Track the Sportsman's flight progress

Make sure you check the new link on the side of the blog under the section "my links" to see where the Sportsman is flying. You can use this in a month to track John Douglas as he flies to Cameroon.

Visas and Overflight/Landing Permits

I am submitting the applications for visas and overflight/landing permits this week. The visas should take about a week, and the overflight/landing permits will take about 7 days to receive. I will have to get visas for 3 countries: Mali, Togo, and Cameroon. Overflight/Landing permits will cover Senegal, Mali, Burkina, Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria, each costing $105 plus agent fees and navigation fees, which are based on the MTOW, (max take off weight) of the aircraft. Please pray that there will be no problems with securing the visas or the overflight/landing permits.

New Seat Cushions

During the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) airshow at the end of July I went over to the Glasair Aviation factory booth and visited with Ted Setzer. Ted works for Glasair in the "Two Weeks to Taxi" program and has donated some of his own time flying from his home in Washington state to Oshkosh to help build the Sportsman. Also, when Tom was in Washington Ted fitted and installed the new wheel fairing. During our visit, I sat in one of the factory demonstration aircraft. The first thing that I noticed that was different was the seat cushions. Glasair has redsigned the cushions to be more comfortable. My first impression was WOW what a difference. Then I thought we need to raise some money so Tom can have these in the Sportstman. So I asked the Lord what we should do, and He laid it on my heart to raise the $1800 needed for the new cushions. No sooner did I leave the Glasair booth then I ran into an old friend that I previously helped with some painting on his float plane. He shook my hand and when I opened my had he had slipped me some money. The Lord told me there is the first amout for the seat cushions. So I called Tom and told him what the Lord had laid on my heart to do, and I made some phone calls to some freinds. In only two weeks $650 had been raised.

I called today to check if Glasair had the cushions instock and to verify the price. The cushions are in stock, and they are going to give us a 25% discount on the cushion. So now we only have to raise $1342.50 plus the shipping. God is great.

For those who read this I would ask you to consider if the Lord would have you help with the seat cushion fund. You may send your check to Wings As Eagles 3030 Witzel Ave, Oshkosh, WI 54904, and label it for Sportsman seat cushions. As the money comes in I will update the blog to keep you all informed, and if more than is need comes in we will put it torwards the fuel needed to fly the plane to Africa. Thank you, and may the Lord richly bless you

Ferry Fuel Tanks Being Installed

This week we will be installing and testing the ferry fuel tanks. One of Tom's friends in Iowa donated his time to engineer and fabricate the fuel tanks. The tanks will hold an additional 100 gallons of fuel that is needed to fly from St John's, NL to the Azores island. Tom will be back in Oshkosh on Wednesday, and we will start installing the tanks. After the tanks are installed we will have to test fly the plane to make sure that the system works flawlessly as there is no room for error when flying across the Atlantic.

Plans underway again!!

Greetings to all! It has been a long time since I last updated the blog, so I am going bring it up to date. One year ago we were making plans to fly the Sportsman to Africa. Tom Needham had left Oshkosh and returned to Cameroon to continue the work that God called him to. When he returned he learned that the flight authorization to bring the Sportsman into Cameroon had not been granted. Over the next many months Tom spent hours talking with officials in an effort to get the flight authorization. He even made several trips to Yaounde, the capital city. After Tom asked people to pray, the word spread and people started to pray for the authorization to be granted. People from Maine to California and even in Rock Springs, Wyoming were praying.

Meanwhile the Sportsman remained in Oshkosh until such time as the authorization was granted. The time had past to be able to fly the Sportsman to Africa in 2007, and the trip would have to be made in the spring of 2008. People continued to pray for the authorization. Over a year later, towards the end of June, Tom sent word that the flight authorization had been granted…PRAISE THE LORD. Tom decided to return to Oshkosh, WI at the end of July to make preparations to have the plane flown to Africa. He has flown the plane coast to coast visiting supporting churches and individuals…especially those who helped fund the Sportsman project.

It is late August now and preparations are once again under way for John Douglas to fly the Sportsman to Africa. The route will remain the same, and the planned departure day will be September 27, 2008. Prayer is still needed as each flight from departure to destination will be long and taxing on the pilot's body and mind. Thank you to all who have prayed and are still praying for this plane to arrive in Cameroon safely to spread the good news that Jesus saves!