After a 18 months of service, the tire on the left is worn to the limits of safe operation, and has been replaced with a new one. Aircraft tires are exposed to punishing rough surfaces, and hard braking with every landing on rural strips. Here at SGSP Aviation in the western highlands of Guatemala, its business as usual with one exception. There is a glaring empty spot on the shelf …
Leave Nothing to Chance
In July, SGSP Aviation Ministries completed annual inspections on mission aircraft in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Now it’s time to take a hard look at every piece of GSE. The goal is to clean, overhaul, service, and test every piece of gear. While it is true, you will not need GSE every day, it is also true that when that day comes, it will be on short notice and mission critical. Robin …
Some Days You Celebrate
Robin’s sewing classes have been going strong for many years, focusing on skill building, social connections, and Bible teachings. Her classes continue to be a popular and rewarding ministry. The Mayen women are from close-knit families and communities. Warmth in Latin American cultures is expressed by physical closeness, hugs, and kisses on the cheek—a traditional and almost mandatory greeting. All of this changed because of covid-19 and feelings of isolation …
Try Not to Breath
The best helper in the world, Robin is happy to do her bit assisting during a recent annual inspection. A clean freak by nature, her attention to detail can make an engine compartment shine. I explained that industrial chemicals can really make short work of otherwise difficult cleanup tasks. On this day I introduced her to one such miracle chemical, Methyl Ethel Ketone (MEK), and mentioned in passing, that the …
Serving Creatively
When I was a young boy growing up in San Antonio TX, my family lived in a house with a large front yard covered with a dense, spongy carpet of St. Augustine grass, a gleaming white concrete walk made a lazy “S” from curb to front door. When the lawn was cut and edged it was the greatest thing to run around barefooted feeling the coolness of the deep grass …
It Only Takes a Spark (plug) to get a fire going…
Not long ago, I found myself on a short, rough airstrip with a deep ravine as you approach and depart. To make matters worse, it was a hot day in the mountains of Guatemala. With passengers, luggage, and cargo in place, SGSP Aviation Ministries was ready to go. But first, I took time for calculating takeoff distance once more just to be sure. As pilot-in-charge (PIC), I factored in aircraft …
Silence is Golden
Chuck & Robin return-to-base (RTB) at Quetzaltenango (MGQZ), after SGSP’s last scheduled ministry support flight of 2019. If you have been following posts throughout the year, Robin has been mastering new tasks and duties like fueling, aircraft marshaling, hangar management, and flight planning. She also enjoys the headset/intercom system when we fly, because it gives her a direct and uninterrupted line to my ears. This enables Robin to chat with …
Making Way for the New!
We’ve marked the calendar, our 13th year as aviation missionaries in Guatemala will soon begin so, It feels right that we prepare a place for 2020 to land. SGSP’s international directors, Chuck & Robin Martinez, will be stateside from mid December 2019 through mid January 2020. Would you like to know how mission aviation (aircraft) helps ministries and missionaries extend the reach of their good works? We will be happy …
SGSP Aviation Ministries is Expecting a…….
The mission of SGSP Aviation Ministries, Inc., is to Give Wings to Good Works! We believe in the power of missionary aviation. Would you like to know more? Why don’t you talk2us@sgsp-aviation.org , find us on Facebook, or visit our blog
Next on the List
Wow! That’s a long list, but nothing can be overlooked, everything here is needed. Mission aircraft have excellent safety records as long as they are carefully maintained. Some parts are replaced when they show signs of wear, some are replaced when a certain amount of time has passed, others are replaced or inspected when directed by aviation authorities, all this, so that the “Good News” can move forward in safety. …