Off the Grid

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

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Series Code: OTG

Program Code: OTG000029A


00:01 Adventist World Aviation has a mission outpost
00:02 in Guyana South America. Servicing the north western
00:06 part of the country with aviation services, such as
00:10 med-evacs, delivering supplies and spreading the gospel.
00:14 This mission outpost has been in existence
00:17 for well over 10 years now and is thriving.
00:19 They use airplanes as a vital tool to serve the local
00:24 Guyanese people and share the love of Jesus with them.
00:28 There is such a great need for emergency flights from deep
00:32 in the jungle, that they need two aircraft to keep up
00:35 with the flight request demands.
00:37 Sadly within the past year the project had to come
00:41 to a standstill.
00:42 Both aircraft had to be taken offline, because of needing
00:46 emergency repairs.
00:47 With few resources in the jungle, Adventist World
00:51 Aviation leaders had to come up with a solution to the
00:54 problem as soon as possible.
01:48 The AWA mechanics had to ground the pathfinder plane,
01:51 that worked in Guyana for 10 years. It has reached
01:55 the number of hours it can fly before refurbishment.
01:59 Thankfully, they had the foresight to start working
02:04 on a second pathfinder plane, plane number 8838 x-ray
02:09 to take its place.
02:11 This aircraft is an old Cessna 182, that had to be refurbished
02:16 and modified to fly in jungle terrain.
02:20 8838 x-ray underwent a total transformation.
02:23 It was transformed from an old pile of metal,
02:26 to a shining brand new aircraft.
02:29 Ray and Julie Young were given the opportunity to fly
02:32 to Guyana and deliver the aircraft.
02:34 The journey for them took a little over 10 days.
02:39 They left from Sullivan Wisconsin and flew cross country
02:42 to Florida.
02:44 From Florida they launched into the Caribbean and
02:47 island hopped all the way down to South America.
02:50 A small single engine aircraft has limitations on the amount
02:54 of fuel it can carry, so they could fly only a few hours
02:58 before they had to stop and refuel.
03:01 This took great amounts of strategic planning to make sure,
03:05 they would have enough fuel to make it from island to island
03:08 Although they encountered great setbacks due to the weather,
03:12 the aircraft finally landed at Ogle airport.
03:17 After a 10 day journey, Ray and Julie Young land
03:21 on Guyanese soil.
03:24 Laura Labore, one of the mission pilots stationed
03:28 in Guyana flew from the jungle to Georgetown
03:31 to welcome the arriving plane.
03:33 Since Laura flies into this airport almost daily,
03:37 she is good friends with all the local air traffic controllers.
03:40 She has built a good relationship with them.
03:44 When the plane reaches Georgetown's airspace,
03:46 Laura is in the control tower
03:48 ready to greet the new mission plane.
03:50 The journey this plane went through to get here
03:53 was nothing short of miraculous.
03:56 It is no small feat to ferry a plane this great distance.
04:01 They had to wait months for this plane and it is finally here!
04:06 We went through the last two years having only one airplane.
04:10 It's really, really hard to only have one.
04:14 Some people say, you have two pilots, why do you need
04:16 two airplanes for it.
04:17 One of them is a little bit bigger
04:19 one of them is a little bit smaller.
04:20 But having 2 airplanes is so important,
04:22 because when one is down, the other one can keep on flying.
04:26 There has been many times when we started on doing maintenance,
04:30 on an airplane, say just a light maintenance, changing the oil.
04:33 Not that big of a deal. Just changing the oil.
04:36 We get a call for med-evac, so we have to quit, put everything
04:38 back together. This person is bleeding out, or what ever...
04:42 And fly the person there.
04:44 Or worse case scenario, you can't fix it.
04:48 because we are waiting for a new part to come from the States.
04:50 So now we are down, and no one can be med-evaced out.
04:53 There is no way to get in or out into town.
04:56 So we really, really need two airplanes!
04:59 There has been times to, when say I am flying the med-evac,
05:02 or doing some flights and some other emergency comes up.
05:06 At that point, the second pilot can just jump into the plane
05:10 and take care of the med-evac.
05:12 so the response time is much faster to,
05:15 if we have two airplanes.
05:16 The first opportunity she gets, Laura examines the new
05:20 AWA mission plane.
05:22 She inspects both the interior and exterior to see how it
05:26 differs from the plane, that was previously stationed here.
05:31 She cannot wait to get it up in the sky to see how it flies.
05:35 However, before that can happen, the local Guyanese
05:39 officials must first inspect the aircraft, to make sure
05:42 that it is safe to fly in this environment.
