Copyright © 2006 -
More Training
The year in Costa Rica was much too short, but additional training was still to be done, and I returned to California in 2003, where I enrolled in an Airframe & Powerplant course at Long Beach City College. That was completed in 2004, and now the circuitous path I had been on began to have some clarity. After A&P graduation, I was immediately hired as a line mechanic with Heavylift Helicopters near Victorville, CA working on the very same helicopters I had learned to service while in Hawaii. Heavylift is one of the companies contracted by the US Forest Service during fire season to assist in fighting forest fires. A machine that had been designed for war had now been evolved into one that saved lives and property, and I was part of the team that visited most of the 11 western states during the 2005 fire season. The most amazing part of this arduous fire season work was that it gave me the ability to save enough money to complete my flying experience to the point where I meet MAF’s criteria.
Training To Meet MAF’s Criteria
Next came an instrument rating and commercial ticket. Those were both completed in 2005 and I received a CFI rating in April of 2006. As a flight instructor, I am building time to meet the minimum hours of MAF, and had that completed by the Fall of 2006. In late 2006, I reported to MAF’s new facility in Nampa, ID and began my internship as a mechanic for them. The goal was finally achieved.
Goal Achieved...
The lesson I’ve learned from all of this is that God’s plan often looks quite different from our own. When the direct Embry Riddle attendance door closed, the military door opened. When helicopter training was assigned, little did I know that a civilian use helicopter job would give me the financial means to complete my flight training. And, what looked like an off-track assignment to Hawaii reopened the door to Embry Riddle. God surely does work in mysterious ways, but the lessons of getting to here and now will not be lost on me as I face the challenges of serving Him as a missionary pilot.
...and a lesson learned!