I find that there is a lot to learn in the waiting season here at Harvest. Even though we are waiting for our final approval to begin flights again, there is still a lot going on at our hangar.
I continue to work on our last manual to be approved, called the Minimum Equipment List (MEL). The MEL is specific to our Navajo Chieftain. All commercial aircraft has one of these, even the ones that you ride in with the airlines. If prior to flight, one of the crew discovers a component that doesn’t function correctly, they first attempt to trouble shoot and repair the problem. But if that doesn’t work, then the MEL is consulted to determine whether the flight can happen. We are talking things like light bulbs, arm rests and also redundant equipment. Additionally, we are now testing and proving that the i-Pads which we use for flight planning, navigation and weather reports will not negatively affect any systems on the airplane. I-Pads are now commonly used in the cockpits of airplanes across the nation, but because we will be a commercial flight operation, we must document that there is no interference, both on the ground and in the air. We have been given the paperwork with all of the testing criteria from the FAA, and now we need to complete the flight test. Again, these tasks are not very glamorous, but it does bring us one step closer to receiving the Part 135 Certification.
Our Chief pilot and executive director, Brian Smith, has received notice from the FAA about his check ride. It is very probable that it will occur in January. This is a huge praise, as he has been waiting for over six months for this day to come.
Christ rules supreme. We are learning that it is all in God’s timing. We can do the preparation, the work required by the FAA, but the timing is completely in our Heavenly Father’s hands.
We are truly grateful for your encouragement, prayers and financial giving.