05:44 Laura and the Young's watch, as they inspect the plane.
05:49 Neither of them are worried. They know that the AWA
05:52 mechanics did such an outstanding job
05:55 when building this plane, that it would pass any inspection.
05:59 Safety regulations and protocol are very high
06:02 on Adventist World Aviation's priorities.
06:05 Every project they under take, must always pass high levels
06:10 of safety regulations.
06:13 Within a short amount of time the inspection is completed.
06:16 8838 x-ray passes the test with flying colors.
06:20 She is free to fly in the Guyanese skies!
06:25 Laura wants to waste no time getting the plane back to their
06:29 mission post in Mabaruma.
06:31 She knows how badly the plane is needed there.
06:35 A few months ago AWA's second plane,
06:38 a 206- that is a Cessna 206, was also grounded.
06:42 One of the cylinder heads was cracked
06:45 and it is now not safe to fly anymore.
06:48 With the pathfinder plane gone and the 206 being
06:52 the only plane here in Guyana, this needed repair completely
06:56 grounded the Guyana project.
07:01 They can no longer make the lifesaving med-evac flights
07:03 until the new plane arrives.
07:05 With a sense of urgency, Laura, and the Young's loaded
07:08 up the new pathfinder plane, 8838 x-ray and take
07:13 to the skies headed toward their home base.
07:15 They are all anxious to get this plane back, so they can
07:19 again resume their operations and continue
07:21 to offer live saving flights.
07:24 As they fly, Ray takes the opportunity to acquaint Laura
07:28 with the new aircraft.
07:30 He teaches her all the new instruments that only slightly
07:33 different from the previous ones
07:35 Even with all the new upgrades, Laura is an extremely skilled
07:39 pilot and easily picks up on all the new adjustments.
07:42 Laura is so thrilled to have an airplane back in the field!
07:47 So this is what it is going to feel like
07:48 when we're on our way to Heaven.
07:50 Oh, but it is going to be so much fun!
07:52 About halfway into the flight, the skies begin to look
07:55 threatening, and uncooperative. the clouds darken and lightning
08:00 strikes around them. The jungle storm has developed right
08:04 in front of them. Rain begins to fall around them.
08:08 They need to decide that they can continue forward,
08:10 or if they need to turn around.
08:13 They cannot land the plane in this type of weather.
08:17 Laura calls ahead to her husband, Bill to see
08:20 what the local weather is at the destination.
08:22 Bill, hey, I don't know if our texts are going through.
08:28 We are landing in 8 minutes and it looks like it's storming
08:32 over in Mabaruma.
08:34 They decided to push forward. Once again,
08:37 God shows His guidance, as the skies hold back their fury.
08:43 The view of the dirt runway is a welcome sight.
08:47 8838 x-ray has finally reached its final destination.
08:51 For the very first time, it descends from the skies
08:54 and gently coasts to the ground.
08:58 After months of hard work, this aircraft has finally
09:02 arrived in Mabaruma and it can be put into service
09:08 in the work of saving lives.
09:13 Jeh, it was great to see the jungle strip show up in front
09:17 of you, because everything was just green and rain and clouds.
09:19 We had to fly through very heavy rainstorm, just to get here.
09:24 We were wondering whether or not it would even be possible
09:27 to land. But again just in the nick of time the rain stopped,
09:32 than the sky cleared up there was the strip, we flew across
09:38 midfield, over the strip. We saw people out there,
09:41 beside the runway, waiting for us to land.
09:43 Turned and came in and had an absolute gorgeous landing.
09:48 with all of the lights and everything on and pulled up
09:51 in front of the terminal to meet all the local dignitaries,
09:55 and hospital staff, that could take the day off, came out
09:58 to greet us and let us know how much they appreciate everybody's
10:03 support and having this aircraft back in function for them again.
10:08 It was a good feeling to finally have completed the long journey
10:14 that we started months ago.
10:18 Despite the rainy weather, a crowd draws from the village
10:21 to show its support and joy to have an airplane back.
10:25 This airplane is a symbol of hope for the Guyanese
10:29 and they are so very thankful to have Adventist World
10:31 Aviation here with them. Village leaders, as well as
10:35 small children, all crowd around the plane to get
10:38 a better view of this new aircraft.
10:41 Everyone in overjoyed to see the new mission airplane land.
10:45 Officials from the village have come, despite the bad weather
10:49 to welcome the plane home.
10:59 So you guys are happy that the plane is back?
11:13 Thank you!
11:32 Well, I remember the day, when I found out the airplane is coming
11:34 in to Mabaruma. I was very excited and I called people here
11:38 to let them know, that the plane was coming.
