Aviation Maintenance Interns

Kyle Colen

Restoring “Millie” was a Highlight
by Kyle Colen

“Welcome to the JAARS Center” was a wonderful sight after driving from my home in Indiana this past June. I had recently graduated from Purdue University with my A&P certificate and had been accepted at JAARS as an aviation maintenance intern for six months. My goal was to gain mission and general aviation experience.

I was quickly put to work removing and replacing sections of skin on a damaged wing. From there my experience had just begun. I had the opportunity to pick up “Millie,” a Helio Courier, after it was damaged in a tornado that went through Tara Field in Atlanta, Georgia, July 7, 2005. This aircraft had served for 25 years and logged over 8,000 miles with SIL in Peru before it was returned to the United States in 2000 and sold.*

After Millie was deemed repairable by the insurance company, JAARS agreed to do the restoration. I was eager to be a part of this endeavor, disassembling it in Atlanta and then working with other mechanics helping to restore it when it arrived via tractor-trailer at JAARS in Waxhaw, North Carolina. This effort is now in the final stages, and I hope to see Millie fly before I leave.

More than anything during my time as an intern, God has been teaching me about life and about how awesome He is. It is amazing to see what He has done though Wycliffe and JAARS, and it is a privilege to work with people God has chosen to be a part of aviation and Bible translation. Through many, I have seen His truth and grace displayed. I would recommend that any young Christian with an A&P certificate participate in an internship. It is a great learning and growing experience.

*Millie was purchased by a retired Delta airline captain in 2001. He has flown Millie to many JAARS public relations events and air shows and is an advocate of Bible translation. Prior to the purchase, an article was written about Millie by a JAARS pilot.
(See http://www.jaars.org/aviapubs/cr_ultimate.shtml.)

Jeremy Kaetterhenry

An Unexpected Internship in Southeast Asia
by Jeremy Kaetterhenry

I was broken down on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere in Missouri when I got a phone call. “How would you like to work on airplanes in Southeast Asia?” Of course I accepted the offer and thus my adventure began.

I had signed up for a JAARS maintenance internship earlier in the year and was looking forward to squeezing all the experience I could out of six months in the hangar in Waxhaw, North Carolina. Little did I know then that I would have the tremendous opportunity to spend two months with an aviation team overseas as part of the internship!

As Cathay Pacific Airlines whisked veteran aircraft mechanic Ray Brubaker and me away to the South Pacific, I found myself a little nervous yet quite eager to join this dedicated maintenance team halfway around the world.

During my time there, I assisted with a top overhaul and several inspections on Helio Couriers, including a 1000-hour inspection. What an experience to get up close and personal with many of the systems and components on the airplane! I also participated in several inspections and a couple of sheet-metal projects on the new Pilatus Porters. It was exciting to work on these awesome airplanes that are used every day to minister to the people of this area. I flew to some remote villages and witnessed exactly how important these “foreign canoes” are. Not only do they bring tools and supplies to the people but also the Bible translated into their own languages.

I have been interested in mission aviation for a long time and this was an extraordinary chance for me to understand what it is really like out on the field. The integrity and dedication of the aviation team along with their expertise was very encouraging. In November 2005, when I completed the remainder of my internship at JAARS in Waxhaw, I came away not only with a wealth of valuable experience and incredible memories but also with a renewed passion and drive to serve Jesus Christ through mission aviation.

Mandi Nelson

A Passion for Aviation
by Mandi Nelson

Aircraft maintenance has been my life for the last year and a half. In late August 2005, I began an aviation internship at JAARS after finishing 12 months of A&P school at Missionary Aviation Institute (MAI). Prior to attending MAI, I received a BS in Aviation Flight Technology from Christian Heritage College in southern California.

My education gave me much of the knowledge needed for aircraft maintenance, but my time at JAARS is providing invaluable hands-on experience. I have had a hand in painting a Helio, upholstering Helio seats, repairing ailerons, troubleshooting brake and engine problems, tearing down an engine, and preparing a C-206 to go to Brazil, among other things.

My passion for missionary aviation began as a passion for missions in junior high. I was drawn to aviation in my later high school years while searching for a college major. During my senior year I started flying, soloed before leaving for college, and the rest is history.

I had the opportunity to work with SIMAIR in Niger, West Africa for three months after graduating college and before A&P school. This was a valuable intercultural experience where I was included on some flights and worked maintenance in the hangar.

Between A&P school and my internship, I was privileged to fly across the country in a Helio Courier. Another student from MAI and I accompanied Roger Krenzin, JAARS veteran pilot and recruiter. We flew from Waxhaw, North Carolina, to the Northwest Mission Aviation Fly-In near Portland, Oregon.

The trip was a great learning experience during which I gained almost 25 hours of flight time. I recently finished the minimum requirements needed to schedule a technical evaluation with JAARS and it’s my desire to be flying for them within the next few years.

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