General Declaration

Before COVID-19, I helped train two of our newest pilots – Joe and Brett. Here Paul Kochi and Dennis help us launch on the first training flight.

The last time we met “in the office”

Spread out for social distancing, we had no idea this would be the last time we would all be together for several months.

COVID Curfew Cots

Kenya began a nationwide curfew at 7pm. Initially it was very strictly enforced, with sometimes brutal consequences. Several pilots decided they would rather spend the night in our hangar than attempt to drive home after curfew began, even though they are considered essential personnel. Fortunately the severe enforcement relaxed, and we never needed to use the cots.

AIM AIR communications

Our new communications ninja, Mike, putting together a video update. I’m so grateful Mike stepped into this role before COVID-19 hit!

AIM AIR communications

A big effort for improving AIM AIR’s communications was a new website. Initially I added a page describing our response to the COVID pandemic. Mike put hundreds of ours in to a complete website overhaul. Now it looks great! Check it out at aimair.org!

Instrument training on the SIM

Samaritan’s Purse in Eldoret graciously allowed me to use their PC based training simulator to orient a couple AIM AIR pilots to instrument flying around East Africa. I even jumped in and tried to show them how NOT to do it!

Improvised Instrument Cover for Partial Panel

Note: It was a spare clean mask we had in the airplane.

Returning from Juba

Medevac flights like this allow our new pilots to become familiar with our area of operations.

Designated Check Pilot training

In a simulator here in Nairobi. Abdul pretends to be evaluated by all three of us “students” in the Designated Check Pilot course. He did an AMAZING job flying precisely until we was not supposed to. Our job was to find his mistakes and then mention them appropriately in the debrief.

General Manager

Jack let me use his homeschool desk to get some work done. Fortunately, my real desk is bigger than this. Unfortunately it is much more cluttered with papers.

Thinking hard

We returned a patient back to their home in Dukana, Kenya. I don’t have a headache, but I do appreciate your prayers regarding my new role as General Manager, and especially for the future of AIM AIR as we try to weather this situation.