MATA students Christine, Harlan, and Joe with Gary and the MATA C-172 during the trip to Oshkosh, Wisconsin
MATA Goes to Oshkosh, Wisconsin
MATA students flew to AirVenture Oshkosh, the world’s largest fly-in, this year featuring mission aviation for the first time. Students Joe Alexander and Christine McDonald flew out in MATA’s Cessna 172, and Harlan Lloyd made the return flight with Christine. Christine logged 27.9 hours, Joe logged 15.6, and Harlan got 18.5, with many hours of simulated instrument experience flown “under the hood.” MATA staff members attending were Chief of Maintenance Myron Davis, Chief Flight Instructor Gary Elliott, Administrative Assistant Stacie Elliott, and Ground Instructors Paul Siken and Steve King.
We departed Arlington under instrument weather conditions, but needed the "hood" for instrument practice the rest of the trip.
Fly 4 Life Tent
Mission aviation and humanitarian flying were featured under the umbrella theme “Fly 4 Life.” The Fly 4 Life mission aviation tent had large, colorful story-board displays and videos inside, with aircraft displayed outside. At one entrance was a story-board of the 5 missionaries (Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, et al) martyred in Ecuador in 1956 while making contact with the Auca tribe, and a replica of Nate’s tattered Family Cruiser used as a prop in the movie “End of the Spear.”
Replica of Nate Saint's Piper "Family Cruiser" outside the Fly 4 Life tent.
Many visitors were unfamiliar with the story of the 5 missionaries martyred in Ecuador in 1956, and Gary shared for hours daily.
At the other entrance was a display about Martin and Gracia Burnham’s abduction in the Philippines in 2001 by Muslim radicals and subsequent year-long captivity, with Burnham’s Super Cub outside. (Gary and Stacie served alongside Martin and Gracia with New Tribes Mission Aviation in the Philippines.) Gary worked for about four hours each day at the Fly 4 Life tent, providing details to visitors unfamiliar with these real-life dramas.
Martin and Gracia Burnham (New Tribes Mission Aviation) storyboard at the other entrance.
International Association of Missionary Aviation (IAMA) Tent
In addition to the Fly 4 Life theme tent, 32 mission aviation agencies and training schools (including MATA) had displays in the IAMA tent. Our MATA display consisted of large photo display board and a rented 32” screen with MATA’s promotional video playing. All the MATA staff and students covered shifts at our display.
Chrisitne covering a shift at the MATA display inside the IAMA tent, shared with over 30 organizations.
Harlan and Christine on the final leg of the return flight to Arlington... almost home!
