Saturday, April 25, 2015

The Kodiak Has Arrived!

After over two years of praying, support raising, trusting in God, being amazed at how HE works, maintenance training, flight training, hangar building, and a 30 hour ferry flight, Chad and the Kodiak arrived in Shell, yesterday afternoon.  We are just amazed and praising God for His leading and protection in this whole project.  Chad has been gone close to 3 months over the last year to prepare for the arrival and Andi has gone from interest in a new plane to sick of hearing about it for so long.

Chad went up to Latacunga yesterday to finish the last leg of the ferry.  The plane had been in customs since Daniel and he arrived Monday from Panama.  We weren't sure how long the plane would sit there, but 5 days was definitely on the short side of our worst case scenario.   Chad left with Jorge (one of our ADSE mechanics) at around 10:30 to drive up to Latacunga.  The paperwork was done and waiting for a signature.  Even driving up was a step of faith, as signatures here have a way of taking a long time to get.  After arriving at around 12:30, we found out the paperwork still wasn't ready, so Chad got the plane ready and waited to hear if he would be riding the bus back (Jorge was continuing on to another city) or finishing the last leg of the ferry.  As is usually the case, God worked out the details better than we could have.  The weather had not been too great in Shell, so the waiting game allowed the weather to clear for the Kodiak's arrival.  Finally, at around 3:30 pm, the permission came and Chad arrived in Shell around 4:30.   The airport fire department welcomed them with an arc of water from the two rescue trucks and the entire airport came out to the runway to watch the landing. 

After a low pass, the Kodiak crosses over the threshold of runway 30 in Shell for the first time.

Don't look now, but the entire airport is watching your landing.  Pray it's a good one!

Airport firetrucks welcoming the Kodiak.

Taxiing back to the hangar after a welcome by the airport fire trucks. 

Happy to be home.

Not everyone could be in the picture, as the other pilots were flying and not in the hangar.  This is most of our maintenance and support staff. 

Who's got two thumbs and thinks the Kodiak is Koooool?

Home.


5 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks Jeremy! We appreciate your help in getting us to this point and we're so glad to have you MAFers now!

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  2. Great photos, Andi! So thankful the flights and customs went well. So good to see the Kodiak in the Shell Hangar! What a journey! Sylvia

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  3. Reading this blog post brought tears - God is so faithful! We are excited to learn how God uses the Kodiak to better serve the people of Ecuador. Thanks for letting us be part of the joy journey. Margie

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  4. I too, like anonymous are crying. I am so proud of you Chad! God is so faithful, even when we are not. And when the plan He put together 13 some years ago comes to pass, well it is just awesome!! We serve an Awesome Amazing God! Thank you Chad for your faithfulness and dedication! Love you loads! MoM

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