Spring (not so much of a) Break!

Well this past week I had spring break, but it ended up being not much of a break. I was busy everyday doing all kinds of things including projects, papers, and homework. I did get to hang out with friends, go to Marengo Caves, and run the Rodes City 10k race. 

In Marengo Caves, Indiana

Another highlight of the week was flying a total of 7 hours! These flights brought me just shy of 80 hours! On Tuesday, I flew to Frankfort, down south to a little airport in the middle of Lake Cumberland, where there were horses grazing next to the runway, and then all the way back up to Clarksville (100+ nautical miles!). When I got back to the Louisville area I flew past Clarksville and circled around Henryville to see what the damage of the tornado from a few weeks ago looked like. This was the first time I had done a 100 mile cross country leg and it went great! It does however, get a bit boring and tiring when you aren’t talking with anyone and you are just going straight for 50 minutes. The weather was nice. A few clouds rolled in creating some turbulence and requiring me to stay below 2500 ft. I had flown this route in order to prepare myself for Wednesday, when I would take up a friend (Josh) from school.

Capitol building in Frankfort, KY

Wednesday rolled along and the weather was perfect for flying! Clear blue sky and nice warm temperature. You could definitely tell it was a good day for flying because when we were getting ready to take off there were 5 or 6 others doing the same thing and once we got up in the air there weren’t many quiet spots on the radio. I ended up changing the route a bit because I was tired from the day before and it would be more beneficial to do so. We flew to Frankfort then hopped over to Georgetown where we stopped for a bit. The revised route, took us east of Lexington, over and around Madison/Richmond, KY, and then back west and up to Clarksville. Originally, we were going to land at Bardstown but due to lack of time I decided not to go there. Around Richmond there was a bunker site for something, so we explored that area to see what we could find. Overall, it was a great flight. Towards the end we had some moderate turbulence. It was great to get back in the seat again and go flying.

 

            Some more flying news on my end: I have begun searching for aircraft maintenance schools to go to after I graduate from U of L next May. I will need to get my maintenance certificate in order to fly as a missionary pilot and so I will attend a school somewhere (yet to be determined) for about 2 years. During this time I will go through the mechanics program and build up flying hours and experience. God has been showing me where to go with my future studies and I continue to trust Him in where He is leading me. God has also put an opportunity in my lap to be able to learn mechanics before going to school for it. I will be working with the mechanic for Louisville Aviation over the next year on projects he does. I will get to help him with the maintenance on the airplanes and simply just learn more about how planes work and how to fix them if they don’t. This won’t be a paid job or anything like that, it is more for experience and learning and it will be beneficial for when I go to school for it. I am excited to be taking the next step towards missionary aviation! God has blessed me with this opportunity and I am following Him for His glory, not mine! I want to serve people as Christ served us ultimately with His death on the cross. In order to be right with God we need to repent of our sins, be forgiven, and put our whole trust in God, and in return we get to live eternally with Him and serve Him! How great is that!

Louisville, KY

Romans 12:2 stuck out to me today, 

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

We need to be transformed by Christ and accept the Holy Spirit, then we can discern what God has in store for us and where He is leading us.

Fly with Christ,
Helen