Can you believe it? Only one week to go! That’s right, I leave for Haiti with a short-term mission team from my church this coming Saturday morning. This time next week, I will be laying my head on a pillow in Port-au-Prince for the night.

Our last training session is tomorrow afternoon. I will also be wrapping up the last of the pre-trip interviews tomorrow. During the interviews, I have been asking members of the team why why they chose this mission trip, what expectations they have for the trip, what they have been doing to prepare, and what excites them (and worries them) about the trip.

Today, I started my antiviral medication for Malaria. Living in Haiti for a week certainly means a lot of changes in the day-to-day.

I also ordered the last bit of video gear I will need for the trip; a small LED light panel, some extra batteries and memory cards, and grip for the camera to allow me to capture semi-stable action shots. That stuff should arrive this week.

Schedule

We fly out of Orlando on Saturday morning on American Airlines with a short layover in Miami. We will arrive in Port-au-Prince, Haiti around noon. We will be spending the night in Port-au-Prince, possibly in the orphanage at the church. I say “possibly” because we really don’t know yet. Pastor Seige in Haiti has all of that worked out, so the team has been encouraged to be super flexible and patient. We don’t really know everything that will happen every day, but we are ready for whatever the Lord has planned.

Sunday morning we will attend church in Port-au-Prince, then load into vehicles and travel to the young adult retreat in Montrouis, Haiti where we stay for the remainder of the week.

Here is a link to a Google map of the general areas we plan to be. As of right now, I don’t know anything specific.

Each subsequent day will be filled with morning devotionals, prayer, teaching of the Word, and times of worship. I expect a lot of late nights and early mornings. There will be times for sports and recreation, allowing the team to really bond with the Haitian young adults.

On Friday, we pack up early and drive back into Port-au-Prince to catch our flight home.

Thanks!

I want to thank you so much for your support on this trip. Your prayers are invaluable. And your financial support has been huge! As of Thursday, I only need another $35 to pay for the trip. Thank you so much!

Please continue to pray for the team during this time. Without prayer, the trip will not be a success. But you all have been so great with your support. I cannot thank you enough.

That’s all for now.

As you know, I am traveling to Haiti with the young adult team from my church. It’s hard to believe, but the trip is now less than two weeks out! I wanted to give you an update about our trip preparations, and once again ask you to be praying for the members of the team and the work the Lord is about to do.

Training

Over the past several months, we have been preparing for the trip by attending weekly training sessions. During this training, we have covered everything from required travel documents to preparing our testimony, working together and bonding as a team (which can be harder than you might think),culture shock and building bridges with the Haitians, speaking through a translator, and what to expect once we arrive in country. We have also discussed the main topic of the retreat. We will be teaching on Hebrews 13:5, so please be praying for all of the members of the team who are planning to teach.

Teaching

I, along with several other members of the team, will be teaching from the Bible during the trip. Specifically, I will be teaching about how God keeps his Word, and when He says He will do something, you can count on it getting done. Please be praying for Godly wisdom for all of us who will be teaching during this time.

Prayer

I know I have said it a lot (twice, in fact, in this email alone), but please be praying for each member of the team. It would be impossible for you to pray “too much” for this mission. I would also appreciate it you would pray for the members of the team by name. Just pick one or two and pray specifically for them. Here are the members of the team:

Beau
Keith
Sarai
David
Jake
Aaron
Kimberly
Trevor
Tiphani
Jackson
Damaris
Jessica
Billine
Kaiana
Melissa
Roby
Sarah
Joe

Video

During the last few weeks, I have been shooting video interviews of the team. These interviews will likely be used in the videos about the trip. The members of the team have all be super helpful during this time, despite the fact that many are “camera shy”. As a storyteller, I am trying to make everyone as comfortable as possible during the filming process, but I understand that some people still struggle.

Thank you!

Once again, thanks for being a part of my support team. Whether you are helping me financially or simply covering the team in prayer, I am deeply appreciative of your support. As of this posting, I am only $35 short of my financial obligation to participate in this trip. You people are amazing!

As I have said, this is a big step of faith for me, and I am really excited about what the Lord is going to do in the lives of the team and those whom we are going to visit in Haiti.

I love aviation. I’m passionate about it. It drives me. It keeps me awake at night. It helps me sleep. Aviation is very much a part of my being. It’s a safe bet that if you are reading this, you already knew this.

Few things give my life purpose more than aviation. Care to know what they are?

1. My relationship with God
2. My relationship with my family

Yup. God comes first. At least that’s how I try to live my life. I’m not very good at it much of the time, but I try.

Earlier this year, I decided to take a huge step of faith in my walk with God by committing to go on a short term mission trip to Haiti. This July, the young adult ministry from my church will be traveling to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to spend a week with the young adult ministry at our sister church in that country.

During our time in Haiti, we will be retreating for a time of prayer, fellowship, and teaching the Word of God. We will be edifying and building up the church in Haiti to prepare them to bring the truth of God’s incredible plan to the streets of Port-au-Prince, empowering and preparing them to go into their own mission field at home.

Why I’m Going

As you know, I also have a passion for storytelling through audio and, more recently, through video. I plan to use this gift to capture the events and activities, the emotions of those involved, and the miracles of God’s truth in the lives of all involved. These stories can then be retold to the members of both churches to show how God has made real differences in the lives of individuals.

I Need Your Help

This is a very exciting time for me, and I look forward to what God is going to do in me and through me, and in the lives of the the young adults in Port-au-Prince. However, I recognize that this trip will be very challenging for me, and I will not be able to accomplish this task alone. I am leaving my comfort zone at home in Florida and stepping out in faith.