11:40 I went out to the airstrip to take some footage of the landing
11:44 when it was coming in. We really had a good turnout.
11:48 It was a rainy day, which is in Guyana it's kind of unusual,
11:51 people come out in the rain, but we had representatives
11:53 of the ministry of health there the regional democratic council,
11:56 all the people that are effected by the airplane.
11:59 They just came out in groves, to basically welcome it.
12:03 Come to welcome it's arrival.
12:05 But for me personally, my heart leaped a beat, when I saw it
12:09 because it's a beautiful airplane, that's number one.
12:12 It's a very well done airplane. Very confident that it's going
12:16 to be a great aircraft for us.
12:17 But just that, I know the amount of work that went
12:20 into preparing it.
12:22 And the commitment of a lot of individuals back in the States.
12:24 The pathfinders and what they did. Helping to raise funds for
12:28 the refurbishment. It just touches my heart.
12:34 They don't realize really, what an impact this plane has,
12:37 because they are not here. But when you live on the ground here
12:40 you see day to day that lives are effected by it.
12:43 It's very very moving and it's emotional.
12:47 It's one of those things that lot of people see as
12:51 just an airplane, but here people see it as a lifeline.
12:54 This village has been without a mission plane for months now.
12:57 And they desperately missed it.
13:00 After a 10 day journey from Wisconsin, the Youngs have
13:04 successfully delivered the aircraft to Guyana South America
13:09 They can't express how happy and honored they are to be the ones
13:14 tasked with this job.
13:17 The journey was by no means an easy one, but it definitely was
13:21 a fulfilling and rewarding experience
13:24 for Ray and July Young.
13:28 I am glad we completed on the promise we made 3 months ago
13:33 to Laura that we would do our best to get her an airplane
13:36 and here it is. We did it!
13:40 And a whole lot of other people helped along the way.
13:43 We get to be the ones on the front I guess. Getting the PR.
13:48 There are a lot of other hands a lot of people who pitched in
13:51 financially, which is really a stumbling block
13:54 for most aviation is the cost. Right?
13:57 So, a lot of people, who are unmentioned, unsung heroes
14:02 in all of this and we sure appreciate everybody's help
14:05 and continued sacrifices that they make.
14:08 So that Adventist World Aviation can keep operating.
14:11 The Young's have dedicated the last half a year,
14:14 to making sure this plane reaches Guyana.
14:17 Ray is a pilot as well as an airplane mechanic.
14:20 He left his home in Canada and temporarily moved to
14:23 Wisconsin, so he could finish the refurbishment of this
14:26 plane and deliver it to this project.
14:30 The level of commitment the Young's have displayed
14:33 to this project is so moving.
14:36 And it goes without saying, they have become very attached
14:40 to this aircraft.
14:42 Finally the Youngs have been able to fulfill their
14:44 promise and deliver the aircraft
14:46 However their adventure here in Guyana is not yet over.
15:01 For the first time in our history here in Guyana, over the
15:04 last 2 months we been down. We didn't have an airplane,
15:07 that was functioning. We cracked the cylinder in our 206,
15:11 that we were using, but the cylinder crack was something
15:14 that set us back. We weren't able to fly with that.
15:18 Meanwhile our other airplane is being prepared
15:20 back in the States, which is the second pathfinder plane actually
15:24 182, but it took time to get that plane prepared,
15:28 so meanwhile we are here without an airplane in Mabaruma.
15:31 What kind of life would that be like compared to when we have
15:34 an airplane is difficult.
15:37 We can't get to town to get supplies for one thing
15:41 In Mabaruma we have very limited supplies here. We can get flour,
15:45 sugar, yeast. A few things like that, but very little
15:51 fresh vegetables, or fruit.
15:55 Needless to say, that effects our diet and really our health
15:59 in certain ways, because it's a diet we're used to eating.
16:02 So we resort to growing things we do grow papaya
16:06 and a few things here. But still we miss out on a lot
16:08 when we can't get to town.
16:10 As project manager I go to town every month to conduct
16:14 business there, things that I need to take care of
16:16 for the project. Government meetings, paperwork that needs
16:19 to be filed. You know, work permits, I mean a variety
16:23 of things that needed to be taken care of. I've been unable
16:25 to do any of that, so I am behind. I have to catch up now.
16:32 But the worst thing of all, is that we get calls from a lot of
16:37 people, that have very legitimate needs to go to town.
16:39 Some of them, many of them are medical, serious family issues,
16:44 like for instance a death in the family and the person is
16:47 in Georgetown we need to go in some cases to identify the body,
16:51 or what ever the situation may be. These are people, who cannot
16:55 afford to pay for a commercial ticket to go out.
