Bolivia Mission Aviation

Two years. Yes, two years ago I decided to fly for Gospel Ministries International in Bolivia. It’s been an experience like no other and I’ve never looked back. In fact, this year I believe even more so of my responsibility to give of myself in the Lord’s work. Time is very short my friends. We have witnessed so much misery on this planet, and I’m sure many of you can agree with me on that. I’d like to extend an invitation to you in joining the aviation work here in Bolivia. The Lord has always taken care of our needs, but lately I’ve been impressed by the Lord in an act to get others involved in what needs Bolivia Mission Aviation has. This impression from the Lord has been confirmed by friends and just the other night, by my wife. 

With the aforementioned, I have decided to make my blog a channel for others to see firsthand what our work here in Bolivia is and what the real needs are. I have tried to break cost down in a way that will allow money donated to go specifically to that area of aviation. I’d like to assure you that all donations specifically marked will go towards the support of that need. In addition I will do my best to update you as soon as possible when those needs are met or need your continual support.

If you ever wanted to support a mission aviation project directly, here is your chance. I also ask for your continued prayers. Some of us would not be here today if it were not for the prayers that you untiringly make to keep us safe. May the Lord Bless your offerings and multiply them greatly.

Herman Gonzalez

Chief Pilot-Bolivian Low lands

Santa Cruz, Bolivia

gonzh@hotmail.com

011-591-7-738-6139

http://hermanbolivia.blogspot.com

Herman Gonzalez

Gospel Ministries International

Project Name: Bolivia Mission Aviation

874 South McDonald, TN 37353

1 (423) 473-1841 or 1 (423) 473-1842

Bolivia Mission Aviation needs you......

What can one do with one airplane? If you ask the missionary, “you can get to UTIREG in three hours instead of three days! If you ask the medical evacuee, “you can get to the hospital in three hours instead of three days! If you ask me, “I can get help to you in three hours instead of three days!”

You get the point. The airplane is a huge part of the ministry here. It’s what connects the projects together and keeps the big wheel going. With it you have instant access to open skies and unlimited possibilities in carrying the Lords work forward.

What makes an airplane tick? Wings, fuel, a pilot? Yes, but really what makes an airplane tick is money. We currently fly a single engine, low-wing, four seat airplane. It’s a 1977 Mooney, a “J” model to be exact. The airplane was donated by retired doctor in the US to do just the work it does. N43CA is an

 amazing machine that has the ability to cross hundreds of miles of impassible jungle while economically sipping fuel with its 200hp engine.

N43CA is the work horse the Lord has provided for now. The fuel cost to operate this airplane in Bolivia is quite affordable as a gallon of aviation fuel costs around $2.50 US. With $160 dollars you can make a round trip to the school from Santa Cruz, taking 3 missionaries and 200 pounds of gear. One hundred sixty dollars covers the travel expense of 3 passengers who will either teach or attend secondary school in Bolivia. They do have the 3 day bus option, if the road is dry.

The airplane also flies missions of mercy to bring back the injured or sick. With a few hours notice we can get patients to where they can receive adequate medical attention. These flights are also covered by donations.

Any amount will help defray fuel costs. It could be missionaries one day or supplies the next. If it is your desire to help with this need, please mark “FUEL” on your donation.

The airplane needs oil. It burns about a quart every 8 hours. It needs an oil change every 50 hours. Oil here is more expensive than in the US. We buy it in bulk straight out of a 50 gallon drum for extra savings. Even then an oil change cost about $10 dollars a quart. The airplane needs 8 quarts.  

Oil change plus oil for 50 hours of flying, $140 dollars.

Any amount will help defray oil costs. If it is your desire to help with this need, please mark “OIL” on your donation.

The airplane needs a home. We currently rent a hanger in town for $150 dollars a month. It’s a place to store the plane, do maintenance, and keep the thieves away.

The hanger is a vital part of our operation. Any amount will help defray hanger rental costs. If it is your desire to help with this need, please mark “HANGER” on your donation.

