Training Matters
Factory-fresh R66 arrived July 9
Training matters.
Yes, it sure does!
And that means giving our Ethnos360 Aviation pilots and mechanics the best training possible on the equipment that matches the capabilities of the aircraft they will use on the field.
After all, God has committed to Ethnos360 Aviation the privilege of transporting church planters to take the gospel to unreached people groups. And, in faithfulness to God, to the church planters, and to you, our supporting team, we want to do it to the highest standards.
To that end, we made a strategic decision. The state-of-the-art R66 that Helicopter Chief Pilot Brian Pruett flew from the factory to our training center in McNeal, AZ, on July 9 will get to stay here for a while!
Painting the R66 trainer in our shop.
After we finish painting it with our easily recognizable red-and-white scheme, it will be used as our training helicopter right here in McNeal, AZ. Our pilots will take full advantage of the upgraded avionics and the additional 200-pound lift capacity for sling loading – capabilities that our older trainer (which is already sold!) did not have.
Slingloading tank into Uruwa
Meanwhile, the first two R66 helicopters in Papua New Guinea are steadily busy as they sustain church planters in remote areas. And – good news! – they are reaching new people groups. Just a couple of months ago, pilot Josh Verdonck sling-loaded three 9,000-liter water tanks into the Uruwa tribe where three families moved in. They have just started language learning. Thank you for being on the team to support them with aviation until a thriving church is established.