16:57 They are very poor and we just have to say no.
17:00 We can't do it and the hospital calls with the med-evac
17:04 an emergency and we are right here in Mabaruma
17:07 but we were unable to assist, so we have to call a commercial
17:10 flight to come in from town.
17:12 Number 1, the pilot has to be available to fly. Number 2 the
17:16 airplane has to be available to fly, because these are
17:18 commercial operations, that are flying all day long.
17:21 Sometimes pilots pass their hours, that they are able to fly
17:25 for the day and they are not available. So in some cases
17:27 the hospital either has to wait till the next morning,
17:30 or sometimes they have to come in at night.
17:32 And meanwhile the patient in some cases hours mean life.
17:35 They are there languishing in the hospital, unable to get out.
17:39 And that's what brakes my heart the most.
17:41 That's what's the most difficult for all of us here, because
17:43 we know the need and there is absolutely nothing we can do.
17:47 The goal always of our project has been to be zero downtime
17:50 as much as possible.
17:51 Sometimes we are down for maintenance but usually not more
17:55 than a day or two, but being down for a month and a half
17:58 to two months, that's been very very rough.
18:00 So we hope that it doesn't happen again!
18:02 The 206 is a vital tool here in the mission field.
18:05 It has a stronger engine and is able to carry more weight.
18:10 So it has been labeled the work horse of the mission field.
18:14 The past few months, the missionaries have all but
18:17 been crippled without the use this airplane.
18:20 Thankfully, Ray Young's trip to Guyana is twofold.
18:24 First to deliver the new pathfinder plane, and second
18:28 to fix the broken down 206 and get it back
18:32 to flying conditions.
18:35 Ray is a skilled airplane mechanic and he brought the
18:38 parts he needed from the United States, to fix the 206.
18:43 So, the very next day, after arriving in Guyana,
18:47 Ray's first order of business is to start working
18:50 on the Cessna 206.
18:53 Unfortunately, the project in Guyana currently has no
18:56 airplane hangar, or shelter to work under.
18:59 Any maintenance they perform, must be done
19:02 out in the open field.
19:04 Maintaining aircraft here is always an adventure in it self.
19:09 You never know when you are going to go out there and work
19:12 on the plane and what you are going to find.
19:14 Either it's really hot, or rainy There is not a whole lot of
19:18 in-between. It's either a lot of sun, or a lot of rain.
19:22 And then let's say you want to go out and work on the plane
19:25 we have a traveling tool shed that we hook up to the truck.
19:27 So maybe you go out to hook it up and find that the tire is
19:31 flat on the trailer. And this has happened.
19:34 We went out to work on it. The tire was flat, so then we
19:38 went to blow it up. In pumping it up we found that
19:41 the generator wouldn't work. And so then we had to
19:43 try to fix the generator. And one day we took 2 hours just
19:48 to pump up the tire because everything was working fine
19:51 got everything working, so we could pump up the low tire
19:53 to go out and do - to just start to work on the airplane.
19:56 So it's always a challenge. Sometimes we get parts sent to
20:00 us and we've ordered a certain part, maybe it's the wrong one.
20:04 Or the one that arrives is broken. So now we have to sit
20:07 and wait for another two weeks for a part to come.
20:09 It's very - very difficult.
20:12 I really miss the overnighting. If something you need, something
20:15 you can't just ship out, or run down to Radio Shack
20:18 and get what you need.
20:19 It's very much a large process.
20:22 Laura LaBore is also an airplane mechanic.
20:26 Both she and Ray will spend the next few days replacing
20:29 the cracked cylinder on the 206.
20:32 Its currently rainy season here in Guyana,
20:35 and the clouds around them promise rain.
20:37 But the mechanics have no choice. They must get this
20:41 plane back up and running as soon as possible,
20:43 even if that means they get wet.
20:47 One common thing of all aircraft, is that they have to
20:50 be maintained. Regular intervals based on the hours of operation
20:53 they have to be checked out, to make sure they are in good
20:56 operating condition.
20:57 We've not had really a hangar or anything to be able to work in.
21:03 We had to do all the work outside, in the elements here.
21:05 We have rain almost every day here, so we have a portable
21:11 tool shed to bring out to the airstrip
21:13 that we use for maintenance.
21:14 We put a tarp over the engine and the pilot
21:16 the maintenance people work under that.
21:18 In order for the cylinder to be replaced, they must first
21:21 remove all the bolts that hold it in place.