The airplane needs TLC. Even though inspections and major repairs are done in the US, we do occasionally need to fix things here in Bolivia. Our full time mechanic has the knowhow to fix just about anything. Maintenance cost for the airplane ranges depending on what breaks or what supplies are needed.

Any amount will help defray maintenance costs. If it is your desire to help with this need, please mark “Maintenance” on your donation.

The aforementioned needs are directly related to the airplane and its operation. If you would like to donate towards the airplane and all of its needs just mark “AIRPLANE” and I will make sure the money goes towards the airplanes operating costs.

There is also a separate need for the runway project located here in Santa Cruz. As of August 2012, the runway has been approved by the Bolivian Government for use by Bolivian registered aircraft. Please email me if you would like to know more about this project.

Finally we are in need of a Printer/Copy machines for the aviation department.  The pilots are always in need of printing and copying passenger manifests, flight permissions, and other documents. It would be a huge help to have such a machine available to make operations more efficient. If you would like to donate such a machine or help in purchasing one please mark “PRINTER”.

Thank you again for taking the time to read this blog. Please continue to pray for the aviation program in Bolivia. May the Lord continue to bless each of you!

What a year 2012 has been thus far!

What a year 2012 has been thus far! I have been flying airplanes as usual, making the long flights from North America to South America and back up again. In between I’ve had a few experiences along the way and I’d like to share them with you. The Lord has surely been with me these past few months since I last updated my blog. The following are three short stories of the Lord’s ever watchful eye over me and those around me.

Story #1

In July I left Bolivia in the Twin Comanche. The plan was to bring the airplane up to David in the states while he flew it back to Bolivia and I would then continue on to Venezuela to meet Saray’s parents. I picked up Saray in Guyana after dropping off the airplane and together we continued our travels by land through the Guyanese jungles. We boarded a minivan headed for the border with Brazil. It was a typical hot and humid ride as we bounced in and out of pot holes on a dirt road in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere.

At around mid-night the mini-van ran into deep water, the driver tried to forge across the flooded road.  We quickly got stuck, the engine quit and the lights went out, plunging us into darkness. The cabin quickly started to fill up as water rose around us. Adrenaline kicked in and I quickly climbed out a window. The current was very strong as I managed to tie a rope from the van to a tree alongside the road. Holding a small flashlight between my teeth I was able to pull Saray out and get her to solid ground.

The other passengers in the van were able to get out but they opted to stay on the roof. Against my advice they stayed up there all night. In the morning another van that was passing by pulled our van out of the water. Thankfully no one was hurt as the van was able to stay upright all night long.

Story #2

A few weeks went by and now I was back in the states preparing to bring a single engine airplane to Bolivia. The airplane is greatly needed in Bolivia, and after much deliberation the plane was ready to head south. My time in the states had been longer than planned, and I had now a fiancee waiting to be picked up in Guyana on my way to Bolivia.

Bad things seem to always happen at night. I had decided not to fly a single engine over open water at night,  but I figured that my first leg of the journey from Collegedale to Miami would be alright. So I took off around 11ish on a Saturday night together with Gabriel Jones, a new GMI pilot that will be based in Bolivia.

The plane was loaded with supplies headed for the various projects down south. Weight was near the airplanes maximum allowed with plenty of fuel. The airplane had recently come out of maintenance and I had previously tested the aircraft before its maiden voyage. Everything was normal on the run-up. I lined up on the runway, advance the throttle and started rolling. Acceleration was a bit sluggish but none the less acceptable I figured as I was fully loaded. About half way down the runway I pulled the airplane into ground effect a few feet off the runway as I was now eating up way too much runway and the airplane was yet still not air borne. Now the runway I was taking off from at Collegedale slopes downhill and has a drop off at the end with small hills on both sides. It’s a nasty little runway and it’s had its fair bit of accidents in the past. All I could think of was that drop off and the trees down below.

