Being in the aviation world, you realize one thing very quickly. Pilots can talk. They tell great stories of their superior skills evading even their judgment and dodging certain peril. It is a tapestry woven of tall tales, that only get better with time and repetition. I often wonder what the airplane’s version of the story would be, or what stories airplanes would tell. I suspect they would be slightly different versions than the pilot’s but nevertheless I imagine they would be great.
Over time certain airplanes develop personalities and become a part of you. One such airplane is here in McNeal with us now, and lately it has been my main arena of training in preparation for the Philippines. In 1961 it became the 190th Cessna 185 ever built and was one of NTMA’s first 185s ever purchased. It has recently changed ownership and will be flown by one of my good friends in Alaska, and I am sure the stories will continue.
This particular 185 has traveled in shipping containers from the US to Indonesia, to the Philippines, and back again; a total of over 30,000 miles. It has over 10,000 hours of carrying missionaries, supplies, tribal people, and a variety of other items over harsh rainforest. With a conservative estimate, that would equal over 1.2 million miles!
It was first sent to Indonesia to help with the flying load that a single Supercub was unable to sustain. During it’s 18 years of service there, it enabled missionaries to take the Gospel where it could never go without it. Day after day it was pounded in and out of jungle airstrips, loaded and unloaded, inspected and re-inspected to make sure it would always be ready for anything it might be called to do.
Eventually it was fitted with a very famous set of replacement wings. They have over 8,000 hours of their own stories, one of which is the night that they flew Paul Dye out of the Columbian jungle in dense fog with almost no fuel on board in his escape from captivity by guerillas. He landed with only his landing lights illuminating a field in the jungle and both he, and the airplane were unharmed. The book and movie “When Things Seem Impossible” tell the story.
Now this airplane is in pieces, and I am a small part of the restoration process. I can’t help but wish that I could hear all about the things this airplane has seen and heard and the adventures it has been on.
>>Click Here to View Pictures of the Rebuild<<
I remember as a child in the Philippines hearing Paul Dye’s story on an old cassette tape and being inspired to someday be a pilot like Paul. Now Paul is my flight instructor, our stateside representative for the Philippines, and I am helping to rebuild the famous wings that God enabled to carry him on an impossible flight.
I really believe we have the most privileged job in the world. What other profession do you get to come face to face with men and women with such amazing stories of God’s faithfulness and provision. It is in their wake that we ride into a life of adventure, joy and certain hardship all because there are people who do not know that Jesus stands in their place, condemned, so that they can be right with God. It is worth every minute of it. Just ask the 190th Cessna 185 ever built, and it will tell you stories of how it took the Gospel to people who could have never heard without it. I’m sure it would tell you that all 600,000 minutes of flight time were worth it. Even though it means that it has to retire now, and go to the cold climate of Alaska on its new set of snow skis.