21:23 Keeping an airplane out in the humid elements
21:27 of Guyana causes corrosion to build up in the bolts.
21:32 Prying them loose, can be quite difficult.
21:36 The last cylinder head pulled off.
21:42 Heart transplant.
21:45 Within a short time, the dark clouds break loose and water
21:48 pours from the skies.
21:49 But the work goes on. Ray and Laura continue to
21:53 work in the down pouring rain.
21:55 During the rainy season, it rains for weeks at a time here
21:58 in Guyana, so this will be no passing shower.
22:01 Working in the rain makes this job all the more challenging.
22:05 Without a hangar, Ray and Laura must work extra hard
22:09 to get this cylinder replaced.
22:11 Jeah, so in Guyana we have two rainy seasons in December and
22:16 January, May and June. The work doesn't stop, so the maintenance
22:22 has to be on a regular intervals which has to be done an airplane
22:26 We can't just stop and not do maintenance.
22:28 We can't just stop and not fly. We have to keep working,
22:31 so we have to deal with the elements, just like this,
22:33 So it's not an easy situation, but with God's grace
22:38 we make it work!
22:39 A hangar is a desperate need here in Guyana.
22:41 Thankfully, after years of working with the local village,
22:44 they have finally agreed to allow Adventist World Aviation
22:48 to set up a hangar on the airstrip.
22:51 This will be such a blessing, to have a clean, dry
22:54 and controlled environment to work in.
22:56 As you can see, working without a hangar
22:59 is very challenging, and far from ideal.
23:03 We've been working for years, trying to get a hangar
23:05 situated here. And it's more of a political issue,
23:11 trying to find land here, that we can use.
23:13 And I think we finally have a piece of land,
23:16 So we just need to get all the letters in order.
23:19 We're waiting for people to come in from the city,
23:21 to get that done.
23:23 It's not safe to have the airplanes parked out there.
23:26 There are children running all around the place.
23:29 We've found people sitting on the backs
23:31 of the airplanes before.
23:32 It's just not good for the airplanes, also the environment.
23:36 Just the rain having the rain and the sun beat down on it
23:39 all the time, as we are doing work on the engine
23:42 and it start to rain. We have to quick try to cover things up.
23:45 Things still get wet. So we really need a hangar.
23:49 The other thing is time. We're constantly digging through
23:53 buckets full of bags with parts and tools and stuff,
23:57 just trying to get what you need so it takes really long
23:59 it takes twice, two or three times as long
24:01 to work on the plane here, as it would at home.
24:07 After a few days of working in the rain,
24:09 Ray and Laura finally have the 206 repaired.
24:13 The Guyana project is back up and running at full capacity.
24:17 It is wonderful to have all the aircraft back up and flying.
24:21 Although Laura is a mechanic, she is also a pilot,
24:24 a mother, and a wife.
24:26 She cannot keep up with all the maintenance needs
24:28 these aircraft demand.
24:30 Over the years, AWA mechanics fly down from the states
24:34 to help keep these airplanes operational.
24:37 Doing routine maintenance is a constant demand
24:40 for an aviation ministry.
24:42 The thing that we need here more than anything else,
24:44 and I cannot stress this enough, is we need a full time mechanic.
24:50 You know a person, that would be willing to come and dedicate
24:53 a few years of his working here with us. Someone who is an A&P
24:57 who is able to work on the airplanes and understands
25:00 other engines, such as automobiles, motorcycles,
25:04 generators. All of these things that we use here.
25:07 None of us have the time honestly to maintain
25:11 these things. We use them yes, all the time, but we do not have
25:14 the time to sit down and spend the day working on maintenance.
25:17 Because of other responsibilities.
25:20 It is a full time job. It is something that somebody
25:23 could come and we could pretty much keep them busy
25:26 six days a week without too much problem.
25:31 I don't know the solution, I know that there may be
25:34 somebody out there.
25:35 It's not a high paying job by any means, but a very fulfilling
25:40 job, because all the maintenance that would be done directly
25:43 effects our operation here. And lives directly as well.
25:47 This could be a very fulfilling opportunity, but it is going to
25:50 take a special person that sees that as a ministry.
25:53 If you ever find that person, if you are out there let us know!
25:57 After months of being grounded, the Adventist World Aviation
26:00 project in Guyana is in operation again at full power.
26:06 The delivery of the new pathfinder plane and the engine
26:10 repair of the 206 have put AWA mission pilots back behind
26:15 the yokes. Saving lives both physically and for eternity.
26:21 Praise God for all the volunteers and donors!
26:25 who helped to make this project possible.


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Revised 2016-05-02