GroundCrew Issue - April 2009 - Page One

MMS Sends a Rapid Response Team To Florida

In February, Mike Dunkley, Chuck Egbert, and David Mozombite traveled to Florida to assist Missionary Flights International (MFI) by performing hot section inspections on their turbine powered DC 3. The DC 3 has two Pratt & Whitney PT6 engines.

Chuck inspects the hot section of the DC 3’s right engine.

The inspections revealed problems with one of the engines, necessitating repairs which the team then made. A great opportunity for our team, it illustrates one of the many ways in which MMS serves the greater missionary aviation community. Our visit to MFI, and the technical support our team provided, enabled this DC 3 to be returned to service in the shortest possible time with the lowest possible impact on MFI’s own staff.

David installs a combustion liner in the hot section of the DC-3’s left engine.

MMS has a long history of partnership with MFI going back nearly thirty years. Two MMS graduates, Roger Sands and Brian Lites, currently serve as part of the MFI maintenance staff. Also, one of MFI’s former staff members, Ian Hengst, now serves with MMS.

David, Mike, and Brian reassemble the left engine.

MFI’s aviation ministry supports hundreds of missionary families serving in the Bahamas, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. Thank you for being part of their efforts through supporting our efforts.

Mike prepares maintenance entries for the engine log books.

Brian Lites and “Ric” from MFI worked with David, Mike and Chuck to perform the inspections.

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