Pray For The Team … Often

More than anything, the members of this short term mission team – and the people of Haiti – need your prayers. We have all seen the troubles and difficulties in the lives of those living in Haiti. The people in Haiti need hope and truth. They need to know that they are loved by God.

The members of this short term mission team realize that prayer is the key to any success we might see of bringing hope to the hopeless and for lives to be forever changed by the forgiveness and love of Jesus. Will you partner with us through prayer?

Financial needs

I also have a need for financial support. At about $900 dollars, the cost of this trip is not insignificant. If you feel led, please consider helping me meet the financial obligation for this short term mission trip. If you do choose to support me financially, you can click on the link below to give a tax-deductible donation directly into my mission trip account at the church.

CLICK HERE TO GIVE.

Again, more than money, this team needs prayer. Lot’s of it. Daily. Please keep this team and the people of Haiti in your prayers leading up to, during, and after this mission trip. We are only in-country for one week, but the people of Haiti will have needs for far longer.

Thanks

Thank you so very much for committing to stand with me and the rest of this mission team as we prepare for our trip to Haiti. This short term mission cannot be successful without your prayers and financial assistance. If you have any questions, please contact me. I would love to share this trip with you and your family.

The US Air Force air demonstration squadron, the Thunderbirds, debuted their new “wicked-high” show at the 2012 SUN ‘n FUN International Convention and Expo in Lakeland Florida on April 1, 2012.

Traditionally, the Thunderbirds have had two different shows: the high show when ceilings are unlimited, and the low show when weather doesn’t permit climbing to the top of the aerobatic box.

Audiences worldwide have become used to seeing either the low or the high show at airshows all around the world, and the Air Force thought it was time to show off the high-altitude capabilities of the F-16 Viper. The new wicked-high show was born.

While most aerobatic boxes go from the surface to 15,000 feet, the new wicked high show aerobatic box will started 15,000 feet and go all the way to the aircraft’s service ceiling of 55,000 feet.

The primary mission of the Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron is recruiting. The Air Force recognizes that, without the ability to actually see the jets in the flight, not much will be helped in the area of recruiting. Thus, the Air Force issued binoculars to the first 100,000 spectators to arrive at airshow site.

The F-16 Viper is capable of high-altitude air superiority, giving the United States a clear advantage over enemy air forces across the globe. With BVR capabilities, the Viper can shoot down enemy aircraft from beyond the visual range of the Mark 1 Eyeball, two of which are standard equipment on every Viper.

Audiences at this year’s SUN ‘n FUN event in Lakeland, Florida seemed happy with the new format of the airshow, giving the Air Force the confidence to continue with the new wicked-high show at future Air Force Thunderbird events.

For the third year in a row, I will be camping on the field at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport for the annual Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In. I camped in the same spot for the last two years, and it seems to have worked out well. So this year I am hoping that my friends, old and new, will decide to pitch their tents near me. Some of you have already said you would.

So where am I camping? Right here:

Sun 'n Fun 2011 New Media Camping

The spot is right on the edge of a retention pond on an elevated berm. My theory is higher is better, especially because rain is forecast during the week.

Here is the invitation: if you would like, please pitch your tent near mine. There will be some other friends pitching theirs here as well. I think it might be kind of awesome to have a “New Media Forward Strike Base” from which to start our Sun ‘n Fun festivities every day. And I would love to sit around and swap stories with everyone at the end of the day.

If you are so inclined, click the photo above for a larger picture, and feel free to look me up on Twitter (@DaveFlys) if you need directions. And if you already have plans to camp somewhere else, like under the wing of your plane, then at least stop in and see us.

Who is coming?

Rotating Beacon at Valkaria Airport (X59)

In my last post, I said that this “little airport that could” had been getting a bunch of upgrades recently. This new rotating beacon is one of them.

I can’t wait to see what they add next.

Pilot-Controlled AWOS at X59

While I believe Valkaria Airport (X59) will always be a small community airport, it’s great to see upgrades being added to increase usefulness and safety. Recently, the runways have been repainted, PAPI has been installed, a new windsock erected, and a rotating beacon has been placed into operation.

This pilot-controlled AWOS is also one of the new additions to the airport. It adds a level of safety and utility.

For this community, this is the little airport that could.

Stiff Windsock at Valkaria Airport X59

I dropped by Valkaria Airport (X59) a few days ago to make some plans for media coverage and gather some photo and video coverage for the upcoming Valkaria Air Fest. This photo speaks volumes. Any guesses as to why almost no one was flying on this day?

Air Tractor AT-802 on the north GA ramp at KMLB

Admittedly, I had a difficult time with this one. Aside from the obvious fact that this was a crop duster of some sort, I had no idea what make or model this airplane was. So I turned to my friends on Twitter. Within minutes of posting the question and a link to the photo, I was headed in the right direction. Thanks to @replies from @pilot2b, @bgwickham, and @Blackprojects, I was able to determine that this is an Air Tractor AT-802.

There were two of them on the north GA ramp at Melbourne on the day I took this picture. I bet THAT is a fun airplane to fly.

Citabria on the ramp at FIT Aviation - KMLB

FIT Aviation, an FBO on the field at KMLB and part of Florida Tech, has this American Champion Citabria available for training. I’m a little blue that it was tied down on the ramp here with a canopy cover on the windscreen as opposed to in the air pulling Gs, but I do believe it gets to fly quite a bit.