My Blog

Instrument Panel: The Final Components to Purchase

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:09:59 -0500

Instrument panel- This is a panel design that Ethan is considering for our airplane. It is ideally what he would like to have considering our budget. Although this is a rough idea, final decisions are still in the process of being made. Some instruments may vary from what we list here due to cost restrictions and advancement of technology over the next few months. Overall, we still need approximately $9,000 to complete the instrument panel.

Plane Progress

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:06:13 -0600

Upon returning from Honduras, Ethan was able to work on the airplane all of October and November. During this time, he finished installing the fuel tanks in the wings and completed the rear fuselage. The picture on the left shows the inspection panels that Ethan designed and installed in the wings. This enables him to access the fuel tank connections more easily. The picture on the right was Noah’s first glimpse of the airplane. They are standing beside the rear fuselage. The smaller end is where the tail pieces will attach and the larger end will connect to the cabin area. There are more pictures in our airplane photo album.

We wanted to be with family for Thanksgiving and the Nichols had many loved ones arriving as well, so we vacated their home and headed south. Beth needed to get down to Mexico to stay and wait for Noah’s birth as she was over seven months pregnant at the time. Ethan left Beth and Elena in Mexico with his family and then went back to Louisiana to continue working on the plane. He took his nephew, Timmy, along with him to help. They had planned on working two weeks, but only worked one week before Beth called saying that the baby was coming earlier than expected. Noah arrived on December 19th. We spent Christmas with family in Mexico plus an extra few weeks until Beth had recovered enough for the return trip to Louisiana.

In the short time that we have been back, Ethan has already completed the firewall- the part that goes between the cabin and the engine. He is currently working on the back seats and the cabin. Aside from assembling the engine and instrument panel, the cabin is the most complex part of the construction. All is going well so far. Pictured on the left is the larger end of the rear fuselage. That is the back seat inside. In the right picture is the beginning of the cabin. The front seats will go in this area. The green part in front is the firewall. This is all very exciting, as we are starting to see the airplane take shape!

Noah’s birth was incredible and it was wonderful to spend the holidays with family, but we certainly are excited to be back working on the airplane once again. Every rivet, every wire, every part assembled puts us one step closer to heading back to Mexico!

Continuing Construction

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:15:50 -0500

Ethan had the opportunity to work on the airplane from approximately the middle of June until the middle of July. Then we headed up north to Ohio and Michigan area to take part in a missions conference and to present the ministry at various other churches. We just arrived back down in Louisiana late this past Monday night. Ethan was able to get a few more days of work in while here this week. To date, he has completed the rudder, flaperons, horizontal stabilizer, and part of the fuselage. He is currently working on the wings and installing the fuel tanks. Beth has been able to get out and help at times as well. Sometimes as extra set of hands can make the work go twice as fast. Even Elena likes to go out and put in clecos. She loves playing with Daddy’s tools knowing that she is “helping.” There almost was a delay in the assembly of the airplane because of some missing parts, but the factory shipped them to us and construction is continuing as planned. Keep Ethan in your prayers since the instructions can be somewhat confusing. At times, they are incorrect altogether. To learn more about the airplane, the building process, and to see pictures, please visit our airplane photo gallery.
On Monday, we will leave for Mexico. Ethan has the opportunity to go on a missions trip to Honduras with his dad and some other local pastors. They will be preaching at various churches and teaching a pastor’s conference. We will be gone for about two weeks and then return to work on the airplane once again.

Starting to Build!

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:31:35 -0500

Praise the Lord! The airplane kit is finally here. The picture above is of the big box that all of the airplane parts came in. Now the building process has begun. How exciting it is to see everything starting to come together. In the picture below, you can see the skeleton to the elevator; the horizontal part of the tail that moves the airplane up and down. This is just the first piece that Ethan was able to work on. In only 1-1/2 weeks, many pieces have been finished and are about to be put together; the elevator, the rudder, the flaperons (combo of ailerons and flaps), etc... We have had a little problem with some pieces of the kit missing, but the factory is sending out what we need. Please pray that there will be no more pieces missing. This can really slow down the building process now because of how far Ethan has gotten already. He is so eager to work and get the airplane finished. Beth and Elena get out to the hangar and help as much as possible. Elena loves to “work” on the “airpane.” The next task will be to begin work on the fuselage. We can hardly wait to see this ministry tool be finished and be utilized on the mission field.
We are working on the plane throughout the week and sometimes on Saturdays. Every weekend we are traveling to churches and continuing deputation. It is a busy schedule, but God is good. To see more pictures of the building process, click here and visit our airplane photo gallery.

First Steps!!!

Fri, 8 May 2009 20:28:22 -0500

It is finally here: the first steps of the actual construction of the plane! The first check has been written, the kit has been ordered, and the first part has been completed. What exiting times! On May 14-15, Ethan went to Mexico, Missouri for a ZenithAir workshop. This is the company that makes the kit for the CH801. There he received instruction on interpreting the blueprints and tips on building the plane. More importantly, he purchased the airplane kit and completed construction on the rudder section of the tail. This not only marks the beginning of a great project, but also the birth of a new missions tool that will be used to take the saving gospel of Christ to those who have never heard.
In June, we will begin full-time work on the airplane in Louisiana. There Bro. John Nichols, a long time friend and supporter, has a hangar, a runway, and a plane of his own. He has the necessary, government-approved ratings to help Ethan build the plane and to officiate the work that is done. Praise God for His provision! We are thankful to the Lord for providing over $30,000 for the airplane so far. That puts us at 47%, almost halfway to our goal! We are happy to be able to announce these first and very important steps in this process. Pray with us earnestly that the Lord will bless Ethan and Bro. John in the actual construction of the plane. Pray also that the Lord will continue to provide the rest of the funds necessary to finish the airplane.

Below is a link to a video showing Ethan building the tail.

How Does This All Work?

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:32:39 -0500

The ZenithAir CH801 is our plane of choice for the mission field. This is primarily due to its incredible STOL capabilities. STOL means it was designed for Short TakeOff and Landing. We also desire this particular plane because of its rugged design and all steel, semi-monocoque construction. It will be ideal for landing on unimproved runways, or even in places with no runway at all. ZenithAir states it takes around 750 hours build. That of course is if all goes smoothly.
There are many good reasons for us to build a plane instead of buying one. If Ethan builds it himself, then he can earn his repairman's certificate. Once the airplane flies 100 hours trouble-free, he will be a licensed airplane mechanic. This will enable him to service the plane himself; otherwise another licensed A&P mechanic would have to do the repairs, and that would not be practical since we will be deep in the mountains of Mexico. By building it ourselves, we will know the plane inside and out and it will be easy to know if something goes wrong and how to fix the problem. Also, this will allow us to customize the plane as we need it; thus fitting it for optimum outback performance. When we begin to build, we will go to live in Louisiana. Our friends and supporters, John and Martha Nichols, have graciously offered their home and skills to help us in our endeavor. Bro. John is a commercial pilot, an A&P mechanic, and also an Airframe Inspector (AI). God certainly has sent the perfect helper for this job, as Bro. John will be able to assist us by helping to build the plane and then inspect and certify the work. His help will ensure that we build an excellent aircraft worthy of its calling.
The first stage of the building process will be to purchase the actual kit which is the main body of the plane. This kit will cost approximately $33,500 and will include the long range fuel tanks that we plan to add. The engine and its components, instruments, paint, and upholstery will all be separate phases. We estimate the total cost of the airplane to be approximately $75,000. Praise God, we already have $16,000 toward the airplane. Please pray with us as we strive to reach this goal.