall—as expected. But, we snuggled into the canyon and followed Route 95 through Riggins, and […]
Early morning desert air. The crisp, need-a-jacket kind of air. Sky bright, but the hangar and scattered mesquite trees still cast long shadows. Preflight done. Last thank you handshakes complete. Time to work. I climbed into the Cessna C-182 cockpit. Closed the door, but opened the window. Cold air swirled around the cabin as I […]
The war shut down almost everything. Our host country, Ecuador, and its neighbor, Peru, fought over a portion of their common boundary. Understandably, the Ecuadorian military prohibited all civilian flying, including ours. No food to school kids. No medicine to health promoters. Neither preachers nor teachers to fledgling believers. The worst? No emergency evacuations. The […]
Pebbles scratched the paint. Bigger rocks just turned over in the propeller blast.
But golf- to baseball-sized stones pounded the tail of my airplane. Couldn’t be helped on the gravel strip. Still had to takeoff.
Two boys next to a Cessna 206 at a typical grass airstrip in Ecuador. Photo by Mark and Kelly Hewes.
Back […]
Landmines are usually something one would try to avoid. But recently I met people who look for them on purpose! They are often on their hands and knees with small shovels and wearing protective plating and helmets. These are the brave and courageous staff of the demining organization, HALO.
I had the opportunity to spend a […]
Medical evacuation flights really hurt during my first term. Once turned loose with an airplane in the jungle, I felt I had to be both counselor and pilot. During orientation phase I could busy myself preparing the airplane to receive the patient. The instructor pilot handled talking with the village, the family, and supervising gentle […]