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The 2nd year Bible Institute students of Living Water
Teaching (LWT) exercise what they have learned, by
taking their 1st year studies to remote locations in
Guatemala. There they will conduct structured extension
schools each week, traveling distances to these places
via the notorious "Chicken Bus" system. For many this
trip is long, a full day getting there, one full day of
classes, and then one full day to return.
This is where Mercy Wings International (MWI) shines, by
using aircraft to speed ministry workers to their
destinations saving days of travel. One such place is
the municipality of Jutiapa. Located 90 nm east of
Quetzaltenango, and run by the Guatemalan military. the
strip is 1000 meters long and in a narrow valley, with
only the first 700 meters useable. In order to land at
this airstrip you must first contact the military 12
hours in advance and again prior to departing your base
and announcing an estimated time of arrival (ETA).
These measures ensure soldiers clear the strip of cows
that graze at the edges and surprises. We are favored
of the Lord to have the base commander graciously
authorize our operations.
Onboard this trip is Mr. Pedro Garcia who is the LWT
Bible Institute extension school coordinator. This
mission is to coordinate the placement of two Bible
teachers at this location. One will remain in Jutiapa
and the other will be transported by car to nearby
Jalapa. Air transportation by MWI will save 20 hours of
travel time for our extension school teachers; in this
fashion time is more efficiently used. Also, in the
aircraft are Dany Mejia, LWT's director of special
projects, Mauricio Bartlett, an MWI associate and expert
on Guatemala aviation, and finally Chuck Martinez,
pilot-in-command, and MWI director.
Here's the Flight Log
Our group departed Quetzaltenango at 8:10 local,
carrying four on board, 56 gallons of fuel, at a takeoff
weight of 3400 lbs. Climbing to 10,500 MSL to clear the
Alaska checkpoint the visibility was slightly hazy. The
course set was direct to Guatemala City at a slow decent
to to 8,500. On this course line we passed mountain to
villages, volcanic lake, and kept tabs on the line of
volcano that stretches between Quetzaltenango and La
Aurora International airport (MGGT). The City of
Antigua is the last check point and is about 15nm
southwest of MGGT; it is here you enter briefly the
control zone of La Aurora Tower. We were briefly
vectored to clear commercial jetliners departing and
then allowed to proceed on course to Jutiapa 38nm over
another volcanic mountain range and east.
We did not have precise coordinates for the GPS only the
city location with a map indicating the runway, 3km
southwest of the city. Very different from the tropical
north of Guatemala, and the Lush green of west, Jutiapa
has the look of an Arizona desert. After a low pass to
determine the condition and useable parts of the strip,
I set up a standard pattern with the approach to land
about 015 deg magnetic. The approach and departure was
comfortably clear of obstacles.
The airstrip composition is packed earth, good and
level, with some crushed cinder in places; overall very
useable. We taxied back to the only intersection, here
soldiers awaited our arrival. The black top
intersection is actually a helicopter marshalling area
and not a runway. We arrived with 40 gallons of fuel
after 54 minutes of flight time, all within 1 gallon and
3 minutes of what was planned. After handshakes,
coordination's, and a short tour of the base
headquarters, we returned to the black intersection and
conducted pre-flight check for departure.
Next stop La Aurora (MGGT) and fuel. I set a course to
position the aircraft south of MGGT to intercept the
runway in use (at that moment), RWY 01. About 18 nm out
the runway direction change and so did my plan. Now on
a northerly heading, parallel to and east of MGGT, we
were one mountain range over following a valley. A left
turn and a few small ridges later we were 5 mile final
and clear to land RWY19. With full tanks, flight plan
in hand, and cleared for takeoff we departed MGGT for
Quetzaltenango, climbing to 8,500 msl clearing the first
mountain range with the city of Chimaltenango in view.
The trip home was uneventful as we retraced our outbound
leg, climbing to 10,500. Just 27 minutes after
departing Guatemala City, and across the Alaska check
point we were descending into our home valley.
Visibility clear and no other traffic in the vicinity.
Wind was only 2-3 kts and favored landing RWY 23. after
roll-out, we taxied to the runway edge and shut down.
Another successful mission complete.
I would tell you about the balked landing from 50 feet
above the runway due to a group of indigenous Maya
standing in the middle of the touch down
zone, but that's another story.......
Just goes to show that you can't let your guard down, be
it the first or last landing of the day.
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