I didn’t have the room to stop so I coaxed the plane out of ground effect as the stall horn blared in our ears. Gently I eased the nose up as we flew over the drop off. The plane tried to climb but there just wasn’t enough power. Somehow we managed to gradually climb, getting just a few feet per minute rate of climb as the stall horn continued to sound. We reached an altitude where I could turn over the hills and just like that full power came back! The airplane catapulted forward with its new found power and we quickly climbed to safety. The airplane has never had the same problem again and we still don’t know why it did that in the first place.

Story #3

I’m finally back in Guyana five weeks later than I had anticipated. Happy to be reunited again, we decide to go for an evening walk. Walking hand in hand between two street lights we start to feel uncomfortable with our surroundings. I glance back behind me and I see someone coming up behind me on a bicycle. He gets closer and it seems as if he will run me over so I turn around to get out of the way. He stops and raises something over his head, I yell at him and back away, Saray screams as the machete hits me on the neck. Another hard blow as the blade bounces off my chest with a pinging sound. I’m stunned at what’s happening. In seconds he’s gone having taken Saray’s cell phone.

We get to a lighted area, fearing the worst I ask Saray if she is ok, not a scratch on her. She looks at my neck where I know I’ve been badly wounded. But miraculously I only have a small cut and a bit of blood. Unbelievable! I could have died had he hit my main blood supply! The Lord preserved my life yet again. Without a doubt I know the angel of the Lord was between me and my assailant. The sound the machete made was like metal hitting metal. There is no other explanation.

The Lord has shown me again and again that I am not alone. Satan is furious, trying all that he can to take me out, but the Lord has a work that needs to be completed. Until the Lord decides, I will continue to work for him faithfully. I pray that this is also your desire.

“Ye, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

Not your grandparent’s missionary pilot!

As I drive on the twisting mountain highway in Tennessee, on my way to pick up the airplane in Collegedale for a flight to Bolivia, I can’t help but wonder in amazement of what I’m about to embark on. You see, not long ago missionary pilots flew their small single engine airplanes in rough places around the world. They were usually stationed in remote areas with a territory to cover, but usually ended up in their homes that same evening. Missionary flying has always been full of challenges, no matter where you fly. But as I entered this world of service, missionary flying had taken a whole new route.

“International missionary pilot,” the words seem a little out of place. Sure, missionary pilots have been flying their small airplanes to distant lands for a long time, dangerous ferry flights that required lots of fuel to get a small airplane over vast expanses of water and jungle, requiring days if not weeks before reaching their destinations.  But, I’m talking about something much different here. I’m talking about a way of doing the Lord’s work that was unheard of, a way of using airplanes to carry supplies back and forth like never before.

Flying for Gospel Ministries International, we have made these otherwise harrowing flights almost a mundane occurrence. About every couple of months a flight departs Collegedale TN, for South America, loaded with high value cargo. The flights are usually accomplished in a Piper Aerostar or Twin Comanche, and soon a Cessna 340. These twin engine aircraft have the range and reliability to make the flights much less stressful on the pilot. And with the addition of the Cessna 340, a pressurized cabin and turbo charged engines for even better performance and safety.

But none of this matters is you don’t have the right people. You need dedicated individuals who take flying seriously and have the experience to share with others. Pilots like David Gates, who pioneered flying in and out of South America, discovering the best routes and airports to land at, dealing with permissions, customs and immigration for every country on the route, knowing where to buy fuel and where not to buy. Small mistakes can quickly get expensive if you don’t know how to play the game. All of this information gets passed down to each pilot who makes these flights.

This is not to say that the variables never change. On almost every flight a new problem can arise, from aircraft breaking thousands of miles from your home base, to waiting for permission to enter the next country on your route. Maybe sleeping under the wing of the airplane because you’d rather wait for better weather or more rest, your choice. Autopilot not working and now you got to hand fly for thousands of miles at night with no horizon. Hard decisions of taking or not passengers, if they can even fit! The variables are unending and require good judgment and a great deal of patience.

