This week in Waxhaw, North Carolina Kodiak number 8 touched down at the JAARS headquarters. It will spend some time there getting prepared for shipping and delivery to its final destination overseas. It will then be put into service to help speed the process of Bible translation for Wyclif Bible Translators. This is the first delivery of a Kodiak for missionaries.
We work very closely here in the Philippines with JAARS and will be taking over their flying here in a few years. While we aren’t scheduled to receive a Kodiak here, New Tribes Mission Aviation is not far down the waiting list. They are hoping to see their first of 14 later this year. It is amazing for me to see one actually painted in JAARS colors and think that this project that originated in a discussion at lunchtime between two believers has made it through all the FAA certification and production to reach its final goal.
Click to See a Movie About the Kodiak and NTMA
These Kodiaks will meet a very strategic need in missions as fuel for our older airplanes becomes increasingly scarce. Not mention the fact that they can carry a huge load of cargo and people and do it faster and with less runway than our current fleet. I think that is pretty cool.