Aerial Tour of JAARS

By Jacob -
Some would say a picture is worth a thousand words...I would say, this one is worth ten. 


If you were wondering, MK Station stands for Missionary Kid Station. It's just a fancy way of saying it is a daycare for missionary kids.


N61JA - The airplane I am currently being taught in. Affectionate terms do not describe this airplane. Commonly termed "The Humiliator" by pilots here, most would agree that flying this thing is definitely a character builder. Since it is a taildragger with the center of gravity designed to be a good distance back from the main wheels, it is especially difficult to keep straight down the runway centerline when landing. If you want a real life example, load up your grocery cart and shove it backwards. Notice which direction it goes. Everything but straight. Anyway,  Mark Wuerffel, describes it this way. "Jacob, the Helio was born in the bush and every time it is moving on the ground it is working as hard as it can to get back to where it came from." At some point I plan to master this beast. holding my breath from touch down until we are stopped cannot be healthy for me :)

With all that said, the Helio is an amazing airplane. Specifically designed to out-perform any other aircraft on short, difficult runways, it has served God's desire to reach all nations. It is an awesome tool and I am thrilled to have my skills as a pilot sharpened by it.


And some of JAARS airport



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