You learn to cope with these things and you move forward trusting the Lord will work it out.  After all, you are flying His airplane, and you are His pilot. So, with a boss who owns the universe, that knows how everything works, and has unlimited resources, how can you doubt for a second that he is not in control?

I quickly load the Twin Comanche in Collegedale, call the weather briefer and file my flight plan. The briefer asks me what my final destination is. “Bolivia, South America,” I reply, sounding as confidant as I can.  “That’s a pretty long ways,” he says to me.  I can’t help but smile as I thank him and hang up. It’s just another flight to South America and another new adventure as the Lord’s pilot!

From North to South, all in a Bolivian days work!

It’s been almost a month since I left the states for another year in Bolivia. Time at home went by too quickly. I was not sure of my return to Bolivia, but the Lord provided the funds and the transportation. After communicating with David, we worked out a plan to fly the Twin Comanche loaded with much needed supplies for the TV station and other projects along the way.  Accompanying me would be Jesse Walker, an ER doctor with a heart for the mission field.

After driving down from Michigan to Collegedale TN, we picked up the cargo and headed to Peachtree, Georgia where the Twin Comanche was being worked on. We departed late in the evening with a fuel stop in Florida and an all night flight to Puerto Rico. We again fueled and continued on to Georgetown, Guyana while making a drop-off in Grenada. We spent the weekend with DJ and Jodi Knott in Guyana. Long time friends and missionary partners in Bolivia, it was good to see what they were up to in this strange country. I had the opportunity to visit Bethany Missionary College and saw the work being done to complete a hanger and house that sits next to the runway.

Saying our goodbyes in Guyana, we departed later that night for the longest leg of the trip. 1100 miles and 8.5 hours of flying over Brazil in order to make daybreak in Guayaramerien, Bolivia, the small border town near our school. Once in Bolivia I started to feel right at home. A short 3.5 hour flight and we were in Santa Cruz, thankful to have the long journey behind us and hopefully get some much needed rest.

But, as a missionary pilot in Bolivia you are soon called into action. There had been no airplane in country for over two months, so I found myself making multiple flights. The roads up north are nearly impassible with all the rain, making flying the only way to get students and teachers to the schools. I soon fell back into the rythem of things. God has been good. No serious issues with the airplane and descent weather for this time of year.

In other news, we were able to move the C-182 Turbo from El Trompillo airport, where we were paying for hanger space, to a nearby air strip where we have our other two airplanes. The Lord had blessed us with friends that allow us to keep our airplanes next to their’s free of charge. With the help of Steve Wilson, who is newly married and some elbow grease from David Gates we were able to get the airplane back to flying status. Now all it needs is permission to fly. By the way, this was the airplane that had the propeller stolen off it. The Lord has been good, and we learned a valuable lesson after that ordeal.

Construction continues on the grounds of the TV station. Three houses are in different stages of construction. Water lines are being put in place for future buildings and a TV antenna is being put up later this month to continue the transmission of the TV channel here in Santa Cruz. As you can see there is progress everywhere. David Gates is now dedicating more time to Bolivia projects and well as the aviation side of things. We all hope to see these airplanes doing the work God intended them to do very soon. We have some very anxious pilots awaiting to help me with the flying load around here.

With all this positive news you sometimes also get some bad news. Last Friday I made an emergency flight for a missionary who has worked at the school in Guyarra for many years. She was 5 months pregnant and having complications. She and her husband requested to be flown down to Santa Cruz to get better medical attention. Unfortunately by the time they got here it was too late and they lost the baby. Even though that was a hit close to home, we continue forward doing our best to help those in need including our own.

This week I continue to makes flight to the school. I have a trip to Brazil early next week and a flight back to the states in two weeks, where I will load the airplane and make another journey south full of supplies. I feel blessed to be using my talents in the Lords work. Please remember Bolivia in your prayers. I will try to update you more frequently as some friends have told me that I don’t write often enough. Until next time.