Things Not Going As Planned

Monday morning I was tragically informed that somehow I was not approved on the Kako insurance to fly.  I am the first one ever who has come up to Kako with no Alaska time that has not been approved.  The insurance company wants 250 hours AK time before I can fly the kids which would make sense if I was doing it in the winter, but I'm not.  As bummed as I was it effects the whole camp.    

My first question was why did God bring me all the way here to Kako, AK?  And second of all what now?  I have had a few tempting options come up as either pilot or mechanic in other towns, but I did not come up here to get a job and just log hours.  I came to serve and it is very unfortunate especially after a week of getting to know everyone that I am going to just turn around and head back.  There is definitely something special about this place.  Everything is so different.

For instance planes and atvs are far more common than cars.  When I was being orientated to the area on Monday I would fly over a airstrip, not see an atv with kids on it so I was told to "buzz" the village and sure enough not but a minute later I would see a dust trial making its way to the gravel strip.

Yesterday I went out to Hooper Bay with another pilot and picked up a couple counselors for camp.  It was a clear day which is not very common there at the Bering Sea.  So basically I am only 242 hours away from getting approved on the insurance.  I was joking yesterday with some of the guys who are here from the North Pole doing construction that my .1 hrs taxing to the fuel pump is moving me right along to get "qualified."  It's hard not to joke when guys have come in here with less experience and been approved.

Anyways, before you all freak out about this picture I had to do this considering the name on the plane.  This was taken with one of the three planes that are in the trees at the end of the airstrip.  It was a good reminder that this place is really no joke.  In fact I kid with the other pilot Denny that if the windsocks here are pointed in the same direction at either end of the field something is wrong.

So the last few days I have basically been catching the planes up with a little maintenance considering I am the only licensed mechanic on site. Ha...yeah...Alaska.  It has forced me to work in the mud and think outside the box to get the job done.

The internet is slow so I will post more pictures later.  I tentatively plan to come home on Monday.