Purple

Discover why YAJASI avionics technician Sam Marlowe recently switched his favorite color to purple.

I love the color purple. Ok, to be honest, my favorite color is British Racing Green, but during the month of September I was able to enjoy the color purple. Let me tell you the story.

I have a friend who works for MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) in their hangar just across the ramp from YAJASI’s hangar. Toward the end of August, he sent me a message asking if YAJASI could help them out with biennial inspections that needed to be completed on six of their aircraft before the end of September. Due to some changes with their operating permissions in Indonesia this year, MAF could not perform these inspections themselves. I talked to my boss, Sony Haumeny, and he said yes, we could help MAF with that need. So, for next three weeks I spent two days a week at the MAF hangar working with my good friend, Arleon Eko.

Once every two years these inspections are required to certify the accuracy of the altimeters, airspeed indicators, and transponder for each aircraft when it’s taken to a simulated altitude of 20,000 feet and an airspeed of 180 knots. We use a pressure and vacuum pump connected to the aircraft’s pitot and static pressure ports to create the simulated altitude and airspeed required for the test. The inspection takes about six hours per aircraft—it takes time to take an aircraft altimeter up to 20,000 feet and then back down safely.

So what does all of that have to do with the color purple? As a JAARS and YAJASI avionics technician, I normally work on aircraft that are painted blue and white. MAF aircraft are painted red and white. If you mix blue and red, you get purple. I think that unity and teamwork in the kingdom of God is a pretty neat color; in this instance, it happens to be purple.

Calibrating the equipment on the bench.  Photo courtesy of MAF

 

Certifying the calibration in the aircraft.  Photo courtesy of MAF
Sam Marlowe

Sam Marlowe

Sam and his wife Linda, along with their three children serve with YAJASI in Papua, Indonesia. They moved to Indonesia in 2007 where Sam is an avionics tech and helps with computer support, field security and is chairman of the mission school board of directors. Linda cares for the family and assists with Member Care.